ATV MX Round 9 - Unadilla

Creamer Moves Closer to Championship
with Win at Unadilla

Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki's new recruit this year looks to be securing his first-ever pro ATV motocross championship.

Josh Creamer took the overall win at Unadilla in Berlin, N.Y., this weekend and extended his points leader over teammate Dustin Wimmer to 30 points with just two rounds left in the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship.

For a full report from Unadilla, read Christa Watson's race recap.

Editorial - ATV 'Nationals'

DREAM SERIES

Re-arranging

the ATV 'Nationals'

Scott Mushin, at Mushin Racing, recently posed a question to atv racers and fans in an online forum asking how they would create a dream ATV motocross series. Predictably, the post became a bash session for everything wrong with the current "national" race series, the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship.

A few good ideas came of the discussion, however, but perhaps the one most successful idea for an ATV National Motocross series didn't materialize.

Proven by dirt bike racers, the Loretta Lynn's qualifying races held throughout the country are a successful venue for amateur racers to showcase their skills and earn a ticket to the big show - the final at Loretta Lynns AMA Amateur National  Motocross Championships.

The AMA promoters and other promoter groups around the nation running ATV race series should consider a hybrid version of all their series modeled after the AMA amateur championship.

In each major ATV race series, a select few pros battle it out hard for the top 5 positions at most races, and really only two or three pros at most are close enough in the points chase to create any kind of real battle for the title. Most of these series are seeing dwindling gate sizes in the pro class due to the economy, rising traveling expenses, limited sponsor support and the dropping of factory backing from Honda and Kawasaki.

The major ATV race series around the country, including WORCS, ITP Quadcross, AMA ATV Motocross, DWT World ATV Motocross, and the NEATV-MX, should run their seasons as 'qualifiers' for a final national series held in the fall. The top 4 points finishers in the pro class for each series could then compete for a shorter series somewhere in the Midwest.

Creating a true "national" ATV series would bring together the top pros such as Dustin Nelson, Beau Baron, Joe Haavisto, Cody Miller, Josh Frederick, Michael Pilotte, Josh Creamer, Dustin Wimmer, John Natalie, Jr., and others for a guaranteed full gate of the nation's fastest ATV racers. The series could be limited to three races at the same facility or tracks within a close proximity within a weekend or one or two week span. The winner would be crowned the true ATV national champion. It could be called the USA ATV National Championship.

Such a series would be a win-win for fans and racers alike. A true national series would allow pro and amateur racers to save on travel costs by competing in their "regional" series of choice, such as the ITP Quadcross or NEATV-MX, while using their performance there to qualify for the USA Nationals. This final series would create exciting racing for fans by throwing together the fastest quad racers from around the country, some of whom would not have the edge of seeing their competitor's moves week after week. The racing would be sure to be fast and close.

I doubt any of the promoters would consider this, as many are driven largely by ego and want their own series to be considered the one that crowns the world's fastest ATV racer. But such a collaboration would allow for greater exposure to fans and racers through joint promotion, shared resources and a truly "national" existence.

Such a move very well could be what launches ATV motocross racing into the mainstream.

PVR - Pro Am Production

Fate deals Casey Martin and his Polaris a win

Mechanical failure plagues Hetrick; mishap for Snapp

Call it luck or call it fate, but either way Casey Martin walked away from the Pro-Am production moto 1 at Pleasure Valley with a win Sunday, and after his performance in the second moto Martin cemented the weekend overall on his Rath Racing backed Polaris Outlaw MXR450.

The Fourth of July weekend gave Martin his first overall win of the season and bumped him up to fifth in the points chase in the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship.

With just three rounds to go, Martin is now just 23 points behind class leader Joel Hetrick.

In the first pro-am production moto, Suzuki-mounted Chase Snapp grabbed the holeshot. Kawasaki-mounted Joel Hetrick soon began biting at Snapp's rear tires. The pair hooked up and began pulling away from the rest of the class.

