Can-Am X-Team ATV and side-by-side vehicle racers swept both the 4×4 Pro and UTV XC1 Pro class podiums at the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) race held in Union, S.C. Can-Am also scored two podium finishes this past weekend in the Lucas Oil Regional Racing Series in Arizona.
“Defending national champions Bryan Buckhannon, on the Renegade, and Maverick 1000R racer Kyle Chaney, did not disappoint in South Carolina, earning significant victories in their chase to repeat,” said Jeff Leclerc, Racing Project Leader, Can-Am. “Buckhannon regained the class points lead and Chaney is now second overall to Can-Am Maverick pilot Treavis Poynter in the UTV XC1 Pro class standings. In fact, Can-Am racers own the points lead in several classes with four rounds in the books, so we’re off to a good start in 2015.”
Chaney, 2014 GNCC UTV XC1 Pro class champion, notched his first victory of 2015, after posting three wins last year. Chaney was joined on the box by Can-Am Maverick / Offroad Motorsports racer Treavis Poynter and Can-Am / JB Racing / Houser Racing pilot Larry Hendershot, Jr. The three Ohio-based racers battled in the top three positions all afternoon at Big Buck, with Poynter leading all but the final lap. On a narrow course, heavily crowded with lappers, Chaney found his way around Poynter on the final lap to earn his first win.
“The Big Buck track was very hard to pass on. We did not get a real good holeshot, but by the end of the first lap I had worked up to second overall behind Treavis Poynter,” said Chaney. “I knew if I stayed steady and did not make any mistakes in the first few laps we could finish strong. Coming into the last lap we were down by 6 seconds. We both hit lappers on the last lap and I knew it was going to be a very close finish. We won by just under 2 seconds. Way to go Can-Am for a UTV Pro class podium sweep.”
Poynter ended up second, but, when paired with his first-place finish at round one of the UTV series, he currently owns a 13-point lead going into the next round. HendershotÂ’s first podium of 2015 moved him to fourth in the class standings.
Can-Am Maverick 1000R racers also own the UTV XC2 Pro Sport class points lead after the VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC event. Can-Am / Jack’s Excavating driver Joe Krcelich finished fourth, but won round one and currently has a four-point cushion over Maverick racer Dave Plavi, who earned a third-place finish in South Carolina. Rich Travalena Jr., competing in the Amateur Limited class for Can-Am, notched his first victory and second podium of the year to climb to within one point of the class leader.
In 4×4 ATV action, Buckhannon convinced all competitors that he is out to replicate last year’s impressive title run, with a stellar wire-to-wire victory aboard his Can-Am Renegade 800R X xc.
Two other Renegade racers in Jordan Phillips and Zac Zakowski earned their first podiums of the season, finishing second and third, respectively, to complete the Big Buck podium sweep. Buckhannon has a nine-point lead heading into round five.
“My Can-Am Renegade pulled hard the entire race,” said Buckhannon. “The track was perfect and let the riders ride. At the end of the day, I am thrilled to come away with first place and the 4×4 Pro class points lead.”
Can-Am 4×4 racers also notched two other class wins and six total podium finishes. Forrest Whorton won the 4×4 Senior (40+) class, while Matthew Ewart took the 4×4 C class victory.
