Motoworks / Can-Am DS 450 racer and Pennsylvania native John Natalie won the ATV Pro class overall at round six of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series at High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pa.

Despite feeling sick, Natalie, the defending AMA ATV MX Champion, notched 1-2 moto finishes on his way to his second consecutive series victory. Motoworks / Can-Am teammate Joel Hetrick finished fifth overall to retain his third place spot in the Pro class rankings.

“I can’t say enough about the effort put in by defending national champion John Natalie. He put his Motoworks / Can-Am DS 450 out front in both motos and pushed through fatigue and sickness to post another big victory for both himself and our team,” said Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “John could have easily coasted out there, but he proved he’s determined to repeat as the AMA ATV MX Champion and that nothing’s going to stand in his way. Joel Hetrick had a good weekend, too, earning the fastest qualifier award, yet again, leading both motos, and earning another top-five finish despite a few issues in each moto.”

In the first moto, Natalie grabbed the holeshot and jumped out to early lead, as his teammate Hetrick was right behind him. By lap three, Hetrick had passed Natalie for the lead.

He held that spot for two full laps before dropping to seventh at one point due to a broken throttle housing after a hard landing on a downhill triple jump.

Hetrick’s misfortune allowed Natalie to regain the moto-one lead and the defending champion held it to the end to notch his third straight moto victory and put himself in contention for the race overall.

Hetrick pitted to have the throttle assembly repaired and he came back strong to pick off three racers for an impressive fourth-place finish in the first Pro moto.

The second Pro class moto Natalie and Hetrick were both in the top five after the first lap. After the race leader went off the track, Hetrick moved into second behind Natalie.

One lap later, Hetrick posted the fastest lap of the race and took over the lead as Natalie dropped to third. However, during lap six, Hetrick fell to third due to a mechanical issue and that allowed Natalie to regain second place.

Natalie chose to ride smart and remain in second place, knowing he had the overall wrapped up. His 1-2 moto scores were good for race overall and his second consecutive Pro class victory. He’s now just 13 points out of first place with four rounds remaining on the season.

“I haven’t been feeling too hot the past few days and I’m not going to lie, there were times out there when I felt like giving up,” said Natalie. “The biggest thing that kept me going was hearing the fans cheering as we went by. That was amazing and couldn’t have made it through without them.”

Hetrick battled the rest of the race to remain in the top five. His machine suffered from a damaged ignition coil connector wire, which resulted in a loss of power. However, his two moto finishes were good for fifth place overall on the weekend and maintained his current third-place position in the Pro class point standings.

Can-Am X-Team racer Cole Henry earned third place overall in the Pro-Am Unlimited class, while his younger brother Chase took the overall win in the Production A. Other Amateur Can-Am racers who posted class wins during the weekend were Travis Spader (Open A, 4-Stroke A, Junior 25+), Merrill Crose (Vet 30+) and C.J. Dollarhide (Open B).

The 2012 AMA ATV MX series resumes with round seven June 29 to July 1 at Sunday Creek in Millfield, Ohio. For more information on Can-Am racing, the entire 2012 schedule, the ’12 contingency program and DS 450 amateur racer support program, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.

The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) announced that Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. will be the Official ATV and Side x Side of the PBR.

Kawasaki branding and advertisements will be featured during PBR’s television broadcasts on four major networks, along with prominent in-arena and chute signage, as well as PA announcements and JumboTron spots.

Fans will be able to experience more about Kawasaki ATVs and Side x Sides through special promotions at select PBR events.

“Kawasaki is one of the most recognizable names in powersports, and we are proud to welcome them as a partner,” said PBR CEO Jim Haworth. “They have the best ATVs and Side x Sides, durable enough to be part of our dangerous and hard-hitting sport.”

“PBR is home to the toughest athletes anywhere, so Kawasaki’s equally tough four-wheel products are a perfect match.” said Kawasaki Marketing Director Chris Brull. “This relationship recognizes those complimentary attributes and places our brand in the arenas, where riders and fans can get a closer look at the perfect vehicles for their off-road needs.”

The PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) is televised every week on CBS, CBS Sports Network, NBC, NBC Sports Network, and YouTube. BFTS telecasts are produced for the PBR under a multi-year agreement with David Neal Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company led by 34-time Emmy Award winner and Peabody Award winner David Neal, who serves as executive producer.

The PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the PBR. In just two decades, the dream of 20 bull riders has become a global sports phenomenon that is televised worldwide.

More than 100 million viewers annually watch primetime PBR programming on networks around the world including CBS, CBS Sports Network, NBC, NBC Sports Network, and YouTube.

The PBR has awarded over $100 million in prize money and 24 riders have earned over $1 million, including Justin McBride with $5.5 million – the most of any western sports athlete in history.

Nearly two million fans attend Built Ford Tough Series and Touring Pro Division events each year.

About Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) – Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) markets and distributes Kawasaki motorcycles, ATVs, Side x Sides, and personal watercraft through a network of more than 1,200 independent retailers, with an additional 8,000 retailers specializing in Kawasaki power products and general purpose engines. KMC and its affiliates employ nearly 3,100 people in the United States, with 300 of them located at KMC’s Irvine, California headquarters. Kawasaki’s tagline, “Let the good times roll”, is recognized worldwide. For five decades, the Kawasaki brand has become synonymous with powerful, stylish and category-leading vehicles. Information about Kawasaki’s complete line of powersports products and Kawasaki affiliates can be found on the Internet at www.kawasaki.com.

Can-Am ATV and side-by-side riders won races in several different classes and series in both the U.S. and Canada.

Leading the way at round five of the New England ATV Motocross Series (NEATV-MX), BCS Performance / Can-Am DS 450 pro Josh Creamer swept both the Pro and Pro-Am classes in New Hampshire.

In Texas, Hunter Miller won the Open Expert and Pro-Am classes aboard his DS 450 ATV in the Texhoma Quad Racing Association (TQRA) series.

Hunter and his brother Cody Miller also competed in the Texas Off-Road Nationals (TORN) series on Saturday and each notched class victories in their Commander 1000 X side-by-side vehicles. Can-Am X-Team racers also won separate racing events in Iowa and Canada.

“Josh Creamer, who won both the Pro and Pro-Am classes on his DS 450 in New Hampshire, dominated in the NEATV-MX series once again. He continues to impress during his pursuit of a double championship in 2012,” stated Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “The Miller brothers were unbelievable in Texas, competing and winning in two different series. Hunter, who also won the TQRA SxS title for Can-Am, had a exceptionally strong weekend in both the Commander 1000 X and on board the DS 450 ATV.”

MX101 in Epping, N.H., hosted round five of the NEATV-MX series. In Pro class action, Creamer took both holeshots and checked out on the competition in each moto on his way to a 1-1 sweep and overall victory, his fifth of the year.

He mirrored that performance in the Pro-Am class, posting another 1-1 sweep to further his class points lead. Can-Am racer Michael Troiano finished second in the Pro-Am class.

“The BCS Performance / Can-Am DS 450 was running awesome this weekend and everything went according to plan. It was a great weekend for us and I am really happy to put Can-Am on top of the podium again,” said Creamer.

Four amateur Can-Am DS 450 racers won five classes at MX101. Mike Kamalsky won both the 30+ A and 40+classes. Matt Pomeroy (25+), Chris Dipietro (Production A) and Ryan Dyer (Production B) each won their class.

In Texas, the weekend was long but rewarding for Hunter and Cody Miller, as both Can-Am X-Team racers earned victories in their home state.

This past Saturday, Hunter and Cody traveled to Legacy Farm in Paradise, Texas, to race their Can-Am Commander 1000 X side by sides.

Hunter led every lap as he won the UTV Unlimited class. Not to be outdone, Cody also posted a dominant win in the UTV Limited class.

The brothers then drove to Oak Hill MX in Alvord, Texas, to race round seven of the TQRA series.