Perennial front-runners in the pro-am classes Chase Snapp(22) and Joel Hetrick(88) settled in to their usual spots and started to gradually separate from the pack.

But soon fate, or bad luck, intervened for Hetrick. The pungent odor of burnt coolant grew each time Hetrick passed, until it became obvious he had a coolant problem when white smoke started pouring from his quad.

The mechanical failure sent Hetrick tumbling backwards through the pack. He settled for an eventual 18th place finish in the first pro-am production moto. The failure had the Hetrick crew working feverishly to replace the quad's radiator between  motos. He managed third place in moto 2.

For a brief moment, Snapp seemed to benefit from Hetrick's misfortune as his pace picked up without the constant pressure from the Kawasaki rider. But it was only brief.

Out of the view of spectators, Snapp had some kind of mishap in the back section of the track. And practically everyone in the class took advantage and passed him. Whatever happened, Snapp re-mounted his quad but fell back and finished the first moto in 14 place. He left Pleasure Valley with a seventh overall finish after salvaging a sixth place finish in the second pro-am production moto.

Snapp's mistake left the door wide open for Martin, who charged right through it on his Polaris.

Casey Martin took advantage of Snapp and Hetrick's misfortunes to take his first overall win of the season on his Polaris MXR450 Sunday at Pleasure Valley Raceway.

Martin wasn't the only one to benefit from the misfortunes of the leaders. Ohio-native Aaron Meyer slid into finish second behind Martin in the first moto and backed that up with a fifth-place finish in the second pro-am production moto to take home third overall for the weekend.

Aaron Meyer cruises to a second-place finish in the first pro-am production moto Sunday at PVR.

Round nine of the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Nationals heads to Berlin, N.Y. for the Unadilla National July 17-18. For more information, log on to ATVMotocross.com.

PVR - Pro ATV Moto 2

Another moto win for points leader Josh Creamer

Natalie rides smart to give Can-Am their first overall win

Team Motoworks Can-Am's John Natalie Jr. and Baldwin Motorsports Josh Upperman shot out of the gate at the start of moto 2 at Pleasure Valley Raceway Sunday and battled side-by-side for the holeshot. After a few turns, Upperman came away with the race lead.

But the Honda rider's lead proved short-lived. Natalie passed the Ohio native a few turns later and tried to settle in to the lead and the same pace that gave him the win in moto 1.

Pennsylvania native and hometown favorite John Natalie Jr. lead the second pro moto, but his lead would be challenged by several riders. The top five gradually broke away from the pack early in the moto with Natalie in first, followed by Josh Upperman, rookie Cody Gibson, Josh Creamer and Dustin Wimmer.

Creamer made short work of getting around Gibson, and he even got past Upperman a few laps later. But the Iron Man proved a greater challenge.

Josh Creamer reminded everyone in moto 2 why he's the current points leader. He started the moto in fourth, but Creamer quickly passed rookie Cody Gibson, who was putting in an impressive performance by hanging with the points leader and fighting off the defending champion.

Once Creamer moved into third, he set his sights on Upperman. The seasoned pro gave Creamer a good fight but eventually gave up the second spot. The Suzuki rider then closed in on Natalie, and the two settled in for a hard-fought moto that gave the Pennsylvania crowds some exciting racing to watch.

Creamer inched closer to Natalie with every lap, until finally he passed the Can-Am rider on the tabletop coming out of the back section.

It seemed only a matter of time before Creamer would guide his Yoshimura LTR450 around Natalie, but the Iron Man defended his position well and refused to open the door to the points leader. Even if Natalie relented the moto 2 win to Creamer he could still leave Pleasure Valley with the overall. Still, a big crowd was on hand and clad in shirts plastered with the Can-Am rider's name, and he surely didn't want to disappoint.

Natalie managed to fend of the challenge from Creamer long enough that the two leaders developed an intense pace that separated them from the pack.

