Can-Am ATV Racers Earn Five GNCC Class Championships
Valcourt,
Québec, November 7, 2012 – Can-Am® ATV racers
battled through muddy, slick conditions at the final round of the 2012 Can-Am
GNCC racing series in Tennessee, and came away with five class championships. Team
UXC Racing / Can-Am racer Cliff Beasley rode his Can-Am Renegade® to a
second-place finish in the U2 class and repeated as the class champion. Bryan
Buckhannon successfully repeated as the 4x4 Open class champion with his
fourth-place run aboard his Can-Am Outlander™ 800R. Kevin Trantham won the 4x4
Lites class on his Outlander 500, finished third overall on the morning podium
and notched his third GNCC championship. Despite suffering his first DNF of the
year at Loretta Lynn’s, 4x4 Senior (40+) racer Forrest Whorton successfully
defended his title on his Can-Am ATV. The final Can-Am champion was Tanner
Bowles, who wrapped up the 4x4 Novice class at an earlier round.
“Loretta Lynn’s
proved to be a challenging finale for a lot of racers, but we had two
Can-Am-mounted riders on the morning overall podium and won a total of five
classes in Tennessee. And more importantly, we earned a total of five class
championships so, overall, our 2012 campaign is something we can be proud of,”
said Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “I was pleased to see Robert Smith
and Kevin Trantham on the morning podium and happy to see Cliff Beasley finish
strong in his final GNCC race.”
At the slick Loretta’s course in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., Smith, who also
competes aboard a Can-Am Renegade, notched his second U2 class victory in the
last three rounds and finished second overall on the morning overall podium. Beasley,
who retired from GNCC racing after the finale, secured his sixth consecutive
GNCC championship with his second-place ride in the U2 class at Loretta’s. From
2007, Beasley has earned an impressive 68 class wins in 78 races while
competing on Can-Am ATVs.
"I feel so lucky, 10 years and no real injuries. I knew I just
wanted to finish today and have fun and that is what I did,” said Beasley. “Smith
was really fast today and it is great to see him get another win. I am blessed
and thank all my sponsors and friends that have supported me over the past
decade."
Another Can-Am racer to finish on the morning podium was Trantham, the
4x4 Lites class champion for 2012. He posted double-digit wins for the third
straight season and is a three-time 4x4 Lites class champion aboard the Can-Am
Outlander 500 4x4, but is already looking ahead to 2013.
"Today was just great, everything worked extremely well. Traction
was hard to find today and I was lucky to be able to get another win plus a
third overall,” said Trantham. "We are already looking ahead to the 2013
season as we will be switching to the newer model of Can Am. I hope to be just
as successful next year and will be carrying a lot of support with me to the
new season."
In the 4x4 Open class, both 2012 champion Bryan Buckhannon and runner-up
Michael Swift had issues in Tennessee. Buckhannon recovered to finish fourth
and notch his fifth consecutive GNCC championship, while Swift posted a
second-place finish and took second at Loretta’s. The winner of the class,
Can-Am racer Andrew Langston earned his second win of the year.
Even with Whorton’s misfortune in the 4x4 Senior (40+) division, the
class podium was an all Can-Am affair. Terry Whiteside took home the top honor
and was joined on the box by Mike Penland and Brent Tindall. Josh Trafelet won
the 4x4 Novice class on his Can-Am ATV.
In XC1 Pro class action, Motoworks / Can-Am Pro class racer Chris
Bithell had mechanical trouble and lost valuable time in the pits fixing the
issue. He ended up 15th and will run the No. 4 plate in 2013 based
upon his overall finishes.
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.
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Racing scenes photographed during an organized race involving
highly skilled operators under controlled conditions. Do not attempt.