Joel Hetrick Faces Pressure to Make It Two-in-a-Row

Courtesy of ATV Motocross

Joel Hetrick Faces Pressure to Make It Two-in-a-RowWienen Controls Points Lead Heading Into Round Five 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (May 31, 2017) - Maxxis/Elka/Liquid Wrench/Honda's Joel Hetrick travels to the Muddy Creek ATVMX National this weekend, June 3 and 4, fresh off his first overall win of the 2017 season. Hetrick and the rest of the AMA Pro field is set to put on another great show at the fifth round of the Wiseco ATV Motocross National Championship (ATVMX) presented by CST Tires, an AMA National Championship.

Just three weeks ago fans witnessed Hetrick take his first overall win of the year in Crawfordsville, Indiana after an intense Moto 1 battle with Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Racecraft/Yamaha/Maxxis/7240's Chad Wienen. Moto 2 was a different story where Hetrick was able to run his own race to go 2-1 for the victory. 

Joel Hetrick heads to the Muddy Creek ATVMX National fresh off his first overall win of the 2017 season.

- Ken Hill

Hetrick is also credited with last year's Muddy Creek National win. The iconic venue is known for its tight racing, meaning fast lap times need to be accompanied with holeshots in order to get the job done. Neither Hetrick or Wienen were successful with the SSi Decals Holeshot Award at last year's event, but they will both be looking to get out front early and battle for the win this weekend.

Another rider looking to engage in the battle is Root River Racing/CST Tires/Pro Motorsports-backed Thomas Brown who continues the champion chase. Brown comes into this round with back-to-back fifth place finishes, and will be charging to return to the box.

Nick Gennusa remains on the hunt for a podium finish.

- Ken Hill

JB Racing/Root River Racing's Jeffrey Rastrelli and GennUSA Racing's Nick Gennusa move into the halfway point of the season tied for fourth, just 44 points out of the lead. Between crashes and injury, Rastrelli has shown the heart of an aspiring champion. Gennusa's impressive consistency continues to keep him a podium contender as the season progresses.

Baldwin Motorsports/Ford Brother's Racing/Root River Racing's Ronnie Higgerson continues his quest for a podium this season. The Honda rider was plagued with some bad luck at last year's Muddy Creek event, and will be looking for redemption this Saturday. Root River Racing's Josh Upperman follows Higgerson in the ranks, just six points behind.

Josh Upperman will be a rider to keep an eye on this weekend as he looks to break back into the top-five.

- Ken Hill

Walsh Racecraft/Honda's Parker Wewerka continues to hold onto the eighth-place points championship, while Ford Brother's Racing/Solo Pilot's Westley Wolfe now trails him in ninth. Brett Musick rounds out the top ten in the standings as the series travels to Tennessee.

Saturday's race schedule is as follows: practice at 10 a.m. followed by a timed qualifying session at 11:30a.m. Pro motos are at 2 and 4 p.m. with an autograph session taking place at 4:30 p.m.

Saturday spectator passes run $20 for adults and $10 for children (6-11), with kids five and under getting in for free. Each pass includes pro pit access and pro autographs at no additional charge.

Brett Musick will be looking for a single-digit finish at his home race.

- Ken Hill

Amateur racing will take place throughout the weekend alongside the AMA Pro class, and local riders are invited and encouraged to compete in the event, as ATVMX offers classes for riders of all skill and experience levels. The amateur race entry fee is only $50 and riders can sign up at the event. To learn more about ATVMX racing, please refer to the ATVMX101 webpage.

Local racers expected to compete this weekend will be: Tyler Powers (450 A/College 16-24), Eli Elswick (450 B/Production B), Dalton Lipford (450 C/Production C), Chris Nixon (Pro Sport/PJunior 25+), brothers Silas (Pro) and Lucas Lamons (Junior 25+ and Pro Sport), Daniel Davis (Open B/450 B), Kenneth Payne (Open B/450 B), Chris Furches (Open C/450 C), Garrik Kelley (Open C), Ezra Sheldon (Open C), siblings Lilly (Girls 8-13) and Alex Huckabey (College 16-24), Darrin Huckabey (College 16-24), Phillip Oppen (Junior 25+), brothers Waylon (50 Open 4-8/50 CVT 4-8) and Lincoln Tummel (70 Automatic 6-11/50 Open 4-8/50 CVT 4-8), Rocky Heupel (Veteran 30+), Bryson Slagle (90 Open Sr. 12-15/90 Automatic 8-13/90 Shifter 12-15), Patrick Gordon (125 8-15/90 Automatic 8-13) and Braden Lollis (Youth All Star 13-15).

Cody Janssen's results continue to improve as the season reaches its halfway point.

- Ken Hill

To get to the track from I-81 take exit 63 toward the airport. Continue on TN-357 until exiting onto Highway 75. Stay on Highway 75 for about a half a mile and turn right onto Muddy Creek Road. Follow the ATVMX direction signs onto Hawley Road and the Ridgeway Drive. The track entrance will be on the left. 

For more information on the Wiseco ATV Motocross National Championship, visit the official series website at www.atvmotocross.com. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #ATVMX.

Previous Round Results and Points Standings

Ironman Raceway
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Round 4 of 10
Saturday, May 13 

2017 AMA Pro Class Event Results:

1. Joel Hetrick (2-1)
2. Chad Wienen (1-2)
3. Jeffrey Rastrelli (3-3)
4. Nick Gennusa (5-4)
5. Thomas Brown (4-5)
6. Josh Upperman (7-6)
7. Ronnie Higgerson (6-7)
8. Parker Wewerka (8-8)
9. Zach Kaczmarzyk (11-10)
10. Dylan Tremellen (12-12)

Overall National Championship Standings:

1. Chad Wienen (166)
2. Joel Hetrick (151)
3. Thomas Brown (131)
4. Nick Gennusa (122)
5. Jeffrey Rastrelli (122)
6. Ronnie Higgerson (106)
7. Josh Upperman (100)
8. Parker Wewerka (94)
9. Westley Wolfe (68)
10. Brett Musick (65)

SSi Decals Holeshot Award Standings:

1. Joel Hetrick (7)
2. Cole Sepesi (2)
3. Chad Wienen (1)

ATVriders.com Top Qualifier Award Standings:

1. Joel Hetrick (2)
2. Chad Wienen (2)

About the Wiseco ATV Motocross National Championship: 

The Wiseco ATV Motocross National Championship presented by CST Tires, an AMA National Championship, is the nation's premier amateur and professional ATV motocross series, hosted at top motocross facilities nationwide. The 10-round series features the Nation's best racers, teams and sponsors, and is America's largest and longest-running ATV national motocross program. Since 1985, the series continues to expand and produce top talent from the amateur ranks, while premiering the professional class. For more information, please visit www.atvmotocross.com. 

About the American Motorcyclist Association:

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join. 

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