FRANKLIN, Tenn., June 13, 2017 – Justin Lambert piloted his ITP Ultra Cross-equipped Polaris RZR to a Pro UTV class victory this past weekend at the SCORE International Baja 500 race in Baja, Mexico. Lambert dominated the class, winning by almost 50 minutes. Branden Sims finished second, giving ITP a 1-2 finish.

“The Baja 500 is one of the most grueling off-road races there is, so to have ITP-supported racers deliver a 1-2 finish against an exceptionally talented field of entrants is really gratifying,” said Rhett Turpin, Head of ITP Sales at The Carlstar Group. “The ITP Ultra Cross R Spec is not only the tire of choice for Justin Lambert and many of the elite desert racing teams, it’s also the obvious choice for any enthusiast seeking the same confidence, performance and reliability these top teams have grown to appreciate. And, the Ultra Cross R Spec is readily available in a variety of size options to meet your individual needs, all produced to the same specifications.”

Lambert (Cognito Motorsports / ITP / Polaris), along with his co-pilot Mitchell Alsup, averaged an astonishing 38 mph over the 500-mile course to record a remarkable 13:17:01 overall time to easily win the Pro UTV Turbo class. Despite starting 14th off the line, Lambert overcame the competition and the course, which features rocky beach runs, mud holes, silt belts, miles of whoops and tight, mountain roads. Despite the course challenges, he chased down the early front-runners to take the race lead. Once out front, Lambert put the hammer down, grew his lead and never looked back.

“The Baja 500 is known to be one of the roughest off-road races in the world,” stated Lambert. “We were on a mission, our game plan took us to an overall UTV win at the Baja 500. To win the toughest off-road races, you must have the toughest tires. ITP Tires for the win!”

Sims and co-pilot Justin Krause were first off the line to start the day. The No. 2913 Polaris RZR XP4 vehicle dressed in ITP Ultra Cross R Spec tires managed to remain in podium contention despite losing their early lead. Sim’s experience and patience paid off with a solid second-place finish (14:06:23).

The No. 2917 Can-Am / ITP / Murray Racing team recorded another good finish down on the Baja California Peninsula. The Murrays, brothers Derek and Jason Murray and Monty Aldrich, completed the grueling course in a time of 15:24:58, narrowly missing a top five run.

ITP-backed racer, Tony Riggs, finished eighth in the Pro UTV FI class aboard his No. 2912 Sparta Racing Polaris, giving ITP four finishers in the top 10. It was Riggs and co-pilots Kyle Melville and Ryan Edwards first Baja 500, a race where just finishing is a great accomplishment.

“We’re stoked. It was our first time down here racing Baja and we got to the finish, so I’m pretty proud,” declared Riggs on the Baja 500 podium. “It’s a brand new car, a brand new race team … everyone came together to make it all happen. ITP tires are excellent tires. We did the whole Baja 500 on the same tires.”

Visit:
www.itptires.com

Can-Am off-road racers had great success this past weekend on racetracks around the country, notching several victories and numerous podiums.

SIDE-BY-SIDE VEHICLES
Lucas Oil Regional Off-Road Series
With impressive back-to-back over wins in the Prod Turbo UTV class at rounds 10 and 11 of the Lucas Oil Regional Off-Road Series, Jason Ellis climbed to third in the class points standings. The Can-Am Maverick X3 side-by-side vehicle pilot has been on a roll in the Lucas Oil Regional series, having scored three straight podiums.

At Round 10, Ellis completed 12 laps in 12:21.253 to earn the win. He followed up that podium celebration with another one, after posting his second win of the weekend in the Prod Turbo UTV class at round 11. This time out, Ellis completed all 12 laps in a time of 12:29.494 to reinforce that his first Lucas Oil Regional victory wasn’t a fluke.

To learn more about Ellis’s experience behind the wheel of his Can-Am Maverick X3 side-by-side, racing, mixed martial arts and more, check out his weekly podcast called “ELLISTRONICS” on iTunes and Google Play.

