Can-Am X-Team member and Maverick 1000R X rs driver Cory
Sappington (Desert Toyz) finished second in the UTV division at the SCORE Baja 500 in Ensenada, Mexico.
A total of three Can-Am Maverick race teams competed in the 40th annual
running of the desert endurance race on the Baja Peninsula.
"Our Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs racing teams had a
successful Baja 500, despite only one making it to the finish line," said
Can-Am race manager Jimmie O'Dell. "Desert Toyz's Cory Sappington's second
place podium finish was impressive considering the gnarly race conditions. Our
other two racing teams each held the class race lead at one point during the
race before falling victim to Baja's conditions and meticulous setup
requirements. We see Sappington's podium finish as a big stepping stone for the
new Maverick's success in a very demanding race environment and we look to
carry this momentum over to future desert racing events this season."
Sappington, the sole driver of the Desert Toyz/Can-Am
Maverick 1000R X rs, started quickly, passing three of the five side-by-side
vehicles that started in front of him. However, a flat tire around the 50-mile
mark slowed his pursuit of the leaders. During the downtime, Sappington was
passed by several competitors and lost valuable time on the leaders.
After resuming the race, the Desert Toyz team suffered
another setback about 25
miles later when an aftermarket fuel pump failed. With
some ingenuity, Sappington fabricated his own fuel pump cooler and exhaust heat
deflector and was back on the gas. He found his groove in the rocky desert
terrain and starting passing competitors and vehicles from other classes.
At mile marker 358 Sappington stopped to check on another
Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs race team. The Murray Racing/Del Amo Motorsports/Can-Am
team, which had held the lead and had more than a 30-minute advantage over the
UTV field, suffered a high-speed crash in a tricky ravine section. Although the
occupants were uninjured, the vehicle's extensive front-end damage ended their
day.
Sappington, who took over second place in the class, pushed
on through the cool night air with his Maverick running perfectly. Roughly 40 miles later,
he had to stop to repair another flat tire. However, Sappington drove the
remaining 100 miles
to the finish line to earn second place in the UTV class and was one of only
two UTVs to actually finish the race. It was the first Baja 500 podium finish
for the Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs side-by-side.
"I am very impressed with the power and handling of the
Maverick," said Sappington "I have raced in many other bigger engine class
vehicles and the Can-Am Maverick is just as fun. The twin-cylinder Rotax engine
feels like it has the power of a four cylinder. With no pre-running, no power
steering, essentially all stock Can-Am components and a rookie chase team we
have beaten Baja. At the finish I was numb from driving all 500 miles in 20 hours."
Marc Burnett and his show-stopping Monster Energy Maverick
1000 X rs was the first official Can-Am driver to lead the UTV class.
The team, having passed several other types of vehicles including trophy
trucks, built a sizable lead in the class before dropping out due to
a mechanical issue caused by the aftermarket exhaust.