But Natalie slipped and opened the door for Creamer, who finally made his pass on the tabletop coming out of the back section. From there on, moto 2 became the Josh Creamer show. Still, Natalie hung on for second, which gave him the overall and Can-Am's first ATV motocross national overall win.

There was plenty of action going on behind the two leaders. Jeremy Lawson put his head down and drove through the pack to get past Wimmer and Upperman  to claim the third spot. Upperman finished the second moto in fourth with Wimmer in fifth.

Jeremy Lawson put his Walsh Racecraft Suzuki on the podium for the first time this season with two third-place finishes for third overall at the Pleasure Valley National.

Chad Wienen claimed the sixth spot in moto 2 following a disappointing DNF in the first moto after he blew out his rear shock. Wienen, also riding out of the Motoworks Can-Am semi, moved around several riders but still came away with just eleventh overall. Thomas Brown put his Yamaha in seventh place and was followed by Jeremy Warnia in eight. Patrick Brown and Cody Gibson rounded out the top 10 in moto 2.

Creamer may have won moto 2, but the weekend belonged to Natalie, who took his first overall win of the season and gave Can-Am their first overall win since entering the motocross foray three years ago. Ever outspoken, Natalie humbly summed up the win.

"The weekend went really well for me here at Pleasure Valley" Natalie said. "I was able to grab Can-Am's first ever win in front of these amazing fans."

Natalie gets a thumbs up from a fan congratulating him on the overall win at Pleasure Valley Raceway July 4.

The next round of the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship series heads to New York and historic Unadilla. The current points standings: 1. Josh Creamer (356); 2. Dustin Wimmer (331); 3. John Natalie Jr (281); 4. Josh Upperman (259); 5. Chad Wienen (258); 6. Thomas Brown (233); 7. Jeremy Lawson (207); 8. Patrick Brown (180); 9. Jeremie Warnia (179); 10. Nick A. Denoble (146).

PVR - Pro ATV Moto 1

Natalie fights off Wimmer for win 

John Natalie, Jr., ripped the holeshot on his Team Motoworks Can-Am DS450 in the first pro ATV moto at Pleasure Valley Raceway Sunday and tried hard not to look back.

Natalie had to contend with pressure from Rockstar Yoshimura Makita Suzuki's Dustin Wimmer, who stayed close to the Can-Am rider early on. Wimmer settled in to Natalie's pace for several laps before making one last push to close the gap, but the defending champ couldn't get around the Iron Man.

Natalie's moto 1 win came on the heels of a third-place finish in moto 2 at the last round in Millville, Mn.

The win did not come easy for Natalie. He had to fight hard and maintain a grueling pace as the track only got hotter and dustier. Wimmer kept Natalie in reach for most of the moto, but by the end he couldn't pull the trigger.

Natalie and Wimmer weren't the only two battling hard for position, whether that battle was to maintain a spot or pass several riders.

Jeremy Lawson moved up through the pack passing several riders, including Joe Byrd, who finished in fifth. Lawson punished his Walsh Racecraft LTR450 throughout the first moto, and it held up to give him a solid third place finish, which tied his best of the season so far.

Rockstar Yoshimura Makita Suzuki's Josh Creamer, the points leader heading in to Pleasure Valley, put in a respectable effort to maintain points in moto 1. Creamer finished fourth behind Lawson.

The number nine seemed to be holding back in moto 1 with only a fourth place finish, and that became more evident as he unleashed the speed in dominating fashion in moto 2.

Creamer rode smart and didn't take his chances. Pleasure Valley only provided a few opportunities for for the quad racers to make any passes, and those who could pass took advantage in moto 1.  

Mushin Racing's Thomas Brown moved his Yamaha YFZ450R through the pack as well, and he even put a textbook pass on teammate Cody Gibson in the same off-camber corner where Wimmer came close to passing Natalie several times.