Ultra4 Racing
Can-Am Maverick X3 racer Casey Scherer won UTV Pro class at the 5th Annual Ultra4 Racing MetalCloak Stampede this past weekend at Prairie City State Vehicle Recreation Area near Sacramento, Calif. Scherer, who was the top qualifier on Friday, was on point in the finals in his No Limit SxS / TeamAwesome/ Can-Am. A good start and second-place running had Scherer in good position for the win. As the final event wore on, Scherer found his way to the front to notch the class win. He completed 8 laps in a time of 2:12:55.

TORC
Kyle Chaney (Chaney Racing / Can-Am / XPS Oil) is the current Pro Mod UTV class points leader of The Off-Road Championship (TORC) series after posting his third straight runner-up finish of the season.

After qualifying first on Friday at the Twin Cities Takedown in Elk River, Minn., Chaney drew a four on the inverted start and was forced to begin the race in row two. By lap three, however, Chaney piloted his Can-Am Maverick X3 side-by-side back up to the front of the pack. Despite his best efforts, Chaney had to end up settling for second place, which ultimately was enough to put him in the points lead – by 15 points – and in the driver’s seat in his chase for a TORC championship. A severe storm with heavy winds and rains canceled round four.

ATV
GNCC

Factory Can-Am ATV racers Kevin Cunningham and Bryan Buckhannon recorded another 1-2 finish in the Grand National Cross Country series. Cunningham won the 4×4 Pro class and the 10 a.m. overall at the Tomahawk GNCC in Odessa, N.Y., posting the fastest five-lap time (2:08:37.5) aboard his Can-Am Renegade X xc 1000. Cunningham has now notched six wins in seven rounds and owns a 38-point lead over the runner-up (Buckhannon) with six rounds remaining on the season. Buckhannon has four second-place finishes to go with one victory on his Can-Am Outlander 1000.

Can-Am 4×4 racers won five classes at round 7 of the GNCC ATV series. The victories were in the 4×4 A (Dwight Pollard), 4×4 B (Gregory Condon), 4×4 C (Jerry Richards) and 4×4 Senior 40+ (Ken Robey) classes.

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) is proud to announce its new advertising campaign with Hall of Fame Wrestler Steve Austin to follow the introduction of the all-new MULE PRO-FXR™ side x side. Austin, a television and movie personality and creator of the hit show “Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge,” has been working with KMC since 2015. He will host commercials primarily featuring the MULE PRO-FXR model, and showcasing the full line up of MULE™ side by sides. He will also be the face of technical videos highlighting the benefits of the MULE vehicles, and showing just how Kawasaki STRONG they are, alongside Kawasaki chief product developers.

“Steve Austin is a class act; a rugged, self-made man who built his success through hard work, which makes him the perfect ambassador for our Kawasaki STRONG MULE lineup,” said Kawasaki Vice President of Marketing Chris Brull. “He’s an authentic guy and genuinely excited about the MULE PRO-FXR brand. Like Steve, the new MULE PRO-FXR side x side has the strength to work and play hard.”

As a part of the Kawasaki MULE’s 30th anniversary celebration, be on the look out for the television spots on a wide array of channels, including: ESPN, Outdoor Channel, The History Channel, CBSSN, FS1, FS2, RFD-TV and DirecTV. The commercials which are live now, and technical videos which are set to air later this year, will be available for viewing on KMC’s website, located at www.kawasaki.com, and its social channels: Facebook.com/KawasakiUSA; Instgram @KawasakiUSA and YouTube.com/KawasakiUSA.

Developed alongside the MULE PRO-FXT™ and PRO-FX™ models, the new MULE PRO-FXR side x side shares the same engine and smooth acceleration, meaning it’s still the fastest most powerful MULE ever built, with independent suspension, powerful disc brakes, effective engine braking and EPS, speed-sensitive power steering. All of that is packaged into a more compact design, shorter than the other MULE PRO models, with improved ground clearance and turning radius.

Designed to appeal to someone who likes to play as a hard as they work, the styling of the MULE PRO-FXR side x side has a tough, truck like appearance with a painted hood, grill, front and rear bumpers. It features premium components such as low-profile LED inner and a seating capacity for three with its contoured two-tone seats. It’s powered by a 812cc three-cylinder fuel injected engine that offers plenty of power with smooth acceleration and sits on a STRONG chassis which provides nimble handling and a tight 14.1-foot turning radius.

