Blountville, Tenn.– Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chad Wienen earned his sixth consecutive podium finish on his Kawasaki KFX™450R during a hot and humid AMA ATV Motocross race at Muddy Creek Raceway. Wienen’s third-place finish sustains his lead in the championship points standings. Teammate Josh Creamer finished 18th after being stuck with some bad luck in Tennessee. Kawasaki pro am rider Cody Gibson put another win under his belt with a 2-1 finish in the Pro Am Unlimited class and finished second overall in the Pro Am Production class.

In both motos, Wienen had to work his way through the pack after mediocre starts. He didn’t let his position outside the top-10 stop him from pushing his KFX450R all the way to fourth in both motos.

“In the second moto, I got hit and spun out,” said Wienen. “I already had a bad start and that just pushed me even further back. I knew I could make up the positions, but it was really hot that second moto and it really takes a lot to push it to the front. I basically wanted to salvage as many points as possible and keep my focus on the long term goal of a championship.”

When racing for a championship, teams know the final result is about the consistency along the way. After starting the season with two bad finishes, Wienen has ridden with great consistency for six straight podiums, including two wins. He currently sits in first in the overall points, five points ahead of second place.

“Everyone always said consistency is how you win championships and it is definitely true with a long season like ours,” said Wienen. “Anything can happen. At the start of the season, it would have been easy to give up, but I pressed on and I’m happy I did.”

After a bit of bad luck at Muddy Creek Raceway finishing 18th, Creamer has put Round 8 in the past and looks for the luck to come his way at the next race at Pleasure Valley Raceway.

“It’s one of those things where it was out of my hands,” said Creamer. “Everyone has their share of bad luck, I just hope my luck turns around sooner than later. For now, all I can do is focus on the next race. I did well there last year and I am hoping to get back on the box.”

Gibson continued his winning ways in Tennessee and has won at every event he has attended, either in the Pro Am Production or Pro Am Unlimited. At Muddy Creek Raceway, he took first in the Pro Am Unlimited and second overall in the Pro Am Production. The production class wasn’t easy for Gibson, as he had to come through the pack in both motos for a 3-2.

The riders faced the heat and humidity of a typical Tennessee summer day. The second moto was the most brutal and Wienen felt every ray of the sun while he was pushing to the front pack of riders.

“It was definitely hot,” said Wienen. “You have to be in shape to run the 25 minute motos in this kind of heat. I had to come up from the back and I wore myself out. It was a long second moto.”

With only six motos left, the boys are on the home stretch for the 2009 season. The last three rounds will be challenging in the humid East Coast states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and back again to Tennessee.

“The season is winding down and we have to stay focused all the way to Loretta Lynn’s in August,” said Wienen. “Six motos doesn’t seem like a lot, but anything can happen. I’m excited for the next few races.”

AMA ATV Motocross Championship
Muddy Creek Raceway – Blountville, Tenn.
June 28, 2009

Pro Overall Results (Moto Finishes)
1.    Dustin Wimmer, Center Valley, Pa., Suzuki, 1-1
2.    Doug Gust, Salem, Wis., Suzuki, 3-2
3.    CHAD WIENEN, GALENA, ILL., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 4-4
4.    Jeremy Lawson, Live Oak, Fla., Can Am, 2-9
5.    Josh Upperman, Louisville, Ohio, Honda, 9-3
6.    Harold Goodman, Romulus, Mich., Honda, 6-6
7.    Jeremie Warnia, Paris, France, Can Am, 10-5
8.    Cody Miller, Greenville, Texas, Cam Am, 5-10
9.    Joe Byrd, Union City, Tenn., Honda, 8-8
10.    Patrick Brown, Pittstown, N.J., Yamaha, 11-11
18.    JOSH CREAMER, N. STONINGTON, CONN., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 16-19

Pro Point Standings
1.    CHAD WIENEN, GALENA, ILL., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 290
2.    Dustin Wimmer, Center Valley, Pa., Suzuki, 285
3.    Joe Byrd, Union City, Tenn., Honda, 271
4.    Doug Gust, Salem, Wis., Suzuki, 250
5.    Josh Upperman, Louisville, Ohio, Honda, 242
6.    JOSH CREAMER, N. STONINGTON, CONN., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 224
7.    John Natalie, Jr., Houtzdale, Pa., Can Am, 203
8.    Jeremy Lawson, Live Oak, Fla., Can Am, 201
9.    Cody Miller, Greenville, Texas, Can Am, 169
10.    Thomas Brown, Sanger, Texas, Yamaha, 159