Motoworks / Can-Am's Chris
Bithell Second at Snowshoe GNCC
Snowshoe
GNCC - Round 8 - Snowshoe, WV - June 23, 2012
|
Motoworks
/ Can-Am's Chris Bithell placed second at
Snowshoe GNCC |
Valcourt, Québec (6/28/2012)
- 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.”
|
Can-Am
/ Zakowski Motorsports privateer Andrew
Langston took the win in the 4x4 Open Class |
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 aboard his
Renegade 800. He held on to notch his first U2
class victory and grab second overall in the morning
race.
|
Kevin
Trantham won the 4x4 Lites class on his
Can-Am Outlander 500 Utility ATV at Snowshoe
GNCC |
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 motorised recreational vehicles.
Its portfolio of brands and products includes:
Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea Doo watercraft
and boats, Evinrude and Johnson outboard engines,
direct injection technologies such as E-TEC, Can-Am
all-terrain and side-by-side vehicles and roadsters,
as well as Rotax engines. BRP products are distributed
in more than 90 countries. www.brp.com
Sea-Doo, Ski-Doo, Lynx, Evinrude,
Johnson, Can-Am, Rotax, E-TEC, DS 450, Outlander,
Renegade, Commander and the BRP logo are trademarks
of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. or its
affiliates. All other trademarks are the property
of their respective owners
www.can-am.brp.com
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