DUSTIN NELSON'S INCREDIBLE QUADCROSS TITLE COMEBACK!

Though Dustin Nelson was never really out of championship contention, the Team Yamaha rider had his work cut out for him at the ITP/Yamaha QuadCross Series season finale. To claim his third career QuadCross title at Glen Helen Raceway in Devore, California, he would need to put in a stellar performance and hope luck was on his side. He got both, and yet another #1 plate.

Nelson, who also serves as an ITP product development rider, charged into the lead on the first lap of the first moto and never looked back, while points leader Jeremie Warnia suffered from a poor start and had to settle for fourth place. This took some of the pressure off, but Nelson still needed to beat Warnia in the second moto to claim the championship..

Nelson found himself trailing his rival for the majority of the final moto of 2009, but in one of the most dramatic moments in series history, Warnia stalled his machine on the last lap and was unable to get it restarted. As Nelson stated later, “I could not believe my eyes when I saw that he was coasting to a stop. I had half a lap to go and had just made the pass I needed to pull off the championship.” A jubilant Nelson crossed the finish line with his fist pumping, the overall win and the crown in hand.

As he has all season, Nelson’s factory YFZ450R was using ITP QuadCross MX PRO Lite tires mounted to ITP T-9 Pro Series wheels.

It was an amazing end to a great season, and we’ll be looking forward to more of the same when the ITP/Yamaha QuadCross Championship Series returns in March to kick off the 2010 season. For more information, visit www.itpquadcross.com.

Nelson’s QuadCross MX PRO Lite tires helped give his Yamaha a great jump off the line in the first moto, which he would go on to win comfortably.

Perseverance paid off for Nelson in the second moto, when a surprise second place finish rewarded him with the overall victory for the day and the 2009 ITP/Yamaha QuadCross Series title. His third championship in this series was undoubtedly the most rewarding, as anyone could tell when the final checkered flag waved

Here are the top three riders in the final 450 Pro Production class standings for 2009. Left to right: Jeremie Warnia, Dustin Nelson and Nelson’s Team Yamaha teammate, Justin Noss.

Photos by Roy Bloodworth/Big Kid Racing and ATVRiders.com