Press Release –

A perfect day of racing is how round 2 of the NEATV MX series could best be described. Rain that was forecast for the area subsided and the clouds soon gave way to sunny skies, making track conditions ideal.

There were many changes made to the Walden Motocross track just for this race and those changes seemed to suit Joe Haavisto to a “T” as he took his second consecutive 1-1 win in the Open Pro class.

The changes that were made to the Walden MX track for this event had many racers commenting that this was one of the best tracks they had ever raced on at Walden.

There were some sandy sections incorporated into the hard-packed clay. The finish line tabletop had been removed and replaced with a sandy area, and there were a couple of triples added to the mix. However, the first turn off the start remained the same and funneled down to a narrow, tight turn that was the cause of several pileups throughout the day.

As the gate dropped for the first moto, Joe Haavisto appeared to be first in line to claim the holeshot, but Michael Pilotte, Danny Lewis, and Myles Santaniello edged him out. Haavisto had to settle for 4th off the line, but he soon began working his way up.

“I was in about 4th place, but I worked myself up to the lead by the 3rd lap,” said Haavisto, who once in the lead, kept increasing the distance between himself and the rest of the pack.

Michael Pilotte ran a very impressive race for the entire moto, holding off the competition all the way to the finish line. Joe Haavisto went on to take the win in moto 1 with Michael Pilotte in 2nd and Danny Lewis in 3rd.

Moto number 2 was like déjà vu for Haavisto, as he once again took 4th in the holeshot. Michael Pilotte was once again in the lead, followed by Tommy Mofford and Myles Santaniello.

The #75 Kawasaki KFX450R of Haavisto once again began to work through traffic, taking over the lead after just a couple of laps. When they reached the checkered flag, Joe Haavisto once again took the win, earning him 1st place overall.

Michael Pilotte’s 2-2 finishes earned him a solid 2nd and Myles Santaniello’s 4-4 consistency was enough to land him in 3rd. Tommy Mofford took a 6-3 finish with 4th overall and Michael Brown’s 5-6 finish rounded out the top 5 for the Open Pro class.

All though Haavisto had a great run in the Pro class, his was not having as good of luck in the Pro-Am ranks. Haavisto came off the line in 5th in moto 1 with Danny Lewis in the lead, followed by Michael Brown and Justin Hoffler. Haavisto wasted no time in working his way to the front and was holding a good lead until the last lap.

“I guess I was just pushing too hard or something, but I spun out in the last lap and that let Lewis, Brown and Hoffler get past me,” said Joe. However, when Pro-Am moto 2 came around, Haavisto showed he was still the man to beat. Joe came off the line in 3rd. Joe soon took over the lead and kept his position all the way to the checkered flag.

Danny Lewis claimed 1st overall for the Pro-Am class, with Haavisto in 2nd, Justin Hoffler in 3rd. The two Yamaha’s of #36 Michael Brown and #12 Jonathan Hansen rounded out the top 5 overall for the day.

In the Women’s class Tiffany LaClair had a 3-1 finish and claimed the #1 overall while Amy Thompson’s 4-2 finish earned her 2nd and Larissa Griffiths’ 2-4 finished gave her 3rd overall. In Open Expert A Ralle Rookey claimed 1st place overall with an impressive 1-1 finish. Mike Taylor, Jr. took 2nd overall and Daniel Grabiec went home with 3rd.

There was plenty of excitement in the kid’s classes as well. Wade Pollard from Granby, CT dominated the 0-70cc Limited class with a 1-1 win, followed by #17 Andy Cummings in 2nd and Michael Pahlas in 3rd.

Andy Cummings may have placed 2nd in the 0-70 cc class, but he smoked his competition in the 0-90cc Limited class taking a 1-1 win, followed by Timothy Donovan from Tiverton RI in 2nd and Wolcott, CT’s Jenifer warren in 3rd.

The next round of the NEATV-MX series will head to Lempster, New Hampshire where the more sandy soils of Jolly Roger Motorsports Park will play host on May 25th. As usual, there will be a Saturday practice unless otherwise posted.

For a complete schedule of NEATV-MX events and how to join the NEATV, you can check out www.neatv-mx.com for more information.

Press Release –

KTM riders Adam McGill and Taylor Kiser finished second and third respectively at the 6th round of the ATV GNCC Series.

The 6th round, also known as the John Penton Classic, marked a very successful day for both KTM riders. McGill got a great jump and rounded the first turn in third position off the start.

His teammate, Kiser, was a few spots back in seventh. By the end of the first lap McGill had moved into second and Kiser was sitting right behind him in third.

“I was sitting comfortably in third until I got tangled with a lapped rider,” commented Kiser. “Fortunately, we (the top three) had pulled a big enough lead that I was able to untangle and enter the race only losing one position.”

With one lap to go, Kiser caught Matt Smiley who had moved into third while Kiser was down, and passed him to take the last podium position. Kiser finished third, behind his teammate McGill who rode a solid race to take home second overall.

With six rounds down McGill still holds the series points lead over Bill Balance. The points earned at this round helped Kiser move up to sixth in overall points.

