|
AMA ATV Motocross Nationals
Round #3 - Budds Creek
Mechanicsville, MD
May 5 , 2012
|
|
AMA Pro ATV Motocross
- Round 3 - Budds Creek - Race Report
::Continued::
| |
| PEP's
#20 Josh Upperman was able to hold off #84
Thomas Brown in Moto 1 to secure the 3rd
spot after grabbing the Holeshot |
Baldwin Motorsports’ Josh Upperman was at
it again off the start as he grabbed the holeshot.
Upperman was looking solid in the lead, but a bobble
in the first lap cost him the lead and dropped him
to third place. Upperman then came under fire from
Thomas Brown, which resulted in one of the best
battles so far this season. Brown was relentless
in his pursuit of Upperman, but Upperman wasn’t
going down without a fight. Upperman looked as if
he might lose his spot, but the number 20 got his
second wind late in the moto and pulled away to
hang on for third.
“I got a great start thanks to Baldwin
Motorsports. The bike worked awesome. I had a
great set up and I’m looking forward to
getting back up there in the next moto. Track
is getting rough, but I have to be prepared,”
said Upperman after the first moto.
| |
Maxxis'
#20 Josh Upperman once again grabbed the
Moto Two holeshot in nearly identical
fashion as Moto One with #44 Chad Wienen
right behind him
|
Upperman again grabbed the holeshot in moto two,
but he was unable to hold his lead and fell back
when Chad Wienen made the pass. Upperman made
a mistake and fell back again later in the moto
and ended moto two in fifth place. Upperman’s
3-5 finishes allowed him to round out the top
five overall.
| |
|
DASA Racing's #7 Joe Byrd claimed the ATVriders.com
Fastest Qualifier Award |
Veteran racer, Joe Byrd claimed the ATVRiders.com
fastest qualifier award this round, which is something
that is not common for the number 7. Byrd also put
in a good moto after a mid-pack start. Byrd quickly
got around Harold Goodman and began to challenge
Nick DeNoble. After a two lap battle, Byrd moved
up to sixth place and then took away fifth from
Jeffrey Rastrelli. Byrd maintained his position
for the rest of the moto despite a late challenge
from John Natalie and crossed the finish line in
the number five spot; his best finish so far this
season.
“I went out there and put the hammer down
in qualifiers to see what would happen and the
quad responded really well. I got a decent start
out there today but got hit in the face with a
few good sized rocks and that slowed me up a bit
in the first couple of laps, but I’m hoping
for a good second moto as well,” said Byrd,
had blood dripping down his nose after the first
moto because of the rocks.
| |
|
Fly Racing's #7 Joe Byrd secured his 2nd
straight 6th place overall, but if he really
showed that he has the speed to run up front
again, so it won't be long before Byrd moves
into the Top 5 or on the Podium |
The biggest surprise of the day, and so far this
season, was the second moto charge from Joe Byrd.
Byrd was in third off the start and right on Chad
Wienen’s heels. Byrd made his way around
Upperman with Wienen and immediately began to
pressure the number 44. Byrd made several attempts
to pass and gave Wienen the biggest fight he has
seen so far this season, but unfortunately for
Byrd, a mechanical issue got the best of him at
the midway point and he fell back for a sixth
place finish, putting him in sixth overall.
The number 26, Derek Swartfager, put together
two solid motos, going 9-7 for seventh overall
after battling it out with Harold Goodman and
Jeffrey Rastrelli.
Jeffrey Rastrelli had a great start in fourth
place in the first moto, but fell back for an
eighth place finish. Rastrelli held on for ninth
in moto two, giving him eighth overall.
Adam Clark put together two solid motos, going
10 and 8 for ninth overall.
Nick DeNoble was in the top ten off the start
and moved up to seventh in the third lap. DeNoble
was looking good as he applied the pressure to
Joe Byrd. DeNoble stayed close to Byrd, but was
unable to make a move. DeNoble held the number
six spot for several laps but could not hold off
a late charge from John Natalie and fell back
to finish in seventh in the first moto.
DeNoble had a decent start in the second moto
and had worked his way into seventh, but the number
123 Honda ran into issues late in the race and
dropped back to finish in thirteenth, putting
him in tenth overall.
Harold Goodman’ 11-10 finishes put him
in eleventh overall, while Jesse Barnes claimed
twelfth. Jonathon Ven John finished in 13th overall
while Craig Porter took 14th.
Mark Madl was doing well until mechanical issues
ended things early for him in moto one and was
towed off the track. Madl was unable to fix the
issue and had to sit out moto two.
Round number four of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross
Championships heads to the home track of Chad
Wienen at Sunset Ridge in Walnut, IL on May 19th
– 20th where the points battle is sure to
heat up.
|
