AMA ATV Motocross Round #10 - Loretta Lynn's Hurricane Mills, TN August 8, 2015

Chad Wienen has now won four straight AMA Pro ATV titles, further etching his place in history in the Pro ATV Motocross Championship Racing Series

A sense of excitement and tension filled the air as the AMA Pro ATV field took to the track on Saturday afternoon. Hetrick undoubtedly felt ready for the challenge that lied ahead and responded by doing what he's done virtually all season, capturing the ATVRiders.com Top Qualifier for the ninth time and taking home the $1,000 bonus as the winner of that in-season points battle.

When the first moto got underway, Hetrick kept the momentum rolling by racing to the SSi Decals Holeshot Award for the 11th time, another trend he's set resulting in a $2,000 bonus as the season's best starter. With his main challenger out front, Wienen started to play damage control almost immediately, slotting into second ahead of Maxxis/H&M Motorsports Honda's David Haagsma Jr.

Despite his ability to position himself behind Hetrick, Wienen wasn't able to keep up with the pace of his rival and he soon settled into the runner-up spot knowing it would give him even more room for error in the final moto, minimizing the amount of points lost. Behind this pair Maxxis Yamaha, powered by Moto-Xperts rider Thomas Brown was putting forth an impressive ride to the front, battling his way forward from a fifth-place start into podium position. Hetrick took his 11th moto win 5.591 seconds ahead of Wienen, with Brown a distant third, more than a half minute back.

Joel Hetrick made the first statement of the day, but had to battle back from misfortune in Moto 2. Hetrick finished second in Pro ATV MX Championship Points

Entering the final moto of 2015 a total of 12 points sat between Wienen and Hetrick, meaning Wienen needed to finish eighth or better if Hetrick went on to record a 1-1 sweep. Out of the gate Team BTF Honda's Joe Byrd grabbed the SSi Decals Holeshot Award just ahead of Root River Racing Honda's Josh Upperman. Upperman would assume the top spot before the completion of the opening lap, with Wienen making a charge into second and Haagsma Jr. third. Hetrick had his work cut out for him, beginning the moto in fifth, which forced him to chase down Wienen.

Wienen put even more pressure on Hetrick by taking the top spot away from Upperman. Hetrick responded by moving up a position, but then experienced some misfortune and dropped to eighth. That incident all but ended Hetrick's title hopes as Wienen continued to add to his advantage over the field. Brown was even more impressive in the second moto, overcoming a seventh-place start to eventually move into second just before the halfway point. A spot he would never relinquish.

Wienen cruised to victory 8.983 seconds ahead of Brown, who came under fire in the closing laps from a hard-charging Hetrick, after the Honda rider impressively got back into podium contention.

Chad Wienen Wienen capped off his run to the title with a win in the last moto of the season at Loretta Lynn's ATV Motocross

Wienen's 2-1 moto results allowed him to edge out Hetrick (1-3) for the overall win on the afternoon and, in turn, the AMA Pro ATV Championship. Brown landed on the overall podium for the eighth time with a hard-fought third-place finish (3-2). Haagsma Jr. finished fourth (5-4) with Vechery Racing/Never Sleep Designs Honda's Ronnie Higgerson in fifth (4-5).

Wienen finished the 2015 season with a 17-point edge over Hetrick in the final standings, while Brown rounded out the top three championship finishers 56 back of Wienen. JB Racing/Can-Am/Liquid Wrench's Jeffrey Rastrelli ended the championship in fourth (-173), while Gennusa Racing Yamaha's Nick Gennusa (-183) edged out Upperman (-188) for fifth.

Wienen's championship triumph also meant that Yamaha outlasted Honda for the coveted Manufacturers Cup.

Thomas Brown Brown (front) earned a hard-fought spot on the overall podium

With his fourth consecutive AMA Pro ATV crown, Wienen added to his already historic legacy by becoming just the second rider in ATVMX history to win that many championships in a row, joining icon Gary Denton. Additionally, Wienen becomes just the third four-time titleholder ever alongside Denton, who has eight championships, and Jeremiah Jones, with four.

In addition to the on-track action at Loretta Lynn's, the 88 Live to Ride annual fundraiser took place, raising a total of $26,208. A king-sized quilt made of event t-shirts sold for $5,000, while Root River Racing donated a 90cc pit bike. Many of the championship's participating riders also made donations to the cause, while a special dinner prior to the auction raised $1,628. 

AMA Pro ATV Overall Results (Moto Results)

1. Chad Wienen, Galena, Ill., Yamaha (2-1)
2. Joel Hetrick, Seneca, Pa., Honda (1-3)
3. Thomas Brown, Sanger, Texas, Yamaha (3-2)
4. David Haagsma, Jr., Bakersfield, Calif., Honda (5-4)
5. Ronnie Higgerson, Cuter, Ill., Honda (4-5)
6. Jeffrey Rastrelli, Palm City, Fla., Can-Am (6-6)
7. Nicholas Gennusa, Wall Township, N.J., Yamaha (7-7)
8. Joe Byrd, Union City, Tenn., Honda (8-9)
9. Cody Janssen, Kaukauna, Wis., Honda (9-10)
10. Casey Martin, Frenchburg, Ky., Honda (10-11)

AMA Pro ATV Championship Standings 

1. Chad Wienen, Galena, Ill., Yamaha - 479
2. Joel Hetrick, Seneca, Pa., Honda - 462
3. Thomas Brown, Sanger, Texas, Yamaha - 423
4. Jeffrey Rastrelli, Palm City, Fla., Can-Am - 309
5. Nick Gennusa, Wall, N.J., Yamaha - 296
6. Josh Upperman, Louisville, Ohio, Honda - 291
7. Ronnie Higgerson, Cutler, Ill., Can-Am - 281
8. Vital Cazenave, Union City, Tenn., Honda - 220
9. Brett Musick, Verdunville, W.Va., Yamaha - 192
10. Tyler Hamrick, Cortland, Ohio, Honda - 191

Specialty Awards 

ATVRiders.com Top Qualifier Award

1. Joel Hetrick - 9 points
2. Jeffrey Rastrelli - 1 point
3. Chad Wienen - 1 point

SSi Decals Holeshot Championship

1. Joel Hetrick - 19 points
2. John Natalie - 6 points
3. Josh Upperman - 3 points
4. Thomas Brown - 2 points
5. Joe Byrd - 2 points
6. Casey Martin - 1 point
7. Chad Wienen - 1 point

For more information on the 2015 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, visit www.atvmotocross.com. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow on Twitter @ATVMXdotcom  and Instagram @ATVMotocross, and be sure to always hashtag #ATVMX.

About the Mtn. Dew AMA ATV Motocross 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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