Gibson didn't relent easily. He hung tight on Brown's rear wheels but couldn't retake the position and eventually faded. Still, it proved one of the young  rookie's best showings so far this year, as Brown finished in eight and Gibson took home ninth place.

The French Can-Am rider, Jeremy Warnia, took home sixth place ahead of Balwin Motorsports' Josh Upperman, who finished in seventh place in moto 1.

Pat Brown rounded out the top 10 in moto 1 on his Yoshimura and Lonestar backed Honda.  Harold Goodman, Cody Grant, Keith Little and Brian Baragnwanath rounded out the first pro moto, which only saw 15 pros leave the gate at PVR. The big dissapointment in moto 1 was Chad Wienen, who destroyed a Fox Podium X rear shock and ended with a DNF.

Dustin Wimmer pushed his Suzuki hard to try and catch the leader and eventual winner of moto 1, John Natalie, Jr......

....but Natalie pushed his Can-Am even harder to take the moto 1 win. "Dustin Wimmer and I had a really good battle the whole race, but I came across the finish line first," Natalie said.

Check back Tuesday for coverage of moto 2 and more photos from the weekend at PVR.

ATV MX Round 8 - Pleasure Valley

IRON MAN WINS BIG!

John Natalie Jr. finishes 1-2 at Pleasure Valley,
jumps into third in the championship chase

Photo by Matt Fredmonsky

Team Can-Am Motoworks' John Natalie Jr. took home the overall win at the Pleasure Valley Raceway ATV Pro MX National on Sunday as most of the rest of the nation celebrated our independence.

Natalie recorded 1-2 moto finishes under heavy pressure in both motos from the Yoshimura Rockstar Makita Suzuki duo of Dustin Wimmer and Josh Creamer.

Check back Monday for a full race report from both pro motos and some pro-am action from the Fourth of July race at PVR.

Photo by Matt Fredmonsky

Pennsylvania native John Natalie Jr. scored some well-deserved recognition at Pleasure Valley Raceway by taking home the pro ATV motocross overall in front of a big hometown crowd Sunday. Check back Monday for a full report from the weekend's pro motos.

ATV MX Round 7 - Muddy Creek

Creamer's win streak at 3

Suzuki's No. 9 extends points lead

Josh Creamer extended his win streak to three and extended his points lead in the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship to 20 points over teammate Dustin Wimmer during Sunday's pro motos at the Muddy Creek National in Blountville, Tn.

Team Motoworks/Can-Am's Chad Wienen grabbed a moto win and left Muddy Creek with second overall. Wienen is sitting in third in the points chase with just four rounds to go.

Check out Christa Watson's full race report from this weekend's ATV MX national.

Video - Spring Creek National

If you missed the Spring Creek National in Millville, Mn., here's a helmet cam video from ml450r that puts you right in the action of the second Open A moto. Enjoy and thanks to ml450r for the coverage!

ATV MX Round 6 - Spring Creek

Creamer wins; Wienen takes second overall


We stand corrected here at TPR Quad Promotions. Team Motoworks/Can-Am rider Chad Wienen rose to the challenge at the Spring Creek National to grab two second-place finishes for the second overall behind the weekend's big winner, Yoshimura Suzuki's Josh Creamer.

Just hours before the first pro moto launched off the gate we posted the below editorial pondering Wienen's season and whether or not he could live up to the hype. Well, he closed the gap and moved into fifth in the points battle with five rounds left in the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship.

Check out Christa Watson's race report for the full details from Spring Creek.

ATV MX Round 4 - Sunset Ridge

Upperman takes first pro overall win

Baldwin Motorsports' Josh Upperman took his number 20 Honda to the top step of the podium Sunday for his first ever pro ATV motocross overall win at Sunset Ridge.

"Everything fell into place this weekend for me," Upperman said. "It feels so great to be up front running with these top guys. "It really was a great race. Mark Baldwin and Wayne Mooradian had the bike working perfect for me. I couldn't be happier."

