Chad Wienen and Joel Hetrick Brace for Battle at Unadilla MX

Courtesy of ATVMX

A New Points Leader Could Be Named This Weekend

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (July 12, 2017) - The Wiseco ATV Motocross National Championship (ATVMX) presented by CST Tires, an AMA National Championship, continues to move closer to its completion as the world's fastest ATV racers travel to one of the most iconic facilities in American motocross. The popular Unadilla MX in New Berlin, New York is set for the ATVMX series to invade its property this Saturday, July 15.

With only three rounds remaining in the 2017 season, the fight for the coveted National Championship is the closest it's been in years - with only one point separating the two frontrunners. Maxxis/Elka/Liquid Wrench/Honda's Joel Hetrick is fresh off his third overall win of the season heading into this Saturday, and hopes to move one step closer to clinching the points lead.

Joel Hetrick is just one point out of the lead, heading into the Unadilla ATVMX National.

- Ken Hill

Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Racecraft/Yamaha/Maxxis/7240's Chad Wienen took the victory at the Unadilla ATVMX National last year and will be looking to repeat his success. With the season drawing near to conclusion, Wienen knows that he needs to put in a flawless performance to remain the series champion.

Although Wienen and Hetrick are the only two riders to emerge victorious this season, one rider who is eager to change that is Root River Racing/CST Tires/Pro Motorsports' Thomas Brown. After a hard fought podium at the previous round, Brown now has his eyes set on taking home a victory. 

JB Racing/Root River Racing's Jeffrey Rastrelli is in the same spot as Brown and is eager to stand in the middle of the box this weekend. Rastrelli's consistency plays a major role in his success and could help the Florida native earn his first win of the season this Saturday 

After an intense race between Jeffrey Rastrelli and Thomas Brown in Minnesota, the duo will be one to keep your eye on this weekend.

- Ken Hill

Root River Racing's Josh Upperman comes into this race ranked seventh in the National Championship standings. Although he lacks a podium finish this season, Upperman has still managed to find success as he has not placed outside of the top ten. After a disappointing last round, Baldwin Motorsports/Ford Brother's Racing/Root River Racing's Ronnie Higgerson will be looking for redemption this weekend as he continues his search for a podium finish, too. 

GennUSA Racing-backed Nick Gennusa, local to New Jersey, will make the four-hour trip to Unadilla MX as he looks to make his first overall podium of the year. Gennusa will aim to use his home turf advantage this weekend to vault him to the top.

Walsh Racecraft/Honda's Parker Wewerka comes into this weekend fresh off one of his best finishes to date and still continues to hold the eighth place position in the current standings. Ford Brother's Racing/Solo Pilot's Westley Wolfe and AMPED Vossman Motorsports-backed Sam Rowe round out the top-ten as ATVMX racing heads into the eighth round of the season.

Westley Wolfe has a set of eighth place finishes coming into this weekend, and will aim to break into the top-five at Unadilla.

- Ken Hill

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

For a complete schedule of the weekend's activities, please visit the Unadilla ATV National event page on the series website by clicking HERE.

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. 

Ronnie Higgerson will be charging as he aims to land his first podium finish of the season in New York.

- 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: Nick Gennusa (Pro), Joesph Concia (Veteran 30+ C, Senior 40+ and Senior 40+ C), Alan Myers (Pro-Am and Pro Sport), Agostino Abbatiello (90 Open Jr. 8-11 and 90 Automatic 8-13), Jerry Terpay (Veteran 30+ and Veteran 30+ C), Jerome Terpay (Senior 40+ and Senior 40+ B) and Gage Scaletti (450 C and Production C).

AMA Pro class rookie, Parker Wewerka, has a solid string of top-ten finishes behind him and has his eyes set on a podium. 

- Ken Hill

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

Spring Creek MX
Millville, Minnesota
Round 7 of 10
Saturday, July 1 

2017 AMA Pro Class Event Results:

1. Joel Hetrick (1-1)
2. Chad Wienen (2-2)
3. Thomas Brown (4-3)
4. Jeffrey Rastrelli (3-4)
5. Nick Gennusa (7-5)
6. Parker Wewerka (6-6)
7. Josh Upperman (5-9)
8. Westley Wolfe (8-7)
9. Ronnie Higgerson (9-8)
10. Sam Rowe (10-11)

Overall National Championship Standings:

1. Chad Wienen (299)
2. Joel Hetrick (298)
3. Jeffrey Rastrelli (240)
4. Thomas Brown (233)
5. Nick Gennusa (217)
6. Ronnie Higgerson (194)
7. Josh Upperman (185)
8. Parker Wewerka (173)
9. Westley Wolfe (147)
10. Brett Musick (119)

SSi Decals Holeshot Award Standings:

1. Joel Hetrick (14)
2. Cole Sepesi (2)
3. Josh Upperman (2)
4. Sam Rowe (2)
5. Chad Wienen (1)

ATVriders.com Top Qualifier Award Standings:

1. Joel Hetrick (4)
2. Chad Wienen (3)

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.

  Was this post helpful? Add yours to our service or subscribe to our feed above.