Press Release –
With the championship decided and the pressure off, Joe Byrd put on a riding clinic Sunday, winning the RedBud National at RedBud MX. The event was Round 10 of the 2008 Moose Racing/ITP Tires AMA/ATVA National Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited.
With his fourth-place finish in the first moto, Dustin Wimmer (No. 191 Team MSR/Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro Taper Suzuki), clinched the Riders’ Championship, taking home the AMA No. 1 Plate.
“I’m still speechless,” said Wimmer. “This makes all of the hard work really meaningful. What a great season.”
Byrd (No. 7 American Honda/Joe Byrd Quad School Honda) finished second in the first moto behind Chad Wienen (No. 44 Team Rockstar/MSR/Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro Taper Suzuki), and he dominated the second moto, winning the ATVRiders.com Holeshot Award and running away from the pack. Wienen was second overall, ahead of teammate Doug Gust. (No. 55 Team Rockstar/MSR/Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro Taper Suzuki).
“Dunlop gave me some new tires this weekend and they really hooked up,” said Byrd of his third victory of the season. “The bike was just fast all weekend. We took the holeshot and then we just cruised.
“It’s my job to win races,” said Byrd, who remains second in the points chase. “It’s what I get paid to do.”
Byrd was congratulatory of Wimmer winning his first ever AMA title.
“Lady luck really didn’t smile on us early in the season,” said Byrd, “but Dustin and his team really worked hard all season. My hat is off to them. He deserved the championship.”
Byrd also won the Third Base of the ITP Grand Slam presented by QUAD Magazine, earning a $1,000 bonus. Byrd retains his lead in the Grand Slam points.
The $5,000 program is a championship within a championship that concludes in two weeks at the season finale. In addition to cash prizes for the Pros, Amateur riders will earn special Gold, Silver and Bronze medals.
Special award winners were:
Ti Lube Fast Qualifier Award: Chad Wienen
Suspension Systems Holeshot Award–Moto 1: Josh Creamer
ATVRiders.com Holeshot Award–Moto 2: Joe Byrd
DASA Mechanic of the Race: Glen Schulde (Wimmer)
The next race for the ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA/ATVA National Motocross Championship is the 2008 regular season finale, scheduled for Aug. 9-10 at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.
Results of Sunday’s ITP/ Tires Moose Racing AMA Pro ATV Motocross Championship at RedBud MX (Showing finishing position, rider, bike number, bike brand, hometown, and moto finishes):
1. Joe Byrd, 7, Honda, Union City, Tenn., 2-1.
2. Chad Wienen, 44, Suzuki, Galena, Ill., 1-2.
3. Doug Gust, 55, Suzuki, Salem, Wis., 3-5.
4. John Natalie, Jr., 13, Can-Am, Houtzdale, Pa., 7-3.
5. Dustin Wimmer, 191, Suzuki, Center Valley, Pa., 4-6.
6. Harold Goodman, 708, Honda, Romulus, Mich., 8-7.
7. Josh Upperman, 20, Honda, Louisville, Ohio, 6-9.
8. Jeremy Lawson, 16, Can-Am, Battletown, Ky., 9-8.
9. Jason Dunkelberger, 19, Honda, Trevorton, Pa., 11-11.
10. Josh Creamer, 9, Kawasaki, North Stonington, Conn., 20-4.
11. Pat Brown, 199, Yamaha, Pittstown, N.J., 5-20.
12. Greg Gee, 10, Can-Am, Simcoe, Ontario, 16-12.
13. Keith Little, 12, Kawasaki, Spruce Pine, Ala., 15-13.
14. Rocco Arno, Jr., 101, Honda, Bridgetown, N.J., 14-14.
15. Russell Shumaker, 68, Kawasaki, Bristol, Wis, 10-18.
16. Jeremi Warnia, 62, Suzuki, Paris, France, 19-10.
17. Cale Downen, 727, Honda, Junction, Ill., 12-17.
18. Jasmin Plante, 91, Yamaha, Notre Dame, Quebec, 13-19.
19. Cody Miller, 22, Can-Am, Greenville, Texas, 18-15.
20. Sage Baker, 49, Can-Am, Shasta Lake, Calif., 17-16.
ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA Pro ATV Motocross Championship points leaders: Wimmer 400, Byrd 355, Gust 316, Creamer 261, Lawson 258, Natalie 248, Goodman 236, Wienen 221, Upperman 209, Arno 178.
