Maxxis / Elka’s Hetrick & Haagsma Take Sunset Ridge Podium
Maxxis / Elka / Liquid Wrench / Honda AMA ATV MX Report

Walnut, IL (6/23/2016) - Maxxis/Elka/Liquid Wrench/ Honda’s Joel Hetrick proved to be unstoppable as he claimed his fifth consecutive overall win at round seven of the 2016 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship at Sunset Ridge MX in Walnut, IL. Teammate David Haagsma made his ATV MX Pro class podium debut in third place, and Grayson Eller took third overall in 450 B.

Maxxis/Elka/Liquid Wrench/ Honda’s Joel Hetrick (1st) & David Haagsma (3rd) shared the podium at Sunset Ridge MX

Hetrick was determined to come out on top this year at Sunset Ridge, and that is just what he did by going 2-1 for his fifth straight overall win. He had some issues in the morning qualifier, but Jay Gobel with Impact Solutions made some adjustments to his suspension, which had Hetrick ready for the pro motos.

In the first Moto, Hetrick didn’t get the start that he wanted, but he finished where he needed to be in the second spot.  “Moto one I came out in third and made a pass into second. I made a few mistakes that I think cost me the win that moto,” explained Hetrick.

Joel Hetrick finished in the 2nd spot in Moto One

In the second moto, Hetrick came out in second, but he quickly made a pass for the lead and never looked back, leading the entire race. “It was kind of upsetting not getting the 1-1, I am still 22 points down, but for my fifth consecutive win that was awesome.  I have never won Sunset Ridge, so that was a statement for me. It shows I can put it down on rough tracks as well.”

Hetrick credits his great sponsors for his success. “The Maxxis Tires worked great with the Tireballs. I had two top three holeshots. The DASA motor was pulling down the straights and The Walsh with the Elka combination has been perfect all year.

DASA Racing’s Joel Hetrick claimied his fifth consecutive overall win this season at Sunset Ridge MX

After getting a win on the rough, sandy track of Sunset Ridge, Hetrick is that much more excited to get to a similar track, Spring Creek, in the next round. “With the setup we have it is going to be a lot easier on me. I am excited to go there and see if I can do it again,” explained Hetrick.

Hetrick was not the only Maxxis/Elka rider to make an appearance on the Pro class podium. Teammate, David Haagsma, clinched a third place finish and Hetrick was thrilled to see him there. “I was ecstatic for him. He was super happy, and he deserves it. He has had some bad luck all season, but he finally put two solid motos together and got on the podium. I was pumped for him.”

Haagsma finished fourth in both motos for his third place overall finish. “First moto I spun a little and got pinched off and ended up around twelfth. I was able to get by a lot of people right away and was able to take fourth for the first moto,” said Haagsma.

David Haagma claimed his first podium of the season in third with 4-4 finishes

In moto two, Haagsma was off to a good start and swapped a few positions before settling into fourth place. “I read the pit board that said I had the podium set, so that was my goal to just hold my position,” explained Haagsma.

A podium finish was huge for Haagsma, and he could not be more thankful. “It was amazing. It is something you always dream of. It is nice to give back to my sponsors who believed in me. It was cool Joel was able to take the win, and it just shows how great all our sponsors are that we had two bikes on the podium. Allan has always done amazing work, and I could not do it without him always supporting and believing in me.”

#422 David Haagsma claimed his first ATV MX Pro Podium finish

Maxxis/Elka’s amateur rider, Grayson Eller also took a podium finish in 450 B. “I ended up second in my heat and second moto I got a bad start, bumped around a couple people, and finished fourth. It was hard to make passes stick, and I had to be patient,” explained Eller.

Grayson Eller Finished 3rd overall in 450 B

Eller also took fourth place overall finishes in Open B and College. “All weekend my starts were not there. That was my biggest problem, but I did not let it bother me, I kept my head down and kept on charging. The track was really sandy and the Maxxis Tires were digging deep to get through the loose stuff.”

Grayson Eller claimed 4th overall in the Open B Class

The Maxxis/Elka/Liquid Wrench/ Honda team will return to AMA ATV Motocross racing at the eighth round of the 2016 National Championship at Spring Creek MX in Millville, MN July 2-3.

2016 Race Team Sponsors
Maxxis, Liquid Wrench, Elka, Fly, Scott, SSi Decals, DWT, Hinson, Bel Ray, Sunstar, Works Connection, Sandridge Foods, Impact Solutions, Fourwerx, Alpinestar, DC Designs, Precision Racing Products