Ontario, Calif. - Team ITP racers competed in three different racing events recently, coming away with overall victories at each event. The Can-Am/ITP/Murray Racing team won the Class 19 overall at the inaugural SCORE International Imperial Valley 250 in Plaster City, CA. ITP-backed ATV racers earned three class victories and 10 podiums at round five of the Amsoil Grand National Cross Country series in Springville, IN. Polaris side-by-side racer Chris Umphrey won the Windrock Wide Open UTV Race in Oliver Springs, TN.
"The Murray Racing team of Derek and Jason Murray put it an outstanding effort, despite a challenging course, to win the UTV Pro class at the first SCORE Imperial Valley 250 race using our super-reliable, 30-inch ITP Ultra Cross tires," said Ryan Edwards, ITP tech support representative/West Coast race coordinator.
SCORE - IV 250
Round two of the SCORE International series was held on U.S. soil for the first time in many years. The event was held outside of Plaster City, CA, and featured rough conditions, dust and numerous virtual checkpoints to keep the racers busy and challenged. Ten side-by-side vehicles entered the Class 19 (Pro UTV) division. Team Can-Am/ITP/Murray Racing came away with an impressive win, despite not leading the race until near the latter portion of lap two. The Murrays outfitted their side-by-side with the proven 30-inch ITP Ultra Cross tires and, despite many difficult rocky sections, ended the race without a flat.
"It was some of the roughest terrain we have run in quite some time. The Can-Am ran perfect and we didn't have one flat or tire issue," said Derek Murray. "It was a very challenging race with many virtual check points, but we stuck to our strategy to run at a steady pace with the main goal being to finish the race. However, we found an opportunity to take the lead and were thrilled to come away with the victory."
The victory put the Murrays, who took second at round one, in a tie for the class points standings after two rounds of racing. The team's next race is the Best In The Desert Silver State 300, prior to suiting up for the Baja 500 and round three of the SCORE International series.
GNCC - Round 5
Round five the GNCC series was held Saturday, April 26, in nearly ideal conditions at the Lawrence County Recreation Facility in Springville, IN. Team ITP racers competed in all three racing sessions, 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The team came away with three overall class wins and a total of 10 class podiums.
"Overall, the Limestone 100 GNCC went pretty well, earning three wins, 10 total podiums and second overall in the youth session. Some of racers were hit by some bad luck this round, but we'll be back and aiming for the top spot again at round six," said Pat McGuire, Public Relations/Race Support.
ITP racer Dave Simmons put his Yamaha clad with ITP Holeshot GNCC tires on top of Super Senior (40+) class podium. Simmons, the defending class champion, has won three of the four races he's entered in 2014. He also posted another top 10 overall finish during the 10 a.m. session. Two other 10 a.m. racers won their classes as well. Kenneth Rich Jr. notched his first victory in the Junior 30+ C division with an impressive last-lap run. After completing lap one as the leader, he fell to second place for the next two laps before rallying to take the lead and the eventual win. Dale Batson took home the top finishing spot in the 35+ C class aboard his ITP-equipped Suzuki. After his second straight class win, Batson now has three podium finishes out of the four races he's entered and is currently third in the class standings.
Other podiums in the 10 a.m. session were earned by Masters 50+ class points leader Kenn Rich Sr., WXC racer Angel Knox, Women's Amateur (13+) class rider Kelley Deloach and GNCC veteran Glenn McConnell in the 4x4 Senior (40+) division. Rich Sr. saw his perfect season upended in Indiana, but his third-place finish was more than enough to keep him out front in the points race. Knox, a former Women's class champion, earned third in the WXC class to take over the points lead. She now has two wins and four podiums in five rounds of racing on ITP tires. Deloach continued her streak of podium finishes with a second-place run aboard her KTM at the Limestone 100. She's the current class points leader heading into round six. In just his second race back this year, McConnell put his Can-Am 4x4 on the 4x4 Senior (40+) box, earning third place.
XC2 Pro-Am class racer Kevin Cunningham, racing on ITP Quad Cross XC tires, finished third in his class and 11th overall in his first race of the year. Justin Paul, who has four podiums this year, took second in the Junior B (22+) class on ITP tires and is currently third in the class point standings. ITP's Greg Covert just missed a podium, as he earned fourth in the College A (16-21) class in Indiana. Kristian Meyer scored a top 10 finish (eighth) in the same class.
The early morning youth session saw Team ITP's Carter Kerens take second in the 90 Open (12-15) class and second overall. He was well on his way to the overall victory before a mechanical breakdown within the final mile forced him to dismount and push his ATV across the finish line for second overall. Jordan Digby earned ninth in the 125 Sr. (12-15) class.
WWO Race
Chris Umphrey piloted his Polaris side-by-side, shod with Black Water Evolution tires, to the overall win at the Windrock Wide Open UTV Race held as part of the Windrock Spring Jamboree at Windrock Park in Tennessee. The mountainside course featured sharp-edged rocks and dry, dusty conditions, but Umphrey utilized the Black Water Evolution tires to dominate the field. After grabbing the holeshot, he pulled away from the competition for a dominant overall victory. For more on the event and Windrock Park, visit www.windrockpark.com.
