Morgantown, WV (3/5/2009)
- The top motocross riders on four-wheels
will kick off the chase for the most prestigious
championship in their sport this Sunday at
the legendary Glen Helen Raceway in Devore,
California, just outside of San Bernardino.
The event features the pro portion of the
Moose Racing/ITP Tires AMA ATV Motocross Championship
presented by Parts Unlimited and also serves
as the opening round of the ITP Quad Cross
Series for amateur riders.
Glen Helen packs some of the most spectacular
motocross obstacles in the motocross world,
including the massive Mt. Glen Helen hill
and an array of big jumps. Tickets on Sunday
are $10 for fans ($5 for ages 6-12), and admission
includes full pro pit access, autographs,
and free demo rides on 2009 Can-Am ATVs. Glen
Helen Raceway is located in the Glen Helen
Regional Parks & Recreation Area, Devore,
Calif., in San Bernardino County, within 60
miles of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego
Counties.
The top factory-backed teams will end an
off-season of testing and training with this
race. Rockstar Yoshimura Suzuki rider Dustin
Wimmer leads the way as the defending AMA
Pro ATV Motocross Champion. The Center Valley,
Pa. resident took the field by surprise last
year by winning at Glen Helen race, but now
the championship target sits squarely on his
back. The pack of contenders includes Joe
Byrd, the 2006 and 2007 AMA Pro Motocross
Series' Champion on a Honda from Union City,
Tennessee. Wimmer's teammate Doug Gust may
be the oldest rider in the field, but the
40-plus year old contender can't be counted
out. Many have tabbed new Monster Kawasaki
recruit Chad Wienen as a potential champion,
as the Galena, Illinois rider claimed the
prestigious AMA Pro ATV Open at Steel City
Raceway in Pennsylvania in September. Since
then, he has switched teams and, and along
with teammate Josh Creamer expects big things
this year.
Factory Yamaha's Pat Brown will debut the
all-new YFZ450R at Glen Helen, while the Warnert
Racing Can-Am team sends 2005 Champion Josh
"Ironman" Natalie into battle alongside
Motoworks Can-Am's Jeremy Lawson, who finished
second in the 2007 tour behind Byrd.
The pro class will feature two 20-minute
races on Sunday, taking place at noon and
3 p.m., with the combined scores of both races
determining the overall winner. From there,
the series heads east to complete a full 11-race
national schedule that concludes with the
ATV Dirt Days race at Loretta Lynn Ranch in
Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, in August.
The pro riders will run as part of a full
schedule of amateur racing, including classes
for Youth, Women and veteran riders. Pros
will practice on Saturday and race on Sunday.
Free demo rides on 2009 Can-Am ATVs take place
Thursday, Friday and Saturday only, and Yamaha
will offers demos on Yamaha Rhinos on Sunday.
For more information, go to www.atvmotocross.com
or call 304-284-0101.
From LA & San Diego, take Interstate
15 North, then Interstate-215 South to
Devore Exit and follow signs. The track address
is:
Glen Helen Raceway
18585 Verdemont Ranch Road
San Bernardino, CA 92407
About the ITP
Tires/Moose Racing AMA ATV National Motocross
Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited
The ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA ATV National
Motocross Championship Presented by Parts
Unlimited is the nation's premier amateur
and professional ATV motocross series, and
competes at top motocross facilities nationwide.
The 11-round series features the Nation's
best racers, teams and sponsors, and is America's
largest and longest-running ATV National Motocross
series with more than 20 years of competition.
The series continues to expand and produce
top talent from the amateur ranks, while keeping
close to the grassroots fun that makes people
love to go to the races. For more information,
please visit www.atvmotocross.com.
About the ATV
Association (ATVA)
The ATV Association ("ATVA") is
the official sanctioning body of the amateur
division of the ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA
ATV National Motocross Championship Presented
by Parts Unlimited. The 9,000-member ATVA
is a sister organization of the 260,000 member
American Motorcyclist Association (AMA). ATV
racing has experienced phenomenal growth in
recent years, and continues to gain momentum
and support, outselling off-road motorcycles
annually. For more information, please visit
www.atvaonline.com.
About the ATV
Promoters Group (ATVPG)
The ATVPG is composed of the individual promoters
that host the ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA ATV
National Motocross Championship Presented
by Parts Unlimited. The goal of the ATVPG
is to raise awareness of ATV motocross through
the production of professional and amateur
championship racing events. For more information
on the ATVPG and the ATV National events they
produce, please visit www.atvmotocross.com.