Next Event: The Spartan – Spart, KY – May 31, 2008

Overall Results:

1. Bill Balance
2. Adam McGill – KTM
3. Taylor Kiser – KTM
4. Matthew Smiley
5. William Yokley
6. Ryan Lane
7. Bryan Baker
8. Johnny Gallagher
9. Chris Borich
10. Donald Ockerman

Overall Series Points:

1. Adam McGill – 131
2. Bill Balance – 122
3. Bryan Cook – 100
4. Chris Borich – 100
5. Brandon Sommers – 98
6. Taylor Kiser – 88
7. William Yokley – 88
8. Matthew Smiley – 78
9. Ryan Lane – 74
10. Donald Ockerman – 63

Press Release –

Dustin Wimmer set the fastest time in second-round qualifying Saturday for tomorrow’s Pro ATV final at Sunset Ridge MX.

Saturday’s events are part of the Concept Haulers ATV Showdown, Round 5 of the ITP Tires/Moose Racing ATV National Motocross Series Presented by Parts Unlimited.

Wimmer ((No. 191 Team MSR/Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro Taper) set a blistering one-minute, 51.969-second time to take the top slot. Defending Champion Joe Byrd (No. 7 Honda) was second quick, ahead of Josh Creamer (No. 9 Team Monster Energy Drink/Kawasaki).

Wimmer was pleased with his results, but pointed out he’s focused on tomorrow’s race.

“It’s great to set a fast lap, but I’m really interested in the top step of the (podium),” said Wimmer. “The bike is running great and I’m really pleased, but tomorrow is really going to tell the tale.”

With heavy rain in the forecast for tomorrow, Wimmer said his race strategy will change significantly.

“The holeshot is always important, but the rain makes it really important,” said Wimmer. “Visibility is key, and getting out front early gives you a clear line of sight. The team will also have to make adjustments to the suspension and rain equipment, like goggles and tear-offs take on more importance.”

With 29 pros attempting to make this weekend’s field, Wimmer said that competition has never been deeper.

“It seems as if every year they keep stepping it up,” said Wimmer. “You really have to be on the top of your game out here. If I didn’t train as hard as I do, if I slacked off, everyone would know quickly. You have to be in top condition right now because the competition is so tight.”

Josh Upperman (No. 20 Honda), Brock Lyons (No. 43 Polaris), Jason Dunkelberger (No. 19 East Coast ATV), and Cody Miller (No. 22 Can-Am) qualified for tomorrow’s finals through the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ). 

Thomas Hager, Hunter Miller, Shane Cochran, Trent Kandel, Christopher Tait, John Ragon, Rich Stambach and Steve Runkel didn’t qualify for the 20-quad field.

The Concept Haulers ATV Showdown continues tomorrow with the final Pro qualifying round, scheduled for 10 a.m., followed by final motos at noon and at 3 p.m. Tomorrow will also feature a full card of Amateur, Youth and Women’s racing.

Press Release –

Team Motoworks / Can-AmTM racer Brandon Smith looked impressive as he passed several riders to take the weekend win at the recent ITP Quadcross race near Adalanto, Calif.

The rider had a mid-pack start, but quickly caught and passed the race leader in fine fashion.

His teammate, Josh Frederick, was able to secure third place, putting two Can-Am DS 450TM race ATVs on the podium for the weekend.

“The entire Team Motoworks effort continues to look impressive,” said Del Bohlman, Product, Media Relation and Racing Manager for Can-Am ATVs at BRP. “Each week they prove they are ready to compete and win at any level.”

Team Motoworks / Can-Am amateur racer, Dillon Zimmerman, had a mixed weekend of racing.

In the 265-450 Expert class, he took third overall for the weekend. However, in the 91-450 Four-Stroke Expert class, after winning the first race easily aboard his DS 450, a second-race crash took away his chances of winning that class.

Brandon Smith

“I’m really happy; this is my first Pro Quadcross win. It feels really good to have a win under my belt! I really didn’t expect the win. I crashed last week and am not quite at 100% yet, but I’m looking forward to the next round when I will be completely healed and ready to try for another win.”

Johnny Leach (team owner)

“The Can-Am bikes ran great all weekend and the guys did a fantastic job out there. We had a really good weekend of racing. This is our third race in a row with zero failures so we are pretty happy to have all the bugs worked out.”

The next ITP Quadcross race is on June 22, at Speedworld track near Surprise, Ariz. The main races will be held under the lights Saturday night. Visit www.can-amxteam.com for more details and race results.

Press Release –

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) today announced the addition of recreation utility vehicle (RUV) demonstration rides to its 2008 Consumer Events schedule.

Event attendees will have their first opportunity to drive the all-new Teryx™ 750 4×4, May 14-17, at the UTV Rally in Moab, Utah.

“We’re very pleased to offer enthusiasts a chance to demo the all-new Teryx,” said Kawasaki Consumer Events Manager, Kathy Matyniak. “We already know this product is a lot of fun, handles great, and has amazing power. Now offroaders will be able to experience it for themselves.”

The company will also debut its new Kawasaki off-road product display at the Moab event.

Riders of all brands are invited to visit Kawasaki’s trailside assistance station where tools and supplies will be available for use.

Complimentary beverages and snacks will be provided at the demo ride hospitality area and free technical seminars will take place at the company’s product display, located inside the Old Spanish Trail Arena.

For additional information on upcoming events planned by Kawasaki’s Consumer Events group, please visit kawasaki.com/NewsEvents.