Ontario, CA (4/2/2012)
- ITP has been showing its competitive
side in the rapidly growing SxS racing scene
this year, running at the front of several
prominent UTV events.
For example, Kyle Melville used a set
of ITP’s brand new Black Water Evolution
tires on his Polaris RZR to score a third-place
podium finish among 19 competitors in
the Production 850 class at Round 3 of
the World Off-Road Championship Series.
It was his third straight third-place
finish in WORCS racing in 2012, despite
a rollover and getting stuck on a hill,
which cost him a position.
Melville was enthusiastic about the performance
of the new ITP tires on the diverse terrain
of the Lake Havasu, Arizona, course. “My
new Black Water Evolutions hooked up all
over the track as it was filled with sand,
mud and rocks,” he reported. “I
was very impressed with the new tire and
its ability to handle a rough WORCS race.”
This driver from Acton, California, now
holds second place in the class standings
for the series.
Just a week later, ITP enjoyed a big
win at the hands of Derek and Jason Murray.
For the first time, a UTV class was included
at the legendary Mint 400 outside of Las
Vegas, Nevada. A total of 30 side-by-sides
took the start, and in the end it was
the Can-Am Commander 1000 of Murray Motorsports
taking the win. It was a come-from-behind
victory, as the team grabbed the overall
lead with just 10 miles remaining, and
won by just five minutes in a total time
of 4:38.58.
As the team described its race, “The
course was extremely rough. Miles on end
of two- to three- foot whoops, rock areas,
and soft sand mixed with fine powder dust
and no wind made for plenty of carnage.
Many other class vehicles were scattered
along the course like obstacles to dodge.
At the end of the first 93-mile lap, the
team was sitting in third place physically
and fourth on time. Five miles into the
second lap we moved up into second, and
began the hunt for the lead, which was
held by our teammate, the Desert Toyz
Can-Am Commander. The two teams were less
than 40 seconds apart for nearly 45 miles,
making some great racing and battling
for the win. When the dust settled it
would be Murray Motorsports pulling ahead
for the win and Desert Toyz with an amazing
second.”
The winning team used ITP’s 28x10R14
BajaCross tires mounted on ITP 14x7 T-9
Pro Mod spun aluminum wheels for this
historic victory. “We’d like
to thank ITP for producing the toughest
tire on the market and rims to hold up
to the most grueling conditions—not
one flat in the entire race, which is
amazing,” said Murray.
