WPSA Powersports ATV Championship Tour
Round 6-7
Virginia Motorsposrt Park
Petersburg, VA
July 1, 2007
Round 7
John Natalie, Jr. and Chris Borich swept the Pro ATV finals on Sunday, part of the GBC National WPSA PowerSports ATV Tour events at Virginia Motorsports Park. The event will be telecast on Saturday, Aug. 25 at 1 p.m. EDT.
Natalie (No. 13 Elka, Maxxis/Honda) passed $1,000 Quad Magazine Holeshot Award winner Keith Little (No. 12 Lonestar/Honda) on the second lap and then held off a hard-charging Chad Wienen to net the victory, his second of the day. Wienen (No. 44 Team Rockstar, MSR, Pro Taper, Yoshimura/Suzuki) was second, ahead of Dustin Wimmer (No. 191 MSR, Pro Taper, Yoshimura/Suzuki).
“I think this is the best I’ve ridden all year,” said Natalie. “I had a little more than a week to prepare for this race, which is the most I’ve had all year due to injuries. So that really paid off.
“Points are so important right now,” added Natalie. “With just three races left, I’m right back in it, and that’s good, because the Suzukis are coming. Then again, I like the pressure. Bring it on!”
Borich (No. 2 Warnert Racing/Can-Am) outclassed the QuadTerrain Pro Stock field, leading every lap of the final after winning the $1,000 Holeshot Technologies “Rock’n’Roll” Award for leaving the track’s rock crawl first. Rory Beckman (No. 10 Jack LInk’s/Arctic Cat) was second, followed by Chris Bithel (No. 6 Warnert Racing/Can-Am).
“This is great for Can-Am,” said Borich. “I’m here to help Can-Am, and I’m having a ball doing it. This is great.”
Borich and Jason Dunkelberger (No. 19 Lost Creek Cycles/Suzuki) won the $500 ATV Source Biggest Mover Awards for moving up the most positions in the Pro finals from their qualifying spots.
Other winners during the weekend were:
SuperQuad Pro-Am: Mark Kendall (No. 21 Baldwin Motorsports/Kawasaki)
A Class: William Cottage (No. 14 Hetrick Racing/Honda)
B Class: Chase Snapp (No. 122 K&N/Yamaha)
C Class: Danny Cooper (No. 198 Kellogg’s/Honda)
Women A: Angela Butler (No. 1 LoneStar Racing/Honda)
Women B/C: Michelle Suciu (No. 5 Wheelz Up Racing/Suzuki)
16-24: Greg Gee (No. 10 Fox Shox/Honda)
Plus 25: Chad Lohr (No. 24 Jarmans Sportcycles/Suzuki)
Plus 35: Randy Hurst (No. 50 RH Aluminum/Honda)
Open Amateur: Cody Anderson (No. 87 Custom ATV Sport/Honda)
Production Lites: Jeffrey Rastrelli (No. 28 J&J Motorsports/Honda)
0-50cc Limited 4-6: Jordan Digby (No. 88 OMF Wheels/DRR)
0-50cc Production 6-8: Alex Hammond (No. 171 Cobra)
51-70 Production 6-11: Nicholas Gennusa (No. 15 Zebu Forno & Cafe/Honda Cobra)
0-70cc Shifter 6-11: Samuel Rowe (No. 38 Janssen Motorsports/Honda Cobra)
71-90, 75-125 8-11: Robbie Leonard (No. 17 Robbs Racing/Honda)
71-90, 75-125 Production 12-15: Aaron Beer (No. 707 Pittman Racing/Cobra)
90cc Production 8-15: Colby Brake (No. 862 VPE/Kasea)
75-125 8-15: Grantt Darnell (No. 128 Scott Cain Racing/Honda)
90, 125 Modified 8-12: Dillon Starks (No. 33 Pittman Racing/Honda)
Supermini: Jeffrey Rastrelli (No. 28 Hetrick Racing/Honda)
Complete Results are available at www.PowerSportsTour.com.
Round 6
John Natalie, Jr. jumped back onto the top step of the podium, and part-timer Chris Borich continued his streak during the first of two Pro ATV finals Sunday at Virginia Motorsports Park. The events are part of the GBC National, Rounds 6 and 7 of the 2007 WPSA PowerSports ATV Tour.
In the SuperQuad Pro 450 final, Natalie took the lead from $1,000 Quad Magazine Holeshot winner Keith Little (No. 12 Lonestar/Honda) on the first lap, then traded the top spot with Dustin Wimmer on the second and third circuits before taking the lead for good. Natalie then fought off a charging Chad Wienen to net the victory, his second this season. Wimmer (No. 191 MSR, Pro Taper, Yoshimura/Suzuki) was second, followed by Doug Gust (No. 55 Team Rockstar, MSR, Pro Taper, Yoshimura/Suzuki).
“We don’t have the budget that Suzuki has, so it’s really rewarding to get this victory,” said Natalie, who, with the win, becomes the WPSA PowerSports ATV Tour’s all-time win leader with four career victories. Natalie came into the event in a five-way tie for the honor. “I was injured in Round 2, and didn’t have the ability to really train. I tore my ACL and MCL, and I’m just starting to get back to 100%.
“This win is for Chris Earlywine,” added Natalie of the rider who passed away from a heart attack on Friday. “He was a huge part of this sport.”
Borich (No. 2 Warnert Racing/Can-Am) took his second consecutive victory and his third overall this season, by overhauling teammate Chris Bithel late in the event. Jesse West (No. 888 West Racing/Arctic Cat) was second, recording his third podium of the 2007 Tour. Bithel (No. 6 Warnert Racing/Can-Am), who won the $1,000 Holeshot Technologies “Rock’n’Roll” Award for beating the field out of the rock crawl on the first lap, was third.
“These Can-Am’s are just so strong,” said Borich. “Warnert Racing has given me a great opportunity here, and I’m making the most of it.”
Bithel and Hunter Miller (No. 90 Pep/Yamaha) won the $500 ATV Source Biggest Mover Awards for moving up the most slots from qualifying.
This weekend’s events will be telecast on ESPN2 on Saturday, Aug. 18 at noon EDT, and again on Saturday, Aug. 25 at 1 p.m. EDT.
Notebook:
HAAVISTO INJURED…Joe Haavisto (No. 75 Lost Creek/Suzuki) suffered a possible broken right leg and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. He was treated by the WPSA Safety Team on site and was awake and aware before leaving the venue.
TIRE AID…GBC Motorsports, title sponsor of this weekend’s race at Virginia Motorsports Park, supplied two new sets of tires to Trauma Care, the Official Safety Team of the WPSA PowerSports ATV Tour. The tires will be used on the team’s specially designed 6X6 fast response vehicle.