Christa Watson turned in this race report from the Illinois ATV motocross national documenting Upperman's win.

I, for one, couldn't be happier for my fellow Ohio racer. Upperman has come close to an overall win countless times in his career, which has only improved each season. Sunday's win at Illinois is sure to be another stepping stone in this impressive rider's young career.

ATV MX Round 3

Creamer takes win, points lead from Wimmer

Yoshimura Suzuki's Josh Creamer took his second overall win Sunday at the Birch Creek ATV MX national, round three of the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship. The win also puts creamer on top of the points battle with 131, just two points ahead of his teammate and defending champ Dustin Wimmer.

Click on the link to read Rachel Fluharty's full race report.

ATV MX Round 2 - Ballance Moto X

Creamer Takes Win at Round Two

Yoshimura Suzuki rider Josh Creamer has adapted quickly to his new ride this year by winning his first overall on his LTR450 at just the second round of the ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA ATV MX Championship, presented by Parts Unlimited.

"I got great holeshots, and the Rockstar Makita Suzuki was working fantastic," Creamer said.

Creamer is now just four points behind his teammate and defending champion Dustin Wimmer in the points battle.

Click here to read the full race report.

Rear View - Changes in the pro class

New Year, New Look for ATV MX Pro Class

In January, we took a look at some of the ATV MX pros who would be jumping ship to a different team or a different quad for the 2010 season.

Now that we're two rounds deep, I thought it was time to take a look back at our initial story and shake down the changes in the pro class by rider and team ... and to see how we scored with our predictions on the team changes, some of which weren't yet finalized when our story published.

Chad Wienen

Number 44 won his first pro race in Montreal on Can-Am's DS450 with about a week's worth of seat time on his new quad. The perennial ATV MX title contender made the switch after Kawasaki folded up its awning at the motocross nationals for the last time in 2009.

In joining the Ironman, John Natalie, Team Motoworks/Can-Am is putting forth one of the strongest efforts in ATV racing this year. The crowd-friendly duo has already shown their prowess. Wienen finished second overall at round one in Alabama, and Natalie took home a fourth place overall finish.

We had this switch correct, but then again everyone in the ATV motocross world knew Chad would be leaving Kawasaki before it officially became "news."


Josh Creamer

Josh Creamer was Kawasaki's longest supported pro racer. He carried the green flag well and put in some dominating finishes aboard the KFX450, including winning back-to-back pro motos at Steel City in 2009. But the sales of Kawasaki's performance 450 quad just weren't high enough to justify the motocross team.

So during the off season, Suzuki wisely snapped up this young, fast rider. Creamer showed how quickly he has adapted to the new quad by taking home a third place overall finish from round one in Alabama. If the Yoshimura/Suzuki team can build quads for Creamer like they did Doug Gust, which were virtually DNF-free, then Creamer has a real shot at the title. That is, if his teammate Dustin Wimmer decides to quit racing in order to focus on writing a best-selling memoir.

We got this switch correct as well, but then again everyone knew Creamer would go somewhere when Kawasaki folded. Plus, Kory Ellis and the guys at Yosh were smart enough to actually send a press release announcing to the ATV media Creamer was no longer wondering if he would have a factory ride in 2010.

Pat Brown

It's still an odd sight seeing the no. 99 plate on anything other than a blue Yamaha. This year, Pat Brown was forced to tackle the pro class basically as a privateer. Pat has been on a Yamaha longer than I can remember, but last year it became clear which "Brown" boy could give the new YFZ450R the best results in the pro class.

Pat still has support from some longtime sponsors like Lonestar, and this year he added some new sponsors to the list with Yoshimura and Fox Racing Shox. And Pat actually put in a pretty solid finish at the first round with a ninth overall. I don't think too many people were expecting a top ten finish out of him so early, but it's good to see Pat hasn't lost his drive completely despite losing Yamaha's factory backing and having to go back to a Honda.

