Can-Am Off-Road Racers Win Two Championships
- Updated: September 26, 2017
Can-Am Maverick X3 side-by-side vehicle pilot, Kyle Chaney, one of the off-road industry’s most talented drivers, added the 2017 TORC Pro UTV Mod class championship to his trophy case after winning the final round at ERX Motor Park in Elk River, Minn. (Photo by Harlen Foley)
Can-Am X-Team racers Kyle Chaney and Kevin Cunningham added to their racing resumes this past recording two more championships with their Can-Am off-road vehicles. Chaney secured the Pro Mod UTV class championship in The Off-Road Championship (TORC) series with a round 13 win at the series finale held at ERX Motor Park in Minnesota. Can-Am ATV racer Kevin Cunningham wrapped up his second consecutive Pro 4×4 ATV championship in the GNCC series with another class win at round 11 in West Virginia.
TORC CHAMPION
Kyle Chaney (Can-Am / XPS / Chaney Racing) came into the final weekend of the 2017 TORC series owning a nine-point advantage in the Pro Mod UTV division. The final race at ERX Motor Park in Elk River, Minn., hosted three rounds (including making up round four on Friday), putting adding pressure to perform, but a cool, calm and collected Chaney was up for the challenge. The Ohio racer finished on the podium at all three rounds with his Can-Am Maverick X3 side-by-side vehicle, winning on Friday and, then again, on Sunday to capture his first career TORC series championship and first for Can-Am.
Kyle Chaney and Jeff Leclerc, Can-Am Race Department team leader, celebrated the first ever The Off-Road Championship (TORC) series championship for Can-Am after Chaney had three podiums (two wins) this weekend in Minnesota. (Photo by Harlen Foley)
Can-Am Renegade ATV racer Kevin Cunningham (center) secured his second consecutive GNCC 4×4 Pro ATV championship after his win, which was his eighth this year, in West Virginia. (Photo supplied by Joane Cunningham)
“The Can-Am X3 is a solid platform for any type of racing. It’s just built to perform, built to last and to withstand the elements,” stated Chaney. “You have to start with a reliable machine and we proved it this season. Consistency is what wins championships, and being on the podium 12 out of 13 rounds was key to bringing this championship to Can-Am.”
Chaney’s victory on Friday evening extended his points lead, but his third-place finish at round 12 essentially cut it in half with only the series finale remaining. All he had to do was win the final round to capture the crown. And the experienced Can-Am side-by-side pilot did just that, winning the 12-lap feature by more than 2 seconds. Chaney’s final victory pushed his points total to 299 on the year, giving him an eight-point cushion to end the season. Chaney had to miss round 11 of the GNCC series to wrap up this title, but says it was all worth it because his TORC championship sheds light on the driving abilities of woods racers, whom Chaney says don’t get enough recognition.
Can-Am driver Tim Farr (Can-Am / JB Racing) finished the season third overall in his Can-Am Maverick X3 side-by-side vehicle, giving Can-Am two of the top three finishers in a very challenging, growing series with talented drivers.
Click here to read the full TORC report.
GNCC CHAMPION
Kevin Cunningham came into round 11 of the GNCC racing series with a shot a repeating as the 4×4 Pro class champion. With a sizeable points lead, the Can-Am Renegade 4×4 pilot could have put in a conservative race, but instead he was his normal self, capturing yet another class podium and victory to earn back-to-back titles. The win on the difficult Mountaineer Run track in Masontown, W.Va., gave Cunningham eight wins and 10 total podiums on the season, further speaking to his dominance as well as the Can-Am brand, which has won every 4×4 Pro class championship since its introduction in 2014.
The Indiana pro, who made his 4×4 Pro class debut the latter half of the 2015 season, has now posted 12 wins and 21 podiums over the last two years as a Can-Am team member. He joins fellow Can-Am racer Bryan Buckhannon (currently third in the class points standings) as the only two-time GNCC 4×4 Pro class champions.
“I knew there was added pressure to win this year, because repeating as champion is never easy — no matter the sport — but I was up for the challenge,” said Cunningham. “With a fabulous platform like the Can-Am Renegade, I knew I had the reliability and performance to get it done, but my team and sponsors stepped up to help make my dream a reality. To get eight wins already and capture this championship before the end of the season is just amazing and rewards me, my team and sponsors for our hard work and consistency.”
In other GNCC racing action, Can-Am Maverick X xc side-by-side racer Hunter Miller (Miller Brothers Racing / Can-Am) recorded his third straight podium finish in the XC1 Pro UTV class, taking third place with Kevin Cunningham as co-pilot, to maintain his class points lead heading into the final two rounds of action. Fellow Can-Am pilot Jason Watt (DR Powersports / Can-Am) earned his first GNCC class win behind the wheel of his Maverick side-by-side in the XC2 Pro Sport UTV class, which features a Can-Am sweep. Can-Am ATV racers also won the 4×4 A, 4×4 B, 4×4 C and 4×4 Senior (40+) classes in West Virginia.
Malcom Sneed, S3 Powersports CEO, recorded the UTV Unlimited class win in his No. 2819 Can-Am Maverick X3 MAX side-by-side vehicle at BITD Silver State 150 in Nevada. (Photo supplied by Josh Catogni, S3)
DESERT WINNERS
Marc Burnett (Monster / Can-Am), with co-pilot Fernando Flores, won the Pro UTV FI class at the Tijuana 21st SCORE Desert Challenge in his Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo R side-by-side vehicle, held Sept. 23-24 outside of Tijuana, Mexico. The California racer and Can-Am X-Team member completed the six-lap, 23-mile course in a time of 3:47:17, averaging 36.43 mph, to beat 12 other drivers to the finish line and get his first win since resigning with Can-Am for 2017.
S3 Powersports CEO Malcom “Mr. Mal” Sneed, along with co-dawg Quinton Daniels, won the UTV Unlimited class in his No. 2918 S3 Powersports-prepped Can-Am Maverick X3 MAX side-by-side vehicle at the Best In The Desert Silver State 150 outside of Caliente, Nevada.
Phil Blurton (with co-pilot Beau Judge) kept up his recent momentum behind the wheel of his No Limit / Can-Am Maverick X3 desert racer by, once again, finishing on the BITD Pro UTV class podium. This time he earned second in the class at the Silver State 150.
Phil Blurton (No Limit / Can-Am) completed all 150 miles in a time of 3:22:13.984, to earn a very respectable second-place finish in the UTV Turbo class with his No. 944 Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo R vehicle. Lonestar Racing front man Dan Fisher also competed in the UTV Pro ranks in Nevada and came away with a solid fourth-place run in his No. 910 LSR-prepped Can-Am Maverick X3 MAX vehicle.