Hunter, who secured the 2012 TQRA SXS class Championship at round six, outgunned his brother in both the Pro and Pro-Am classes, earning two overall victories on his Louis Powersports-backed Can-Am DS 450.

He posted 1-1 moto scores to win the Open Expert class, while Cody finished second. In the Pro-Am class, Cody won the first moto, but Hunter earned the second-moto victory to notch another overall for the weekend.

“It was a fun racing this weekend. Cody and I had a great battle going on in the final Open Expert moto, but I was able to get the win, so I’m pretty happy about that,” said Hunter Miller. “I’m really happy to give Can-Am a SxS Championship as well this year, and I’m going to do everything I can to give them another one.”

At the Courses VTT Quadcross series in Ste-Sophie de Levrard, QC, Can-Am X-Team racer Richard Pelchat won the Pro 450 class on his DS 450. Elie Desroches also rode a Can-Am DS 450 to victory in the Intermediate class.

At Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Can-Am X-Team / CR21 Racing rider Zach Harris pulled all the holeshots in both his classes to take the overall wins in the Quad A and Quad A Production classes.

For more information on Can-Am racing, the entire 2012 schedule, the ’12 contingency program and DS 450 amateur racer support program, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.

With the busy summer riding season upon us the ATV Safety Institute, the Right Rider Access Fund and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation DirtBike School encourage kids to enter the ‘Do the Ride Thing’ Video Contest.

The contest, in its third year, runs June 1 to August 15, 2012 and offers 19 prizes totaling $8,500. Students ages 6 to 18 may enter. The winning videos will be used as public service announcements (PSAs).

“What better way to motivate and inform people – especially kids and their parents – about the safe and responsible use of all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes than to have kids create videos that highlight one or more of the ATV Safety Institute’s Golden Rules or Dirt Bike Riding Tips?” said Paul Vitrano, executive vice president, ASI. “By harnessing the social networking power of YouTube, it gives kids the opportunity to ‘Do the Ride Thing’ and help other kids ride safe/ride smart.”

To enter, kids create a 15, 30 or 60-second video/PSA, upload it to YouTube, and submit an entry form on the ASI website.

There will be three winners in each of the three age categories: 6-10, 11-14, and 15-18 and in two product categories ATV and dirt bike. 1st Place winners earn $500, 2nd Place is $300, and 3rd Place is $200.

Plus, all age and product categories are eligible to win the $2,500 Grand Prize. The 19 prizes total $8,500.

Young riders who often have more time to ride dirt bikes and ATVs in the summer are especially vulnerable to certain types of crashes when not following proper safety rules.

For example, nearly 90 percent of youth ATV-related injury incidents occur when a youth is operating an ATV manufactured and intended for use by an adult.

Remember, parents literally hold the key to their children’s safety. Every new ATV has an ignition key, and when a parent or guardian controls the key, they control the ATV’s use.

The ATV Safety Institute’s Golden Rules

1. Always wear a DOT-compliant helmet, goggles, long sleeves, long pants, over-the-ankle boots and gloves.
2. Never ride on paved roads except to cross when done safely and permitted by law – another vehicle could hit you. ATVs are designed to be operated off-highway.
3. Never ride under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
4. Never carry a passenger on a single-rider ATV, and no more than one passenger on an ATV specifically designed for two people.
5. Ride an ATV that’s right for your age.
6. Supervise riders younger than 16; ATVs are not toys.
7. Ride only on designated trails and at a safe speed.
8. Take an ATV RiderCourse; call toll-free at 800.887.2887 or go to atvsafety.org to sign up or try the new free online e-course.

The All-Terrain Vehicle Safety Institute develops rider training programs and promotes the safe and responsible use of ATVs. The ASI works to reduce crashes and injuries resulting from improper ATV use. Formed in 1988, the ASI is a not-for-profit division of the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America.

For safety information or to enroll in the ATV RiderCourse nearest you, visit atvsafety.org or call (800) 887-2887.