MOTOWORKS CAN-AM DS 450 PRO CHRIS BITHELL EARNS SECOND AT SNOWSHOE GNCC
Valcourt,
Québec, June 27, 2012 – Motoworks / Can-Am® DS
450™ racer Chris Bithell finished second overall at round eight of the 2012
Can-Am Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series held in Snowshoe, W.Va.
Can-Am racers Andrew Langston (4x4 Open) and Jordan Phillips (U2) each won
their class and finished first and second on the morning overall podium.
“Motoworks /
Can-Am XC1 Pro Chris Bithell provided this team with some much needed momentum and drive
for the remainder of the season after earning his best race finish of the year
this past weekend at Snowshoe. He now sits firmly in fourth place in season
points, just four points out of third. Some of our X-Team-supported 4x4 racers
faced challenges this past weekend, but Forest Whorton and Kevin Trantham
continued their winning ways aboard their Outlander ATVs,” stated Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “And the depth of Can-Am
mounted racers in the field was very evident, as Can-Am ATV racers earned five
class victories and the morning overall. It’s great to
see Can-Am privateers race their way to victory and take full advantage of the
Can-Am Amateur Racing Contingency Program.“
This
round of the Can-Am GNCC racing series is staged atop Snowshoe Mountain in West
Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains at more than 4200 feet and is truly a rider and
fan favorite due to it's picturesque views and resort-type atmosphere. Snowshoe
is considered one of the roughest, most challenging GNCC courses in the series
and features a unique asphalt street starting line, demanding hills as well as
rough-and-rocky trails.
Motoworks
/ Can-Am DS 450 pro Chris Bithell started on the front row and remained in
fourth place pacing himself in the early stages of the race. Just before the
final two laps, he made a charge and passed two riders on his way to the second
position. During the fifth-and-final lap, Bithell continued to close the gap on
the race leader and eventual winner but had to settle for second overall. The
runner-up finish was Bithell's best finish of 2012.
“I was
in the top five and I just kept working my way up and in the final lap, I
started to reel in the leader, but I ran out of time. It was a tough track, but
it was a lot of fun,” said Bithell. “I can’t thank Can-Am and Motoworks enough
for putting together such an awesome machine for me and doing everything they
can to make sure I get on the podium.”
In the
4x4 Open class, Can-Am X-Team members Michael Swift and Bryan Buckhannon led
the majority of the race, but both fell victim to a horrid bottleneck late in
the race. Can-Am / Zakowski Motorsports privateer Andrew Langston took
advantage of their problems and grabbed the class lead. He went on to win his
first ever 4x4 Open class event and the morning overall. Swift eventually
recovered to regain second place, but Buckhannon, the reigning 4x4 Open class champion,
got horribly stuck while trying to navigate around the bottleneck. Once
Buckhannon got rolling again, he finished fifth in the class. He still holds
the class points lead.
“I am so
stoked to take the overall win. I knew that Swift and Buckhannon were out front
and when I saw they had issues and I got by, I knew I was in the lead in our
class, but wasn’t sure about the overall. I was really pumped to take that
win,” said Langston.
Heading
into Snowshoe, defending U2 class champion Cliff Beasley was undefeated in
2012. However, he day ended short after a crash on lap two. Beasley’s
misfortune allowed young North Carolina rider Jordan Phillips to take over the lead oard his Renegade 800. He held on to notch his first U2 class victory and
grab second overall in the morning race.
Kevin
Trantham continued to dominate the 4x4 Lites class aboard his Outlander 500. He
took over his class lead during the first lap and went unchallenged all the way
to the finish to earn his seventh win of the season. Forrest Whorton claimed
another class overall win, edging fellow Can-Am X-Team rider Mike Penland for
the win in the 4x4 Senior division.
“I had a
really solid race. The track was pretty tough, but I just did my best out there
and I finished really well,” said Whorton.
For more information on Can-Am racing, the entire 2012 schedule, the ’12
contingency program and DS 450 amateur racer support program, please visit
www.can-amxteam.com.
Bombardier
Recreational Products Inc. (BRP), a privately-held company, is a world leader
in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of
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Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea‑Doo watercraft and sport boats, Evinrude and
Johnson outboard engines, Can-Am all‑terrain and side-by-side vehicles
and roadsters, as well as Rotax engines. BRP products are distributed in more than 100 countries.
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