In our original story, we didn't know what quad Pat would be competing on but we knew he was parting ways with Yamaha. So we'll say we got that one half right.

Josh Upperman

I admit, Josh Upperman is one of my favorite riders. He gets great support from Mark at Baldwin Motorsports, who kept Tim Farr on top of the ATV pro motocross and TT classes for what seems like ages. That said, Josh doesn't have some of the support of other pros like Wienen, Creamer, Wimmer, Natalie, or even the Frenchie Jeremie Warnia. If Upperman were on a full-fledged factory team, say with Honda, then I have no doubt he would beat Wimmer this year or come in a very close second to the defending champ.

Josh is also an Ohio rider, which is one of the reasons I like him. I've run into him at local races like Summit Indoor and have ridden at a lot of his old stomping grounds. He's a likeable guy with a positive attitude, and he works very hard.

Josh finished second in the new DWT World ATV Motocross Championship series held out west earlier this year sporting white plastic after Honda announced it would no longer support ATV motocross racers like him, Joe Byrd and Harold Goodman. Ditching the factory colors is common practice for guys riding without any factory support. But then, Josh showed up at round one of the AMA motocross nationals in Alabama sporting red plastic. Is Honda throwing some support his way again? Regardless, Josh deserves it after leaving round one with a fifth overall behind the only four truly factory riders.

I'll admit, I think we've got this one wrong. But we're not sure at this point, considering Goodman and Byrd are still running white plastic.

Jeremy Lawson

Perfect example; Jeremy Lawson lost his ride with Can-Am and switched to an LTR450 with support from Walsh Racecraft. So, not having any true factory backing number 16 is sporting white plastic instead of Suzuki's flagship yellow.

Lawson was doing well on the Can-Am, he just wasn't challenging for podium spots every weekend. He walked away from Alabama with a sixth overall behind Upperman and is looking good early on the Suzuki.

We knew where Lawson was headed after leaving Can-Am, but we had the inside scoop on that one because Tarantula Performance Racing came close to sponsoring him, but things didn't work out. I'm gonna say we had that one correct. Jeremy is a good guy and a good rider and we wish him the best this year.

Joe Byrd

The professor is still on a Honda, but he's running without the kind of factory support he enjoyed from Honda in the past. He does have an impressive new rig in the pits, so it's good to see something is going right for Byrd.

Seeing Byrd on a white Honda with blue accents is another strange sight to get accustomed to this year. We knew Byrd was losing his factory support, but I honestly couldn't believe it. Byrd has been on a Honda since the early Huevos days, yet seeing him on a White Honda is going to take some getting used to.

Not surprisingly, he still put in a solid finish at the first  round to take eighth overall. We definitely got that move correct.

Keith Little

Keith Little lost his ride with Kawasaki along with Creamer, Weinen and a handful of other satellite riders. He has been a strong rider since the early days of the sport and has always had a knack for holeshots.

This year, Little is taking a completely unorthodox approach to racing the nationals. He's teamed up with ATV Rider Magazine for the "MX-Periment," in which Little will tackle the pro class this season aboard identically equipped Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki 450 quads. It's going to be interesting to see which machine he puts in the best results on this year. After the season, he'll break down the quads in several stories featured in ATV Rider Magazine.

We definitely got this one wrong. But who could've guessed that Little would be competing on four different quads from four different manufacturers this year!

Is it over?

That wraps up the major changes in the pro class for 2010, and it's surely been one wild ride for those guys who were biting their nails in January wondering who would support them this year. Of course, one of the biggest moves of all was Doug Gust's retirement, though I don't believe he caught too many people by surprise.

So for those of you following along, we got four moves right, two moves wrong and one half right. Hopefully those will be the last major changes we see in the pro class, unless the next big news is the return of Kawasaki...

