Can-Am Racers Sweep 4×4 Class at Big Buck GNCC

Can-Am ATV and side-by-side racers posted wins and podium finishes in the 2014 AMSOIL AMA Grand National Cross Country series in South Carolina, the World Off-Road Championship Series in Utah, the Texas Off-Road Nationals in Crafton, Texas, and In the New England ATV Motocross Opener in Wallkill, N.Y. The wins included podium sweeps in the NEATV-MX Pro and Pro-Am classes and another 1-2-3 finish in the GNCC 4×4 Pro class.

“It was a rewarding weekend, earning big wins and numerous podiums in GNCC, NEATV-MX, TORN and WORCS,” says Jeff Leclerc, Racing Project Leader, Can-Am. “This successful weekend verifies Can-Am offers a diverse, competitive line of off-road vehicles and has a team of resolute racers piloting them.”

GNCC round four was held at a fast, tight and dusty Big Buck course outside of Union, S.C. Can-Am 4×4 ATV racers earned an impressive 11 of 12 total podium finishes and three class sweeps. Big Buck belonged to Can-Am Renegade 800R X xc X-Team racer Jordan Phillips, who got his second victory of the year and took third on the 10 a.m. overall podium. Kevin Trantham (Can-Am X-Team) and ATV Parts Plus / Can-Am racer Bryan Buckhannon joined him on the box. Phillips’ moved to within one point of Trantham for the class points lead, with Buckhannon in third. BNR Motorsports / Can-Am racer Rob Smith was fourth at round four. Can-Am ATV racers won the three other 4×4 classes at Big Buck. Securing wins were Tanner Bowles (4×4 A/B), Terry Whiteside (4×4 Senior 40+) and Brent Tindall (4×4 C).

“It was great to get my second win of the year. My Can-Am pulled the holeshot and from there I just tried to stay out front,” says Phillips. “My Renegade ran awesome and everything worked so well. Kevin Trantham and I had a bit of a battle going on towards the end and swapped back and forth a couple of times, but I was able to hang on and take the win.”

Big Buck also hosted round two of the GNCC SxS Championship Series. Chaney Racing / Turnkey UTV / Can-Am Maverick 1000R pilot Kyle Chaney earned second in the XC1 Modified class. Mixing it up with 32 other drivers, Chaney was seventh after the first lap, but pushed hard to earn second during the five-lap feature. Buckhannon was fifth in the XC1 Modified class, edging Team Game On / Can-Am pilot Matt Rowell.

“The track was pretty fast and we really had to take some chances to pass, but we made it work. Our Can-Am had the power and took everything we gave it out there. The way the Maverick corners and handles, it really was amazing,” says Chaney.

The XC2 Limited ranks had 26 entries. Marcus Pratt drove his Jack’s Excavating / Can-Am Maverick 1000R to an impressive second-place finish. He led for three laps and earned his first podium with Can-Am. Can-Am racers Tim’s Towing (sixth), Tigercat Racing (seventh) and ExtremeTec Racing (10th) rounded out the top 10.

GPS / JRi / Can-Am DS 450 Pro Dillon Zimmerman put in a third-place podium finish in the ATV Pro class at round four of WORCS held at sandy, rough-and-rocky Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, Utah. Zimmerman, in second for much of the race, earned his second third-place podium run of 2014. Murray Racing / Can-Am Maverick 1000R pilot Dave Martinez took 12th in the SxS Pro class.

“My quad was working great and handling well with my JRi suspension. The Rotax motor had so much power and got me through the race and on the podium,” says Zimmerman.

Can-Am Pros Joel Hetrick (JB Racing / Elka / DWT), Josh Creamer (BCS Performance) and Keven Vachon swept the Pro Class at the NEATV-MX Opener at Walden MX in New York. Hetrick, Creamer and DS 450 pilot Mathieu Deroy also provided a Pro-Am class sweep.

“My Can-Am was running awesome. I’m super happy to get out here and compete against other fast racers and get some seat time. Winning was good too,” says Hetrick.

Lewis Powersports / Can-Am racers Hunter and Cody Miller earned two podium finishes each at round three of TORN in Texas. Hunter won the nine-lap ATV Pro class by four seconds over Cody. Hunter took second, and Cody third, in the UTV Expert class with their Maverick 1000R side-by-side vehicles. Hunter is the points leader in both classes.