The eleventh and final round of the American Pro ATV MX championship took place on the weekend of August 13 and 14 at Hurricane Mills in Tennessee. And there’s no doubt that memories of the weekend will linger for a long time to come as far as the Canam Motoworcs Team and their Motul technical partners are concerned.
Having ridden to victory in many a WORCS ATV championship race during his illustrious career, John Natalie’s triumph this year will standout for several memorable reasons.
First and foremost because the AMA Pro ATV MX crown is the most prestigious title any team could wish to take in the ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) competitions.
Secondly because of the terrible events of earlier in the season when Natalie’s teammate, Chad Wienen, sustained a terrible back injury when leading the championship standings. The incident affected everyone in the Canam Motoworcs Team but the news that Wienen is recovering after surgery has been a great fillip.
And thirdly because the final weekend of the championship season turned out to be a nerve-wracking experience! Natalie arrived in Tennessee with a ten-point advantage over Josh Upperman in second place and he knew he would have to be at his best if he was to protect his lead from his dangerous rival.
In race one Natalie finished second and Upperman third, which augured well for race two. But that got off to a chaotic start with Natalie falling badly and Upperman then roaring away to take the honours. That meant the title would be decided in the third and final race with Natalie needing to finish in the top eight to be sure of being crowned champ. And that’s exactly what Natalie did, riding a remarkably composed race to finish fourth and take the championship title by eight points.
And while Natalie stood on top of the podium, there in third spot was Jeremy Lawson of the Walsh Racing Team (who also rely on the technical support of Motul). The Suzuki rider has shown great consistency throughout the championship in picking up eight top four finishes, which allowed him to remain an outside contender for the crown for much of the season.
FINAL STANDINGS:
1// John Natalie (Canam - 432 pts) - Motul
2// Josh Upperman (Honda - 424 pts)
3// Jeremy Lawson (Suzuki - 374 pts) - Motul
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