AMA ATV Motocross Nationals Round #9 - Red Bud MX Buchanan, MI July 27, 2013

As the gate dropped for moto 2 it was veteran Joe Byrd aboard his Dasa Joe Byrd Quad Riding School machine who snagged the SSi Decals Holeshot award. But with a raging field behind him, it was Wienen who found himself at the front of the field within a few turns. Once out front, Wienen put his head down and increased his lead on the field with each lap he put down going 1-1 for the weekend and securing the 2013 National Championship.

Joe Byrd grabbed the Moto 2 Holeshot

"I've been waiting to snag the holeshot award all season and I'm glad I was finally able to find the front of the field off the gate," said Byrd.

Brown came out of the first turn in second and was in third by the end of the first lap. Within four laps Brown was able to make clean pass into second and continued on to finish a step higher on the podium in 2013, grabbing the second place overall for the weekend. Brown increased his points lead on the third place championship points rider to twenty-two points heading into the final round of racing. Hetrick had a lot of work ahead of him after coming out of the first turn just inside the top ten. Determined to find the front of the field, Hetrick starting picking off the field one by one advancing into the third place position by the halfway point. Hetrick went 3-3 for the weekend taking third overall for the weekend and his best finish at RedBud MX so far in his pro career.

Joel Hetrick and John Natalie battled early on in Moto 2

Natalie was consistent in moto 2, starting the moto in the fourth place position and ending in the fourth place position. Natalie fell back into fifth for two laps of racing but it wasn't long before the Ironman made his way back into fourth and take fourth place overall for the weekend. Baldwin Motorsports PEP Upperman Racing's Josh Upperman had rough start to moto 2 but wasn't going to let that hold him back from salvaging valuable championship points. Upperman sat in eleventh at the end of the first lap and put his head down to work through the field. Upperman never gave up picking through the field and making his way up to sixth by the halfway point and making his last pass of the day stick with two laps to go to secure fifth for moto 2.

"I missed the morning's first practice with some mechanical issues but was really able to turn the day around with all of the support from my team and mechanic we were able to pull our program together and keep to the top five for the weekend," said Natalie.

ATV Motocross - Round 9- Pro ATV MX Podium (left to right) Thomas Brown (2nd), Chad Wienen (1st), Joel Hetrick (3rd)

The series will conclude at Round 10 of the 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross, sanctioned by AMA, National Championship at Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. on August 10. For more information, please visit www.atvmotocross.com.

About the Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship
The Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, sanctioned by AMA, 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.

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