#UtvRacing

After 14 days and 5,000 miles of racing, a pair of Xtreme+ Polaris RZR XPs finished at the top of the UTV class at the Dakar Rally.

Willy Alcarz finished 40th overall, winning both the T3 (UTV) at the SOLO Car classes, while Nicolas Duclos and Sébastien Delaunay teamed up to finish 56th overall and second in the T3 class. All told, 449 vehicles started the grueling Dakar Rally and 299 finished, including motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, cars, and trucks.

This was Alcarz’s second time winning the T3 class solo in his RZR XP, while Duclos and Delaunay earned the “Best Rookies 2013” title.

BRP has stepped up its off-road racing efforts for 2013 with a massive team racers set to pilot Can-Am ATVs and UTVs this year. BRP has added more racing circuits and expanded its UTV racing support to include the new Can-Am Maverick 1000R.

“We have a dedicated and talented group of racers and teams competing under the Can-Am banner for the 2013 racing season. I’m thrilled to have the all-new Can-Am Maverick 1000R in the mix and to have some of our experienced racers pilot the industry’s most invigorating side-by-side vehicle,” says Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “We will compete on Can-Am ATV and side-by-side vehicles across the U.S. and Canada and we’re fully determined to compete for championships in every racing series we enter.”

The GBC Motorsports Heartland Challenge features three different endurance races throughout the three-day gathering of ATV and UTV enthusiasts. The adult ATV Challenge features a 10-hour race in which 14 classes compete simultaneously. The winning Pro Class team will be awarded $6,000 while the Pro-Am winners will receive $3,000. Top honors in the Pro Utility Ironman class will earn the winning rider $2,500, while the Ironman class winner will get $1,500. Other class winners will be awarded $500.

The Heartland Challenge also features a four-hour Side-by-Side UTV race for adults, with $1,000 awards for each of the UTV classes.

UTVs compete for one hour on a specially designed course throughout the woods at select GNCC events during the season. UTV competition begins at 4:30 p.m., following the ATV racing program on Saturday afternoon.

“The 2012 UTV schedule is fairly similar to what we ran last season,” says GNCC Trail Boss, Jeff Russell. “By adding the new West Virginia round and John Penton, the UTV schedule is evenly spread throughout the GNCC season and gives competitors time in between rounds to prepare their machines.”

Can-Am off-road racing teams posted class victories in two different desert racing events. Derek Murray piloted the Murray Motorsports’ Can-Am Commander 1000 to victory at the Henderson 250 in the Best in the Desert series in Nevada. The four-man team of Carl Vella, Mike Penland, Rick Matteson and Ryan Robey teamed to ride a Can-Am Outlander 800R ATV to a class win at the 44th Annual 2011 SCORE Baja 1000 desert race in Ensenada, Mexico.

At the BITD event in Henderson, Nev., Derek Murray drove and Bill Kugel co-piloted the Can-Am due to Jason Murray, the driver of record, being ill. Even without his brother by his side, Derek Murray was determined to win. The Commander 1000, prepped by Desert Toyz, started in seventh place, but slowly worked its way to the front of the side-by-side vehicle pack. Three miles into the third lap, the team took over the lead and drove a clean, fast race from there to the finish line to record its first overall win of 2011. The Murray Commander team ended the BITD season ranked third in the final Pro UTV class standings.

“We are extremely happy to have won the Henderson 250 as it is the final race of the season and determines the outcome for the season due to it being a double points race,” says Derek Murray. “We knew all season the Commander had what it takes to be a top competitor in the most competitive desert racing series in the USA. We’re excited that what we knew finally came to fruition in Henderson. It shows that the Commander is a great, reliable and fast machine that’s able to be modified to any rider’s needs.”

Kane Fraser, a paraplegic, decided to take on the 2011 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in a Polaris RZR XP 900.

“This was our first Baja 1000, our first time racing, and for me my first time racing in any sport ever,” says Fraser.

