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TEAM ITP RACE REPORT BALLANCE MOTO X; OAKLAND, KY — The key talking point about round five of the 2012 ATV MX National Championship was the fact that Ballance Moto X in Oakland, Kentucky, played host to the series’ first-ever night event. However, the lights would be on mainly for the Pro class race program. And while ITP is proud to have a rider like Jeffrey Rastrelli among these ranks — he finished eighth overall and holds that same position in the Pro point standings — Team ITP is made up primarily of the grass-roots racers found in the Amateur classes. These athletes shined in the sun at Ballance Moto X, just as they have all season. For example, Merrill Crose raced in four classes and never finished lower than second in all eight motos. This privateer rider from Missouri won the Open A, Junior 25+ and Vet 30+ classes, and was second overall in the 450 A class. He holds a top-three position in the point standings in all four classes. Hot as always, Haedyn Mickelson blasted to three second-place overall podium appearances, with the help of two moto victories. Schoolboy Sr. (14-17), Schoolboy Jr. (13-15) and Super-Mini (13-15) were this Root River Racing rider’s stage, and he’s in the top six in points in all three classes. A 3-2 moto score put Cody Janssen on the Pro-Am Unlimited podium once again in second overall. That performance moved the Janssen Motorsports/Roberts Racing Outlaws rider up two notches in the standings, to second for the series. Maci Devenport had another good weekend, winning the 90 Production (8-15) class to extend her points lead in this co-ed class, and was fourth overall in Girls (12-15) to hold third in the standings there. More impressive riding was put in by Chloe Buerster, who was fifth overall against the guys in the 4-Stroke B class. This moved her up to an amazing third overall for the season. This Janssen Motorsports/Roberts Racing Outlaws star was strong in the Women’s class as well, and made a statement by winning the second moto. But a seventh in moto one resulted in fourth overall for the day and for the series after five of ten events on the schedule. Root River’s Mike Barnhart enjoyed one of his best days of the season, winning the first Open A moto and backing it up with a third in moto two for second overall. He also went 3-3 in the Veteran 30+ battle for third overall. He’s top five in both classes for the year. Likewise for Dalton Hicks of Root River Racing, who placed third in all four of his motos to score a second overall in Production A and third overall in 450 A. He now holds fourth in points in the latter, and sixth in the former. Alexander Gillette had fun stepping onto the Schoolboy Jr. (13-15) rostrum after his 2-4 third overall achievement. He also stepped up to fifth in the point standings for Root River. Finally, Samuel Rowe tightened his grasp on two championships by way of second overall in Schoolboy Sr. (14-17) and a 1-1 sweep of the Schoolboy Jr. (13-15) division. This Janssen Motorsports-powered Root River Racing standout is the series leader in points for both classes at the halfway mark of the season. The series now starts down the home stretch at High Point Raceway in Mount Morris, Pennsylvania, June 16-17. Photos by ATVRiders.com In ATV MX for 2012, Team ITP consists of Cody Janssen and Chloe Buerster of Janssen Motorsports/Roberts Racing Outlaws, Merrill Crose, Jeffrey Rastrelli, Brian Johnson, Kyle Fix, Benjamin Brocado, Maci Devenport and the entire Root River Racing team: Jordan Digby, Mike Barnhart, Dalton Hicks, Haedyn Mickelson, Noah Mickelson, Brent Sellers, Sean Taylor, Alexander Gillette, Samuel Rowe and Allyson Westfield. For more information on ITP’s “MX Bucks” contingency program, download a form for free enrollment by visiting: www.itptires.com/racing.
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