AMA
ATV Motocross Nationals
Pleasure Valley Links |
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MSR/Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro
Taper's Doug Gust |
Johnstown, PA (7/13/2008) -
Doug Gust raced fast and consistent to earn
the overall Pro ATV victory Sunday at Pleasure
Valley Raceway. The event, the American Suzuki
Summer National, was Round 9 of the ITP Tires/Moose
Racing AMA ATVA Pro Motocross Championship.
Gust (No. 55 Team MSR/Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro
Taper Suzuki) took the victory, his second
this season, ahead of Josh Creamer (No.
9 Monster Energy Kawasaki). Series points
leader Dustin Wimmer (No. Team 191 MSR/Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro
Taper) finished third, maintaining his healthy
points advantage.
"When it started raining, I started
smiling,” said the affable Gust. “Dustin
was riding really well and when he got around
me I wasn’t sure if I was going to
be able to get him back. But, when it started
raining, that changed!
"These wins feel better than any I’ve
had in my career because of how tight the
competition is," added Gust. "Look
at the lap sheets. We are all within a second
or so of each other, so to be able to win
against a field like we have feels incredible.”
While Suzuki riders won the event, it was
a great day for factory Kawasaki. Josh Creamer
took the holeshot and the win in the first
moto, while his teammate Keith Little (No.
12 Monster Energy Kawasaki) rode well all
day to finish fifth overall.
“I wanted the win today very badly,”
said Creamer. “I didn’t get
a very good holeshot in the second moto,
but I charged as hard as I could to get
to the front pack. Right when I reached
fourth, it started raining and I had to
take off my goggles. It was a good day though,
and we’ll win soon.”
Creamer grabbed the Suspension Systems
Holeshot Award in the first moto and led
the pack to the green flag. Also gating
well were Gust and Wimmer, with John Natalie
Jr. (No. 13 Cam-Am) and Greg Gee (No. 10
Team Epic Racing/Can-Am) rounding out the
top five at the conclusion of the first
lap. Creamer set a lightning quick pace
and pulled out to a two-second lead by the
halfway point.
Meanwhile, Gust pulled clear of Wimmer,
who appeared to be riding cautiously in
the slick conditions. Natalie could smell
blood and laid down a couple of the fastest
laps of the moto to draw close to Wimmer’s
rear wheels. From there, things went downhill
for the hometown hero, as Natalie suffered
a flat tire, and, later, engine problems.
Up front, Gust mounted a charge but Creamer
held on for the opening moto victory. Wimmer
rode home third with Little and Gee rounding
out the top five.
The moto was a big heartbreak for Chad
Wienen (No. 44 Rockstar/MSR/Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro
Taper Suzuki) who had qualified a close
second. Wienen’s Suzuki suffered an
electrical problem on the starting line
and was unable to start the race.
Gust earned the ATVRiders.com Holeshot
Award in the second moto. Hot on his heels
was teammate Wimmer, who dogged the veteran
relentlessly. Creamer had a poor start but
was charging through the pack quickly. Business
picked up around the halfway point of the
moto as Wimmer made his move on Gust and
took over the lead. Almost simultaneously,
the heavens opened and heavy rain began
to pound the track.
Wimmer would only lead one lap before sliding
out on a tricky jump. Once in the lead,
Gust never faltered, taking the checkered
flag about five seconds ahead of Jeremy
Lawson (No. 16 Team Epic Can-Am) and earned
the overall victory. Creamer finished the
moto third, which was good enough for second
overall.
Team Suzuki continues to hold the lead
in the Manufacturers' Cup standings.
About the ATV Association
(ATVA):
The ATV Association ("ATVA")
is the official sanctioning body of the
amateur division of the ATVA ITP/Moose ATV
National Motocross Championship Series Presented
by Parts Unlimited. The 9,000-member ATVA
is a sister organization of the 260,000
member American Motorcyclist Association
(AMA). ATV racing has experienced phenomenal
growth in recent years, and continues to
gain momentum and support, outselling off-road
motorcycles annually. Each ATVA round attracts
hundreds of racers who compete for bragging
rights to one of 31 amateur national titles.
For more information, please visit www.atvaonline.com.
About the ATV Promoters
Group (ATVPG):
The ATVPG is composed of the individual
promoters that host the AMA ITP/Moose ATV
National Motocross Championships, presented
by Parts Unlimited. The goal of the ATVPG
is to raise awareness of ATV motocross through
the production of professional and amateur
championship racing events. For more information
on the ATVPG and the ATV National events
they produce, please visit www.atvmotocross.com.
About the ITP/Moose
ATV National Motocross
Championship Series Presented by Parts Unlimited:
The AMA ITP/Moose ATV National Motocross
Championship Series Presented by Parts Unlimited
is the nation's premier amateur and professional
ATV motocross series, and competes at top
motocross facilities nationwide. The 11-round
series features the Nation's best racers,
teams and sponsors, and is America's largest
and longest-running ATV National Motocross
series with more than 20 years of competition.
The series continues to expand and produce
top talent from the amateur ranks, while
keeping close to the grassroots fun that
makes people love to go to the races.
Series sponsors include
title sponsors ITP Tires and Moose Racing,
and presenting sponsor Parts Unlimited.
Premiere and Feature sponsors include ATV
Sport, Moto Tees, Scott USA, Maxxis Tires,
Elka Suspension and H-Bomb Films/Division
Four. Associate sponsors include Weekend
Warrior Trailers, Denton Racing, and Hinson
Racing. Media partners include ATV Insider,
ATV Rider and ATVRiders.com. For more information,
please visit www.atvmotocross.com.