A first timer’s experience at Baja is hardly ever smooth and Fraser did run into a few issues. His team would add over 100 miles to their total mileage after a wrong turn, and in turn would add hundreds of followers as they headed towards their ceremonial finish at 2am Sunday morning, 36 hours after the start Friday afternoon.

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“We wanted to finish, we didn’t care, nothing would stop us. We kept going and did finish! We were a little bug eyed, but we finished,” says Heino Seibert from Spectra Power Sports, Fraser’s co-driver.

Muzzy’s Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Robert Van Beekum piloted his Kawasaki Teryx to back-to-back wins at Rounds 13 and 14 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nev. Funco Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chad George scored two-consecutive podiums over the weekend with a 3-3 result. Kawasaki driver Tyler Winbury finished fourth both days of the two-day race weekend.

On Saturday, Van Beekum rolled his Teryx onto the track and quickly set the tone for the weekend laying down the fastest lap time in the UTV Unlimited class. In the main, he gapped the field by almost half of the track before taking the checkers. On Sunday, Van Beekum set the fastest time in qualifying before going on to take his second-consecutive win of the weekend.

Josh Frederick picked up the win and now sits in a tie for first in the WORCS standings.

Motoworks / Can-Am DS 450 racer Josh Frederick won round eight of the 2011 World Off-Road Championship Series, held in Race Town 395 in Adelanto, Calif. Frederick is now tied with his teammate Jeremie Warnia, who finished third, for the Pro championship points lead with only one round remaining.

“Josh showed a lot of poise and determination to come from behind and notch his third win of 2011. He has really put in a late charge, winning three of the last five rounds aboard his Can-Am DS 450, in his attempt to repeat as WORCS champion,” says Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “I’m proud of how well both Josh and Jeremie have ridden this year and at the Adelanto event as they each held the lead prior to Josh earning the win. We as a team, are in a great position and hope to see one of these two very talented and determined Can-Am racers holding up that championship trophy in three weeks at the WORCS finale.”

Matt Parks started the weekend seven points out of the lead in the Best In The Desert race series. He needed a win at the Bluewater Desert Challenge to remain in contention with only one more race on the schedule. The Challenge is a two-day event – three laps of the 25-mile desert course both Saturday and Sunday. Driving his “Baja Bobsled,” a custom 2-seat Polaris RZR 4 built by Holz Racing Products, Matt and his co-pilots, Jason Spiess (Saturday) and Mike Carr (Sunday), raced aggressively through the dust.

“The Kroyer built RZR 800 engine ran flawlessly both days,” says Matt. “It was really put to the test in the deep sand and silt.”

Parks finished second on Saturday, 1:35 behind the first-place UTV Pro – the Jagged X Ranger RZR XP 900. Like Saturday, the 15-UTV field started behind Jeep Speed and Baja Bug Classes. Jagged X had a strong start off the line and Parks chased him through the pack of Jeeps and Bugs that started ahead.

For those who don’t know, TerraCross sees both ATV and UTV racers challenged like almost never before with gnarly rock crossings, nasty log sections, deep mud and just about anything else you can think of.

A series of teaser videos is being released for an upcoming TV test pilot based on TerraCross racing and we’ve got two of them for you to see right here.

Racer TV is expanding in 2011, creating a year-long program block combining coverage of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC), the ATVMX National Championship Presented by DWT, the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship Presented by Amsoil from Loretta Lynn Ranch, and the ISOC Amsoil Championship Snocross Series. Racer TV will now feature 52 straight weeks of powersports programming, beginning on Sun., April 17, 2011 on VERSUS.

“Combining properties from four different racing series helps leverage us to an even bigger audience,” says Carrie Coombs, manager of Racer TV. “We’ve increased the episodes and exposure for GNCC, ATV motocross and Loretta’s, as well as the ISOC Snocross series. And the 52-week format means fans can tune in every Sunday and catch great racing.”