Valcourt, Québec - Can-Am ATV and side-by-side racers notched six class wins, swept the morning 4x4 podium and wrapped up several championships at the 2013 AMSOIL Ironman Grand National Cross Country series finale in Indiana. The JB Racing/Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs team, comprised of Tim and Julie Farr, won the XC1 Modified UTV class at the finale for its first overall of 2013. Can-Am Commander pilot Logan Gastel won his class at the DWT Pure 400 race to earn the 2013 AVE Racing Pure series SxS Pro Production 1000 class championship.
"Can-Am racers had a fabulous finish at the GNCC series finale, winning six classes, including the XC1 UTV Pro class by JB Racing's Tim Farr," Jeff Leclerc, Racing Project Leader, Can-Am, said. "Winning the overall at Ironman was a great way to cap our first GNCC season with the Maverick 1000R. I applaud Can-Am 4x4 pilots Bryan Buckhannon, Michael Swift, Kevin Trantham and Forrest Whorton on their GNCC 4x4 championships and also Logan Gastel and Aaron Juarez for their 1-2 finish in the Pure racing series."
Ironman GNCC
JB Racing/Can-Am Maverick 1000R pilot Tim Farr won the XC1 Modified class and UTV overall at the AMSOIL Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville, IN. It was the first victory of the season for Farr and his wife/co-pilot Julie, but the second overall win for the JB Racing/Can-Am team. Farr, starting from row three, held the lead after the first lap and rode a steady race to record his first win with the Maverick 1000R in 2013. He won by more than 40 seconds over second place and finished the year in sixth place overall in the XC1 UTV class. The NC Powersports/Performance East/Can-Am teams of Stuart Weeks and Devon Steedley also recorded top 10 XC1 class finishes in Indiana.
"The JB Off-road Can-Am team rallied and put us in the best Maverick we've raced all season," Farr said. "It was fast, handled great and ran flawlessly, allowing us to come from a third-row start and lead every lap to take the win. It was a perfect finish to the season and a huge confidence and momentum builder going into 2014."
Can-Am Renegade 800R X xc U2 class racers Michael Swift and Rob Smith came into the Ironman GNCC finale separated by just three points. The two resumed their battle in Indiana. After riding in second place after the first lap, Swift (Team UXC Racing) took over the lead on lap two and never looked back. Swift went on to post his eighth U2 class victory of the year and win by three points over Smith (BNR), who took second. Kevin Trantham, who tallied 12 wins in a row in his 4x4 Lites championship run, also made the 4x4 podium.
"My Can-Am Renegade 800 X xc performed its very best today at final round of GNCC," Swift said. "We claimed our sixth national championship. I would like to thank BRP and all my 2013 sponsors for a great season of racing."
Outlander 800R and 4x4 Open class champion Bryan Buckhannon (ATV Parts Plus/Can-Am) completed his perfect season, winning all 13 races this year. During his podium presentation, Buckhannon announced he would no longer compete full time on an ATV.
"Winning every round this season really shows the reliability of the Can-Am and I couldn't thank my mechanic, Charlie Johnson, enough," said Buckhannon. "I'm super excited about committing myself 100 percent to racing the Maverick next year."
Senior 4x4 (40+) Can-Am racer Forrest Whorton piloted his Outlander 4x4 to second place at Ironman to earn the class championship. Can-Am pilot Terry Whiteside won the class. Cory Bartlett, who was racing a Can-Am for the first time, won the 4x4 Novice class.
PURE 400
Murray Racing/Can-Am Commander 1000 X pilot Logan Gastel won the SxS Pro Production class and took second in the SxS overall at the DWT Pure 400 held in California City, CA, to earn the 2013 championship. Gastel was joined on the podium by Murray Racing/Can-Am racer Aaron Juarez, who took second.
The Pure 400 consisted of two separate 200-mile races and offered three SxS classes. Gastel finished third in his class during the first 200-mile session and trailed Juarez and another racer going into the second session. However, Gastel won the second session and edged Juarez by three points, 193-190, for the class victory. His win, and four other podium finishes, propelled Gastel to the Pro Production class title.
"We have managed to come out on top in points with our 2012 Can-Am Commander," Gastel said. "It has been a long, tough-fought series for my team. For the 2014 Pure series, I would like to return to defend our title in our new Can-Am Maverick."
For more information on Can-Am racing, the '13 contingency program and Can-Am DS 450 ATV amateur racer support program, visit www.can-amxteam.com.
