Can-Am
4x4 ATV racers earned seven of the top 12 overall morning finishes, won a total
of five classes and earned all 15 possible class podium positions at round
three of the 2013 Amsoil Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) in Morganton, NC.
JB Racing/Can-Am DS 450 Pro Jarrod McClure earned fifth in the XC1 ATV Pro
class.
At
round two of the Texas Off-Road Nationals (TORN) in Paradise, TX,
Louis Powersports/Can-Am racer Cody Miller won the Pro ATV class and his
teammate, Maverick 1000R X rs pilot Hunter Miller, took second in the UTV
Expert class.
"Our
Can-Am ATV racers had a great Saturday at the Steele Creek GNCC in North
Carolina, winning all five 4x4 classes and, once again, sweeping the morning
4x4 podium," said Can-Am race manager Jimmie O'Dell. "Michael Swift notched his
first U2 class win aboard the Renegade 800R X xc while defending 4x4 Open class
champion Bryan Buckhannon remained undefeated in 2013."
GNCC - Round Three
The
U2 class featured a fierce battle between Can-Am Renegade 800R racers Michael
Swift and class points leader Robert Smith. The two 4x4 racers exchanged the
lead multiple times during the five-lap, two-hour race. The race came down to the
final lap with Smith holding a narrow lead. However, a few lapped racers slowed
Smith and let Swift (Team UXC/Can-Am X-Team) regain the top spot only a few
miles from the finish. Swift earned his first U2 class win in 2013 and first
4x4 class victory since winning round three a year ago at Steele Creek. Third
place went to Can-Am racer Jordan Phillips.
In
the 4x4 Open class, Buckhannon took an early lead aboard his ATV Parts Plus/Can-Am
X-Team 2013 Outlander 800R and never looked back. He crossed the finish line
more than four minutes ahead of Tanner Bowles, who was second on a Can-Am.
Buckhannon joined U2 class pilots Swift and Smith on the 4x4 overall morning
podium. Bo Jones, also on a Can-Am, rounded out the 4x4 Open class podium.
In
4x4 Lites action, defending champion Kevin Trantham and fellow Can-Am Outlander
ATV racer Andrew Langston clashed early for the lead. However, Trantham won his
second straight class victory. Can-Am Renegade 500 racer Michael Edwards was third.
Fourteen
racers entered the 4x4 Senior class at Steele Creek. North Carolina resident
and Can-Am racer Terry Whiteside won and was joined on the class podium by reigning
class champion Forrest Whorton and, in third, fellow Can-Am racer Jerry Roberts.
The 4x4 Novice class podium was also an all-Can-Am affair. Joseph Sichelstiel notched
his first win ahead of Nicholas Eichelberger and class points leader Ryan
Smith.
Coming
off his recent overall win in the AMA ATV Hare Scrambles National Championship
Series, McClure (JB Racing/Can-Am) was hoping to carry over his momentum to the
GNCC XC1 Pro class. Unfortunately, a bad start and another mishap slowed his
chase for the podium and he had to settle for a very respectable fifth-place
finish at Steele Creek.
Round
four of the Amsoil GNCC series is Saturday, April 20, in Union, SC.
It will include ATVs and, later in the day, the second round of the six-race
side-by-side series.
TORN - Round Two
Cody
and Hunter Miller (Louis Powersports/Can-Am) had a good weekend at round two of
TORN at Legacy Farms in Paradise,
TX. In the Pro ATV class, Cody won
by more than 30 seconds to improve to 2-for-2 on the season and is the class
points leader with his DS 450 ATV. Hunter, who overcame a mechanical issue that
delayed him for more than seven minutes, battled back to finish in third in the
Pro ATV class.
In
the UTV Expert class, Hunter finished all 10 laps and took second overall for
his first TORN podium with the Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs side-by-side. Cody,
who challenged for the lead all day, had the lead on the final lap before a
mechanical problem knocked him out of the race. He ended up fifth. The 2013
TORN series returns April 27-28 for round three at Legacy Farms.
For
more information on Can-Am racing, the Maverick 1000R side-by-side vehicle, the
entire 2013 schedule, the '13 contingency program and Can-Am DS 450 ATV amateur
racer support program, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.
