MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – As the chase for the 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, sanctioned by AMA, heats up, the nation’s fastest motocross racers on four-wheels head to Bowling Green, Ky. for Round 3 of the 10-race series. The Maxxis Bluegrass National will play host to the next stop on the tour April 27 and 28 at the nationally renown Ballance Moto X racetrack.

Joel Hetrick, one of the youngest championship contenders on the circuit, took the overall win at Round 2 by sweeping both motos on his Corrosion Hetrick Racing machine, closing the gap on the series points leader Chad Wienen, now trailing by one. With the speed and determination to lead the field, the twenty-year old has proven he has what it takes to contest the championship.

The defending champ Wienen will attempt to protect the national title amongst a hungry field of ATVMX Pros this weekend. The Wienen Motorsports SSi Walsh Yamaha presented by Maxxis Tires & Team Vollmer rider has found himself on the podium at both events thus far and continues to lead the field heading to Bowling Green.

For the first time in his pro career, Thomas Brown has found himself in the championship chase early in the season. New to the Wienen Motorsports SSi Walsh Yamaha presented by Maxxis Tires & Team Vollmer team, Brown landed on the podium in the third place position each round, slowly looking to secure a spot in the middle.

After missing the podium at Round 2, 2010 National Champion Josh Creamer and Josh Upperman will head to Ballance more determined than ever before. With non-ideal starts at Muddy Creek the BCS Can-Am rider Creamer was able to salvage a fourth place overall position and now sits fourth overall in the series points chase. Baldwin Motorsports PEP’s Josh Upperman sits fifth in the pro points standings and is eager to find his first podium of the season this weekend.

Veteran John Natalie took his first overall win of 2012 at the Ballance Moto X round and knows what it takes to find the top of the podium in Kentucky. After taking a top five finish at Round 2, Natalie is starting to find his flow with his new MotoSport.com Motoworks DWT team and cannot be counted out as the season progresses.

Several rookies have been making a name for themselves among the pro rankings including Ronnie Higgerson who sits the highest ranking newcomer and Never Sleep Designs Vechery Racing’s Tim Dettling who battled with the field’s most experienced rider at Round 2 for seventh place career best finish thus far.

The pro riders will run Saturday as part of a full schedule of amateur racing, including classes for Youth, Women and Veteran riders. Amateurs will practice on Friday and race on Saturday and Sunday, while Pros race on Saturday. Tickets on Saturday are $20 for spectators ($10 for ages 6-11), and admission includes full pro-pit access and an autograph session.

Eight-time GNCC ATV Pro National Champion Bill Ballance designed the Ballance Moto X racetrack, and the natural terrain 1.3 mile track has been home to multiple AMA events since 2006.

To get to Ballance Moto X take I-65 North to exit 28 “Corvette Museum”; right off the exit ramp on 31W; go approximately 9 miles and the track will be on your left. For more information, please visit www.atvmotocross.com.