Valcourt, Québec – The Can-Am X-Team kicked off 2016 with a podium sweep in the UTV Turbo class at the Best In The Desert THR Motorsports Parker 250 opener in Arizona. The Can-Am/S3 Racing team of Dustin Jones and Shane Dowden won the class. Logan Gastel and Murray Racing also finished on the Turbo class podium, earning second and third, respectively. Can-Am ATV racer Chris Robinson also posted a class victory in the Expert Ironman (ATV) class.
“Our Maverick 1000R Turbo race teams started off the year with great success at the BITD opener and made a clear statement that Can-Am is a force to be reckoned with this year,” said Jeff Leclerc, Racing Project Leader, Can-Am. “Our Can-Am racers—no matter the class—are determined to win BITD championships and this is exceptional start to a long season and a perfect way to highlight the capabilities of our off-road vehicles.”
Round one of the BITD schedule, the Parker 250, stopped in Parker, AZ. The new season also brought a new class, the all-new UTV Turbo (Pro Turbo Production) class. Can-Am had several teams competing in several classes at the opener, as the Maverick side-by-side vehicle count continues to rise.
S3 Racing finished with a two-lap time of 3:13:51.737 to win the class. The team had to overcome a few issues to reach the finish and notch its second straight class victory in the BITD side-by-side series.
“It was a tough day against some really fast guys. After some troubles and help from our amazing crew, Shane and I were able to battle back to the front to take the victory,” said Jones on his Facebook page.
Gastel (Rugged Radios/Racer Tech) and co-pilot Josh Lucero finished a little more than a minute behind the S3/Can-Am team to take the runner-up spot and third place on the overall podium. The No. 1917 Can-Am/ITP/Murray Racing Maverick MAX Turbo of Derek Murray, Jason Murray and Monty Aldrich scored the third place UTV Turbo class podium position with its two-lap time of 3:16:12.287, which was less than a minute behind Gastel.
Robinson, representing S3 Racing/Can-Am and riding solo, put his Renegade 1000 X xc atop the Expert Ironman ATV class. His two-lap time of 3:30:47.884 made him the top ATV finisher and secured seventh overall in the entire Motorcycle and Quad Ironman division. Also, the Dynamic Airways/Jet MidWest-backed Can-Am Maverick of pilot Jason Farrell and co-pilot Anthony Perez finished second in the Unlimited class and 16th overall.
