Baldwin Motorsports' Josh Upperman Wins at Sunday Creek MX

North Kingsville, OH (07/02/2011) - Baldwin Motorsport's Josh Upperman topped the pro podium at Sunday Creek for round number eight of the 2011 AMA ATV Motocross Championships. This is Upperman's first overall pro win of the season, which has put him within striking distance of the pro points lead.

This was the first time the series has traveled to Sunday Creek in Millfield, OH and unfortunately, Mother Nature was not in an agreeable mood for this round as rain fell for the first moto, creating slick and muddy conditions, making a good start crucial for any racer wishing for a podium position, and Josh Upperman, who is known for incredible starting abilities did not disappoint.

Upperman grabbed the moto one holeshot, but the slick conditions sent him off the track early in the first lap, sending him back to second place. Upperman charged hard, and despite recording the fastest lap time of the moto in lap two, with a time of 01:42.281, he was unable to reclaim the lead before reaching the checkered flag.

"It was really tough to pass out there and I didn't want to push it anymore and end up crashing or anything, so I just tried to ride smart," said Upperman.

In moto two, the rain stopped and the track began to dry out a bit and a little track maintenance helped to eliminate some of the mud, which gave Upperman the edge he needed. As the gate dropped for the second moto, it was an all out drag race to the first turn, but Upperman edged out the competition and took the holeshot and the lead. Once out front the number 20 Honda mounted racer put a nice five second gap between himself and the competition. Upperman held that lead all the way to the checkered flag, taking the moto win and his first overall win of the season.

"I am so happy to finally take this win and it feels really good to do it in my home state. I couldn't have wished for anything more. We have all been working so hard for this all season long and we have finally come out on top. I really have to thank Mark and Wayne and the entire Baldwin crew for everything they do because I would not be up here without them," said Upperman.

Upperman's victory also boosted him into second place in the pro point's championship race with 300 points, only seven points off the leader, putting him within striking distance of his first ever pro championship. "I think there is going to be a lot of tough battles out there for the last few rounds. I am going to be doing a lot of training and I am going to step it up and try to take another win at Unadilla," stated Upperman.

Round number nine of the 2011 AMA ATV Motocross Championships will head to Unadilla in New Berlin, NY on July 16^th, where Josh Upperman will be going for another overall win in hopes of taking over the points lead in pursuit of his first national pro championship.

 

#20 Josh Upperman 2011 Sponsors:

Baldwin Motorsports, Inc, PEP, JB Racing, Fly Racing, DWT, Goldspeed, Rath Racing, Hinson Clutch Components, Wiseco Pistons, Precision Racing Products, Pro-Design, Fasst Co., Throttle Jockey, Quad Tech, D.I.D., Falicon Crank Shafts, Works Connection, PowerMadd, Scott Goggles, Sunstar Sprockets, DP Brakes, CV 4, RPM, Mechanix Wear, Sidi, VP Race Fuels, Ancra

Points Standing after Round #8

1)     #13 John Natalie - Can-Am   307

2) #20 Josh Upperman - Baldwin Motorsports/Honda  300

3)     #44 Chad Wienen - Can-Am   297

4)      #16 Jeremy Lawson - Walsh/Suzuki   279

5) #48 Chase Snapp - Can-Am 244