AMA ATV Motocross Nationals Round #3 - High Point Raceway Mount Morris, PA May 17, 2014

Mount Morris, PA  (5/18/2014) – Following a six-week break in action, the 2014 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, sanctioned by AMA (ATVMX), hosted its third round of the season on Saturday with a return to legendary High Point Raceway for the Maxxis ATV Stampede. With the hometown crowd cheering him on, Pennsylvania native Joel Hetrick relied on his win in the second moto to earn his first overall victory via tiebreaker over defending two-time series champion Chad Wienen.

Always known for its raucous fans, High Point hosted a great crowd on Saturday afternoon as the field entered the day looking to end Wienen's hot streak, with the Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Yamaha rider capturing the win at the opening two rounds and establishing a six-point lead in the AMA Pro ATV Class championship standings. Hetrick made the first statement of the day by becoming the first rider other than Wienen to secure the ATVRiders.com Top Qualifier Award aboard his JB Racing/DWT/Mtn. Dew Live Wire Can-Am, giving him the momentum heading into the first moto.

As the gate dropped on Moto 1, Wienen raced to his first SSi Decals Holeshot of the season with Motosport.com/RRR/Ford/DWT/Walsh/Fox Honda's John Natalie, BCS Performance Can-Am's Josh Creamer, Hetrick, and RootRiver Motorsports/Motowoz Suspension/ITP/JB Racing Honda's Sean Taylor rounding out the top five. In the ensuing laps, Wienen and Natalie established a hotly contested battle for the lead while Creamer and Hetrick went wheel-to-wheel for third.

Chad Wienen & John Natalie battled for the number one position in Moto 1, but it would be Chad Wienen who would cross the finish in first

As the moto reached the three-lap mark, Wienen slowly began to establish a gap on Natalie for second as Hetrick made his move on Creamer for third and set his sights on his fellow Pennsylvania native for the runner-up spot. It wasn't long before Hetrick was smothering Natalie for the position, bringing the High Point crowd to its feet as their native riders engaged in a thrilling battle.

In Moto 1, Joel Hetrick charged hard to into the top three and finished second on his Mtn Dew Live Wire / JB Racing / Can-Am DS450

Eventually Natalie gave way to Hetrick's pressure on Lap 5, but by the time the Can-Am rider secured second place Wienen had already taken advantage of the battle to open a comfortable margin out front and maintained it to the finish. The defending champion's quest for a 3-0 start to the season began with a win in the opening moto, while Hetrick followed in second with more to give. Natalie rounded out the podium in third with Creamer and Baldwin Motorsports / PEP / Upperman Racing Honda's Josh Upperman completing the top five.

BCS / Can-Am Racer Josh Creamer went 4-4 to earn fourth overall

A familiar face asserted himself out front to start the second and final moto of the afternoon, as Natalie captured his fourth SSi Decals Holeshot of the season. Wienen followed closely in second with Hetrick moving into third, setting the stage for what would be a memorable battle for the win between this trio. As Natalie looked to run away up front, Hetrick was on a mission and made an early pass on Wienen for second on Lap 2, to the delight of the fans. The very next lap, Hetrick continued his surge to the front to pass Natalie for the lead and instantly began to pull away. Behind him Natalie and Wienen gave it their all in a fight for second with both riders using every inch of the High Point track to find an edge.

John Natalie lead Moto 2 early into the race but would soon feel the pressure from Chad Wienen & Joel Hetrick