Can-Am Renegade 800R X xc racer Michael Swift earned the third spot on the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series overall morning podium and won the U2 class at round eight in West Virginia. Swift led the way, as Can-Am racers won all five GNCC morning 4×4 classes and took all 15 podium positions at the Mountaineer Run.
The Masontown, West Virginia, facility also hosted round four of the GNCC SxS series, and Can-Am side-by-side pilots earned a total of four podiums in three different classes. Can-Am racers also competed in both the Canadian Quad Cross series and Texas Off-Road Nationals with good results.
“Our Can-Am ATV racers convincingly took wins in all five of the GNCC 4×4 classes. I was thrilled to see Michael Swift put his Team UXC Racing / Can-Am Renegade on the overall morning podium and to have Bryan Buckhannon extend his perfect season in the 4×4 Open class,” said Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “Can-Am racers earned a total of 20 podium finishes at The Mountaineer, which is definitely a good trend heading into round nine, right before the GNCC summer break.”
The Mountaineer Run course greeted ATV and side-by-side racers with rocks, steep hills and muddy sections. Can-Am Outlander and Renegade ATV racers dominated the morning racing, winning the five 4×4 classes and consuming all 15 podium positions. Swift, winner of five of the last six rounds, was the top finishing Can-Am racer.
The Team UXC Racing / Can-Am Renegade rider won the U2 class and also earned third on the overall morning podium. Swift edged current class points leader and fellow Can-Am Renegade pilot Rob Smith. Jordan Phillips joined them on the class podium. Swift also drove his Team UXC Racing / Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs side-by-side to a third-place podium finish in the UTV XC2 Limited class.
“The U2 class was a battle till the end. My Renegade worked awesome and I out motored everyone in my class,” said Swift. “The Maverick was great. The UTV track was crazy. The rocks were huge and you really had to watch your machine.”
Bryan Buckhannon (ATV Parts Plus / Can-Am) continued his perfect season, winning the 4×4 Open class. The Reigning 4×4 Open class champion is now 8-for-8 on the year with his Can-Am Outlander 800R. Can-Am racers Sam Williams and Tanner Bowles also made the 4×4 Open class podium. Buckhannon also placed a very respectable fourth place overall in the XC1 Modified class with his Can-Am Maverick side-by-side.
Defending 4×4 Lites class champion Kevin Trantham extended his class points lead by winning his seventh straight race. The Can-Am Outlander 500 DPS racer took fifth overall on the morning podium and also earned third on the overall 4×4 podium at round eight. Can-Am racers Andrew Langston and Scott Day rounded out the 4×4 Lites class podium.
Forrest Whorton finished ahead of fellow Can-Am Outlander racers Jerry Roberts and David Jessee to win the 4×4 Senior (40+) class at The Mountaineer Run GNCC. The 4×4 Novice Class podium was also swept by Can-Am racers, as Ryan Smith edged Brent Tindall and Brian Lengvarsky to regain the class points lead. Can-Am racer Dustin Pigott also took third in the Sportsman A/B class in West Virginia. JB Off-Road / Can-AM DS 450 Pro Jarrod McClure notched his best finish of the year, earning fourth overall in the XC1 ATV Pro class.
In round four of the GNCC SxS series, Can-Am pilots earned four total class podium finishes. Along with Swift in the XC2 Limited class, Team Travalena finished second in the XC3 Lites class with a Commander side-by-side. Two Can-Am race teams reached the UTV Novice Limited class podium as Team Burkey edged the Extremetec Team for second place.
Other Can-Am Racing News
Competing in other race series in North America, Can-Am racers earned several victories and podiums. At the rain-soaked Quad Cross MX in Franklin, Quebec, Canada, Can-Am X-Team driver Charles Antoine Villeneuve earned the first SxS victory ever in the QC series, winning the SxS 900-1000 class with his Maverick 1000R X rs. Can-Am X-Team DS 450 racers Keven Vachon and Matheiu Deroy finished 1-2 in the Pro ATV class.
In the TORN off-road series races in Bulcher, Texas, Hunter Miller (Louis Powersports / Can-Am) won the Open Expert ATV class on his DS 450 and took second in the SxS Expert class with his Maverick 1000R X rs. Can-Am X-Team racer Cody Miller finished third in the Open Expert ATV class. Chris Robinson won the Utility class on his Renegade ATV at the Red River Trails course. Can-Am ATV racers Scott Dunn (30+ A), Lott Blackman (30+ C), Keith James (Utility) and Cain Shaw (Pee Wee C) all finished second in their respective classes.
For more information on Can-Am racing, the 2013 schedule, contingency program and Can-Am DS 450 ATV amateur racer support program, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.