While it has a recreational side, the MULE PRO-FXR is still built Kawasaki STRONG with steel cargo bed that has a 1000-pound carrying capacity (600-pound carrying capacity in California) and the ability to tow up to 2000 pounds. With this much capability, the MULE PRO-FXR is sure to impress your neighbors, even if the closest one is a half-mile away.

ABOUT KAWASAKI
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI) started full-scale production of motorcycles over a half century ago. The first Kawasaki motorcycle engine was designed based on technical know-how garnered from the development and production of aircraft engines, and Kawasaki’s entry into the motorcycle industry was driven by the company’s constant effort to develop new technologies. Numerous new Kawasaki models introduced over the years have helped shape the market, and in the process have created enduring legends based on their unique engineering, power, design and riding pleasure. In the future, Kawasaki’s commitment to maintaining and furthering these strengths will surely give birth to new legends.

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) markets and distributes Kawasaki motorcycles, ATVs, side x sides, and Jet Ski® watercraft through a network of approximately 1,100 independent retailers, with close to an additional 7,700 retailers specializing in general purpose engines. KMC and its affiliates employ nearly 3,100 people in the United States, with approximately 260 of them located at KMC’s Foothill Ranch, California headquarters.

Kawasaki’s tagline, “Let the good times roll.®”, is recognized worldwide. The Kawasaki brand is synonymous with powerful, stylish and category-leading vehicles. Information about Kawasaki’s complete line of powersports products and Kawasaki affiliates can be found on the Internet at www.kawasaki.com.

Yamaha Motor Canada, introduces the all-new 2018 Kodiak 450, the highest value mid-class 4×4 ATV that provides the best off-road capability, comfort and confidence for all-day riding. The all-new Kodiak 450 joins the best-selling Kodiak 700 and recreation-pointed Grizzly 4×4 ATVs to offer a wide array of possibilities and options for off-road enthusiasts, outdoorsmen and women, farmers and ranchers alike.

The new Kodiak 450 combines Yamaha’s legendary durability and reliability with class-leading handling and is powered by a 421cc Yamaha fuel-injected engine for Proven Off-Road performance. Its all-new chassis features a compact-footprint that mid-size ATV customers will appreciate, along with an extremely roomy riding position to comfortably accommodate even larger riders.

“This year we aimed to bridge the gap between the entry-level rider seeking comfort and confidence, and the experienced rider looking for increased capability. The all-new Kodiak 450 was the ideal fit and allowed Yamaha to expand back into the midsized ATV market while continuing to offer customers renowned quality and reliability.” said Peter Smallman-Tew, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Yamaha Motor Canada.

Boasting Yamaha-exclusive REAL WORLD Tech, the all-new Kodiak 450 is the ideal mid-size multipurpose ATV, ready for work and trail-exploring adventures. Delivering a Proven Off-Road level of capability, comfort and confidence only available from Yamaha, REAL WORLD Tech features on the Kodiak 450 include: Ultramatic automatic transmission with high, low, reverse and neutral, providing the industry’s most durable CVT transmission and natural-feeling engine braking throughout the RPM range, On-Command 2WD/4WD system, Electric Power Steering (EPS), adjustable dual A-arm suspension and more.

Developed with ideal accessory integration in mind, the Kodiak 450 is designed for easy installation of genuine Yamaha accessories, including a new highly-integrated winch and mounting plate kit – with wiring already pre-installed by the factory on the Kodiak 450, custom over fenders, gun boot mounts, rack extensions, cooler carriers and more.

Kodiak 450 EPS colour options include the new Bluish Grey, Beige with Camouflage, Steel Blue and Green. In addition to Green, the non-EPS Kodiak 450 comes in Red and Steel Blue, with pricing starting at only $7,799 MSRP.

View additional details on Yamaha’s all-new 2018 Kodiak 450, along with the complete lineup of Proven Off-Road vehicles online at yamaha-motor.ca, or visit your local Yamaha dealer.