ATV MX Round Two - Ballance Moto X preview

Pro quads storm into Kentucky this weekend

The big show returns this weekend after taking Easter off, as pro ATV motocross hits the Blue Grass state for a weekend of fast action at Ballance Moto X raceway in Bowling Green, Ky.

Defending champ Dustin Wimmer dominated the season opener at Millcreek in March by winning both pro motos for the overall. It was just another day at the office, as no other pros had anything for Wimmer in Alabama. "I'm out here to win, what can I say?" Wimmer said after winning round one.

Wimmer's former teammate, Can-Am/Motoworks rider Chad Wienen, left Alabama with a second overall and sits 12 points behind the defending champ after one round. Just one point behind Wienen, third in the points chase, is Baldwin Motorsports rider Josh Upperman. Yoshimura/Suzuki's newest recruit, Josh Creamer, put in a solid finish on his new ride at round one and took third overall. Creamer is tied in points with Upperman for third. Rounding out the top five is the Ironman, Can-Am/Motoworks' John Natalie.

Creamer, Wimmer and Wienen celebrate on the pro podium at Millcreek. Rachel Fluharty photo

Check out ATVMotocross.com this weekend for live scoring and race results.

ATV Rider MX-Periment

Keith Little chases motocross national points on four different brands

Long-time pro ATV racer Keith Little is competing in the 2010 ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross nationals from the seat of four different 450 quads that will be prepped with identical aftermarket components.

The "experiment" is a part of Little's partnership with ATV Rider magazine.

Little turned in less than stellar results aboard a Honda at round one by finishing 15th and 18th in both pro motos to leave Millcreek with a ninth overall. On his web site, Little attributed the results partially to a mechanical issue. Nevertheless, the likeable Alabama native is excited about the "MX-Periment."

"This is a great opportunity for me," Little said. "I've done things the traditional way for so long now that I'm really excited about doing something different."

Check out all the details, including the sponsors who are helping Keith and ATV Rider this year, by reading the full story at ATV Rider online.

ATV MX Round One - Millcreek results

Wimmer wins season opener

Yoshimura/Suzuki rider Dustin Wimmer claimed the season opener of the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship in Alabama Sunday with a convincing 1-1 moto score to take the overall.

The results are somewhat unsurprising, as the top four finishers are the only remaining true factory racers with Chad Wienen, Josh Creamer, John Natalie and Josh Upperman rounding out the top five overall. 

One of the surprises is actually Joe Byrd, who finished in eighth place overall behind Yamaha's Thomas Brown and Walsh Racecraft-backed Jeremy Lawson.

Click here for complete results, and check out ATVRiders.com for photos from the pro motos, pro practice and the weekend's other races.

ATV MX 2010 Analysis - Jeremiah Jones

ATV racing legend and former Suzuki factory rider Jeremiah Jones breaks down the 2010 national motocross season with a preview and analysis recorded Saturday (March 27) with AMA ATV MX announcer Rodney Tomblin.

Click on the link to hear Jones break down the 2010 season and give an update on his work as marketing director with Team Mushin Racing.

Tomblin and Jones have a frank discussion about the state of the industry, how far we've come since the dark decade of the 1990s and how those storm clouds may be kept at bay by - no surprise here - through the efforts of aftermarket teams like Mushin Racing, Baldwin Motorsports, Walsh Racecraft and others.

"I started racing pro in 98, and I can remember back in the day just hoping we would have a privateer team like we have with Mushin now," Jones tells Tomblin. "Realistically, there's not really any other team out here as privateer as we are and putting as much into it as we are. Back in the day, there wasn't a lot of this ... so you basically had to do it on your own.

Jones and Tomblin recognize the major losses, like this year's absence of Kawasaki, but they also see the silver lining with teams such as Suzuki and Can-Am sticking around, as well as helping support some of the privateer efforts.

"Hopefully these manufacturers will stick around," Jones said. "It's looking pretty good (even) with the economy the way it is."

Check out the interview at ATVMotocross.com