John Natalie, Jr. and Rory Beckman earned top qualifying honors Friday at Daniel Boone Motocross Park for Sunday’s first of two Pro ATV finals. The event is part of the Blue Ridge Open Championship, Rounds 4 and 5 of the 2007 WPSA PowerSports ATV Tour.
Natalie (No. 13 Maxxis, Elka/Honda), though admittedly not completely up to speed, dominated SuperQuad Pro 450 qualifying, winning both of his heats. The Houtzdale, Pa. native is still experiencing the after affects of chest and knee injuries suffered several weeks ago in a crash during practice.
Josh Creamer (No. 9 Monster Energy Drink/Kawasaki) earned his best qualifying position of the season, a second-place effort, ahead of Chad Wienen (No. 44 Team Rockstar, MSR, Pro Taper, Yoshimura/Suzuki). Dustin Wimmer (No. 191 MSR, Pro Taper, Yoshimura/Suzuki), who came into the event leading the points, took a provisional starting position after mechanical problems sidelined him in qualifying.
“I’m probably 85 percent right now, ” said Natalie. “My chest is much better, while my knee still hurts a lot, but I’m able to lean more. It’s nice to recover from an injury this way. I came in sixth in points, but Dustin (Wimmer) had some trouble today, so that should help put me back in the hunt. “
Natalie has the distinction of having won every WPSA final in which he raced at Daniel Boone MX. In addition, Natalie was also the top qualifier in each of those races.
“The track here really suits my style, ” said Natalie. “It’s a lot like my practice track. I like the hard-pack; it lets me take the inside lines. This is really my kind of track. “
On being 85% going into the final?
“I think IÕm going to go out there and dominate the final, ” said a confident Natalie. “We’re already fast this weekend, so just wait until the next race! “
Beckman (No. 10 Jack Link’s/Arctic Cat) won his first heat and netted the runner-up slot in his second heat to grab the pole in QuadTerrain Pro Stock. Chris Bithell (No. 6 Warnert Racing/Can-Am) qualified second, followed by Jesse West (No. 888 West Racing, ITP/Arctic Cat).
This weekend’s event features two complete shows for the TourÕs Pro Classes: SuperQuad Pro 450 and QuadTerrain Pro Stock. The first final is scheduled for Sunday morning, with qualifying for the second final scheduled for tomorrow. The second final is scheduled for Sunday at 2:30 p. m.
Tomorrow’s show will also feature a full card of Amateur, Pro Am, Women’s and Junior Class racing.
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