Can-Am Race Report: Snowshoe GNCC, MAXC Big Nasty

Can-Am Renegade 800R X xc racer Rob Smith won the U2 class and earned his first career 10 a.m. morning overall at round nine of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series in Snowshoe, W.Va. Fellow U2 class competitor and Renegade pilot Michael Swift joined Smith on the overall podium, 4×4 overall podium and U2 class podiums at the Snowshoe GNCC.

Can-Am ATV racers also won the other four 4×4 classes at round nine and Bryan Buckhannon extended his 4×4 Open class winning streak to nine races. At the first side-by-side event in the AMA Mid America Cross Country Championship Series, Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs racer Matt Rowell won the UTV Modified class in Nashville, Ind.

“Can-Am ATV racers again dominated the morning session, winning all five 4×4 classes in spite of the wet, muddy and rugged conditions at the Snowshoe GNCC. Rob Smith and Michael Swift had a great battle for the top spot on the overall morning podium, the U2 class win and class points lead. We have several Can-Am racers who have good control of their class points lead heading into the GNCC summer break,” says Jimmie O’Dell, race manager, Can-Am. “Matt Rowell won his first race in the Maverick 1000R X rs in the MAXC series, proving the flagship Can-Am Maverick 1000R is truly a race-ready side-by-side.”

The ninth round of the AMSOIL GNCC series was held Saturday, June 29, atop Snowshoe Mountain at an altitude of 4,242 feet. Known as “America’s Toughest Race”, once again, the 4×4 machines shined again this year in the wet-and-rugged mountain conditions with Can-Am machines sweeping the top two spots on the morning podium.

The highlight of the Snowshoe GNCC for the Can-Am racers was the battle between U2 class competitors and Renegade 800R X xc racers Rob Smith and Michael Swift. Smith (BNR / Can-Am) outraced Swift for the U2 class win and in the process secured not only the 10 a.m. morning overall, but also the class points lead. Swift settled for a very-close second place on the morning overall podium. Swift (Team UXC Racing / Can-Am), who has five victories this year, trails Smith by just four points heading into round 10.

“My Renegade worked amazing. That quad is like a tank. I am on the newer 2012 quad and it’s just flawless,” says Smith, who recorded his first-ever GNCC morning overall. “It’s really nice to have the U2 points lead heading into summer break. I have been working harder than ever before and really want to earn the championship.”

In the 4×4 Open ranks, ATV Parts Plus / Can-Am Outlander™ 800R 4×4 racer Bryan Buckhannon won the class at Snowshoe to maintain his perfect season in 2013. Can-Am Outlander Sam Williams (JB Off-Road / ITP) took second ahead of Can-Am racer Tanner Bowles. Kevin Trantham, the 4×4 Lites class defending champion, and 4×4 Senior 40+ class points leader Forrest Whorton each won their class and have winning streaks of eight and four races, respectively. Can-Am ATV racer Ryan Smith took his fourth 4×4 Novice class win and is the points leader going into the GNCC summer break.

GNCC racing resumes Sept. 7, with round 10, the Can-Am Unadilla in New Berlin, N.Y.

Southern Indiana features rolling hills and is an ideal location for the MAXC racing series. The first round of the SxS series, the Big Nasty Cross Country race presented by Lucas Oil & Red Bull, was held at what was once known as Ski World Resort, which shut down in 2004. According to the MAXC release, the side-by-side vehicles lined up to do battle Friday evening with a $2,000 purse on the line. SxS vehicles were faced with competing in two motos and six total laps over the two-mile course.

NightKrawler Kustoms’ Matt Rowell, who used to compete in a Can-Am Commander side-by-side, recently purchased a Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs to race the MAXC SxS series. In his first race behind the wheel of the Can-Am, Rowell swept both motos on his way to winning the UTV Modified class at round one of the MAXC SxS series.