Can-Am Maverick X3 Wins Vegas to Reno Race

Lucas Cooney
by Lucas Cooney
Victory in race debut for new Maverick X3


Can-Am / Murray Racing pilot Jason Murray piloted the brand new Maverick X3 side-by-side vehicle to the UTV Unlimited Pro class victory at the 2016 Best In The Desert Vegas To Reno race in Las Vegas, Nev. The all-new, bold Can-Am Maverick X3 X rs Turbo R side-by-side vehicle won its debut race just four short days after its worldwide unveiling in Orlando, Fla.

“It’s impressive to earn such a defining victory in our first official race with the new Maverick X3. The Murray Racing team was outstanding in the Nevada desert and their class victories continue to prove Can-Am is a clear leader in performance side-by-side vehicles,” said Jeff Leclerc, Racing Project Leader, Can-Am. “Our BITD racing teams started with the most race-ready platform in history, with the Can-Am Maverick X3. Although they added the necessary safety and racing equipment, the new X3 race builds remained mostly stock.”

Murray Racing Podium

Murray Racing put their No. 2927 Can-Am Maverick X3 X rs Turbo R side-by-side on the BITD podium with a UTV Unlimited Pro class victory.

The Murray Racing brothers Jason and Derek Murray competed in two different classes in two different Can-Am Maverick turbo vehicles. Jason Murray drove the No. 2927 Can-Am Maverick X3, while his brother Derek piloted the No. 917 Maverick MAX Turbo. Jason earned a statement-making victory with the all-new Can-Am Maverick X3 side-by-side vehicle in its first official race. Derek drove his Maverick to victory in the Turbo Pro Production class and a third-place overall amongst all UTV classes. The Can-Am / Murray Racing teams outlasted 60-some other entrants and 650 miles of brutal desert terrain to stand atop the podium in two separate classes at the Vegas To Reno race, which BITD calls “the longest off-road race in the United States.”

Murray Maverick MAX

The Murrays also won the Turbo Pro Production class and took third-place overall amongst all UTVs with their No. 917 Can-Am Maverick MAX Turbo unit.

“The new Maverick X3 side-by-side vehicle is simply amazing and the closest thing to a race-ready vehicle from a major manufacturer,” said Jason Murray, after his BITD win. “We are so excited to have finished Vegas to Reno after 650 miles in the new Can-Am Off-Road Maverick X3 in its first race. To top that off, we scored two huge first-in-class victories.”

The Murray brothers lightly modified their Maverick X3 X rs vehicle with a Lonestar Racing cage, doors and bumpers and necessary safety equipment required by the BITD. S3 Racing, Dustin Jones and Shane Dowden, also competed in the BITD race. They added an S3 cage, doors and bumpers and the required safety equipment. However, both of the Maverick X3 racing vehicles remained mostly stock by using the factory-equipped driveline, FOX shocks, suspension arms, 154-hp Rotax ACE triple-cylinder engine, QRS-X CVT, steering componentry and differentials.

S3 Racing Maverick X3

The S3 Racing / Can-Am team of Dustin Jones and Shane Dowden also competed in the Vegas To Reno Best In The Desert race with their stunning, turbocharged Can-Am Maverick X3 side-by-side vehicle.

Lucas Cooney
Lucas Cooney

I have been working exclusively in digital media since 1997. I started out with TSN.ca, spending nearly nine years creating and editing content on Canada's leading sports website. I left to join VerticalScope, Inc., one of the world's largest online publishers, to start a number of powersports publications. While at VerticalScope, I've helped create and oversee content for a wide variety of different publications, including ATV.com, Off-Road.com, ArcheryTalk.com, Tractor.com, RVGuide.com, and many more.

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