Hetrick Sweeps Again at High Point MX

Pennsylvania native Joel Hetrick made the hometown fans happy with a 1-1 moto sweep at the High Point Raceway ATV Stampede in Mt. Morris, Pa., round four of the Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship. Hetrick, who has back-to-back ATVMX wins, has vaulted past three-time defending champion Chad Wienen in the championship standings.

When the gate dropped for the opening moto, Hetrick scored the SSi Decals Holeshot Award aboard his Hetrick Racing/Corrosion Specialties/Brownell Inc. Honda, but Wienen quickly got around him on his Wienen Motorsports/Maxxis/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft Yamaha to lead the riders around the first lap. The two battled back and forth for several more laps until Hetrick capitalized on a mistake by Wienen. Hetrick was able to hold off the advances of the champ and captured the moto win by 10 seconds.

Following Wienen across the line for the final podium spot in Moto 1 was Maxxis Yamaha, powered by Moto-Xperts, rider Thomas Brown. Josh Upperman finished fourth aboard his Root River Racing machine, while JB Racing Can-Am’s Jeffrey Rastrelli rounded out the top-five.

Chad Wienen held the lead in moto 1, but Hetrick capitalized on a mistake to make the pass and hold on for the win.

Entering the second moto, Wienen still held a one-point lead over Hetrick in the AMA Pro ATV point standings and needed to hold him off in order to maintain the top spot. Wienen’s good start off the line shot him out to the early lead, but Hetrick was in hot pursuit. Hetrick stalked Wienen for several laps before picking the right moment to make the winning pass on Lap 5. Once out front Hetrick didn’t look back, eventually taking a season-high sixth moto win by 5.2 seconds over Wienen.

Thomas Brown finished third in both motos and sits in third place in the ATVMX standings.

The Moto 2 podium mirrored that of Moto 1, with Wienen second and Brown third. The battle for the top five came down to the wire as Nicholas Gennusa and Ronnie Higgerson both made it by Upperman on the final lap to score fourth and fifth, respectively.

The overall podium was a repeat of the previous round with Hetrick (1-1), Wienen (2-2) and Brown (3-3) all scoring the same moto finishes. Despite giving up two spots in the final moto, Upperman’s 4-6 scores secured fourth overall, while Gennusa’s 7-4 results rounded out the top-five.

Joel Hetrick celebrates upon receiving the red No. 1 plate.

Hetrick will be sporting a new red background on his number plate as the series makes its first-ever stop to the grounds of Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Ind. He sits two points ahead of Wienen.

High Point ATV Stampede Results Joel Hetrick, Seneca, Pa., Honda (1-1) Chad Wienen, Galena, Ill., Yamaha (2-2) Thomas Brown, Sanger, Texas, Yamaha (3-3) Josh Upperman, Louisville, Ohio, Honda, (4-6) Nicholas Gennusa, Wall Township, N.J., Yamaha (7-4) Ronnie Higgerson, Cutler, Ill., Can-Am (6-5) Joe Byrd, Union City, Tenn., Honda (9-7) Casey Martin, Frenchburg, Ky., Honda (10-8) Jeffrey Rastrelli, Palm City, Fla., Can-Am (5-14) Tyler Hamrick, Cortland, Ohio, Honda (8-12)

AMA Pro ATV Championship Standings Joel Hetrick, Seneca, Pa., Honda – 202 Chad Wienen, Galena, Ill., Yamaha – 200 Thomas Brown, Sanger, Texas, Yamaha – 175 Jeffrey Rastrelli, Palm City, Fla., Can-Am – 138 Josh Upperman, Louisville, Ohio, Honda – 130 Ronnie Higgerson, Cutler, Ill., Can-Am – 128 Nick Gennusa, Wall, N.J., Yamaha – 127 John Natalie, Houtzdale, Pa., Honda – 103 Vital Cazenave, Union City, Tenn., Honda – 94 Tyler Hamrick, Cortland, Ohio, Honda – 93