Can-Am ATV
and side-by-side racers notched several class overall wins the weekend of May
17-19 in
both the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country series and the 12 Hours of La
Tuque in Quebec.
The Can-Am X-Team trio of Mathieu Deroy, Kevin Vachon and Bobby Desjardins rode
their Can-Am DS 450 to the overall win in the General ATV class in La Tuque. Can-Am
Maverick 1000R pilot Yani Desjardins won the two-hour side-by-side portion of
the endurance event.
In Springville, IN,
four Can-Am 4x4 racers, led by defending 4x4 Lites class champion Kevin
Trantham, won their classes at the 2013 running of the Limestone 100 GNCC race.
"This was
the best weekend for Can-Am at the 12 Hours of La Tuque, with victories in
General, Amateur, Ironman and Side-By-Side classes," said Can-Am race manager
Jimmie O'Dell. "Many BRP departments were involved in this effort and it paid
off with four overall wins, a three-peat for the DS 450 ATV in the General
class and a successful debut of the Maverick 1000R side-by-side vehicle. Our
Can-Am ATV racers competing in the GNCC series once again excelled in the
morning session, winning four class overalls. Kevin Trantham's third-place
finish on the overall morning podium was a nice accomplishment."
12 Hours of La Tuque
Known as
the biggest off-road event in Canada, the 12 Hours of La Tuque saw Can-Am
racing post its most successful weekend in history, winning a total of four
classes, including the prestigious General ATV session, and tallying seven of
the top 15 places in the ATV portion of the international endurance event.
In near
perfect weather Saturday, May 18, the Can-Am X-team of Deroy, Vachon and Bobby Desjardins
finished second in the morning qualifier, which aided them during the
Lemans-style start. After a good start, the team stayed consistent throughout
the 12-hour event, which consisted of three four-hour sessions. The Can-Am
X-Team won all three sessions to earn the overall and extend the DS 450 ATV's General
class win streak to three.
The SxS
class didn't compete for all 12 hours like the ATVs, but faced two hour-long
sessions spread over two days. Yani Desjardins, who consistently posted the
fastest lap times, piloted his Maverick 1000R to the overall win, a first for
the new Can-Am side-by-side vehicle. Martin Horik finished second in his
Maverick 1000R.
Another
Can-Am DS 450 team won the Amateur ATV class and finished sixth overall. Can-Am
ATV racers also swept the Ironman class podium, highlighted by top performer Martin
Lafontaine, who rode his Les Equipments Beaver-sponsored Can-Am DS 450 to victory.
GNCC - Limestone 100
Can-Am 4x4 racers once again earned numerous podiums and
four class wins in near perfect conditions at round six of the GNCC series in
Springville, IN. Trantham, the reigning 4x4 Lites class champion, won the 4x4 Lites
class for the fifth straight time and earned third on the morning overall
podium at the second annual Limestone 100. He won by almost six minutes over Can-Am
rider Andrew Langston. Can-Am pilot Scott Day was third in the class.
Defending 4x4 Open class champion Bryan Buckhannon extended
his winning streak to six races with a victory in Indiana. He was joined on the podium by fellow
Can-Am pilots Sam Williams and Tanner Bowles. Buckhannon has won 16 of the last
20 4x4 Open class races.
"My Can-Am
Outlander was a hundred percent perfect," said Buckhannon. "It was fun to kind
of have an old-school race with Michael Swift. We went back and forth ... It
was honestly the most fun I've had racing this year."
Swift, winner of four straight events, won the U2 class
on his Team UXC Racing/Can-Am Renegade 800R X xc. He joined Buckhannon and
Trantham on the 4x4 morning podium. Renegade racer Rob Smith, the current U2
class points leader, finished second ahead of Jordan Phillips, who also rode a
Can-Am. Another 4x4 class victory went to 4x4 Senior (40+) class racer Forrest
Whorton riding a Team UXC Racing-supported Can-Am Outlander ATV. Can-Am racers Jerry
Roberts and Mike Penland joined Whorton on the podium.
Jarrod McClure (JB Racing/Can-Am) finished fifth in the
XC1 Pro ATV class on his DS 450 ATV. He's currently fifth in the class points
standings. Jeff Cromer (second, 4x4 Novice) and CJ Bender (third, 16-19 C) were the other two
Can-Am racers to earn podiums at round six.
