The Can-Am X-Team / S3 Racing team of Dustin Jones and Shane Dowden concluded the 2015 Best In The Desert racing season with a victory at the Henderson 250 in Nevada.

Jones and Dowden flipped roles for this round, as Dowden took the wheel and drove the team to its second BITD victory of the year.

“We capped the BITD year with another Class 1900 overall victory from S3 Racing’s Dustin Jones and Shane Dowden. Their season was very impressive considering they are desert-racing rookies, earning two wins with their 121-hp Can-Am Maverick MAX 1000R,” said Jeff Leclerc, Racing Project Leader, Can-Am. “This victory, putting four of our Can-Am teams in the top eight, and having the Murray’s earn third overall on the year, certainly is a great way to end the year. We will continue to fine tune our racing efforts and aim for more in 2016.”

The final round of the BITD schedule stopped in Henderson, Nev., for the Henderson 250 event. A record number of racing entries, 217, signed up to take on the challenging Nevada desert at this round. Can-Am had four teams in the Maverick 1000R teams in mix, with the No. 1978 of S3 Racing, the Murrays (No. 1917), the No. 1904 of Desert Toyz and Logan Gastel’s No. 1969 vehicle.

The Can-Am / S3 Racing team chose a different strategy at the final round, swapping driver and co-pilot. Dowden took the wheel for the first time this year, while Jones took over as navigator / co-dawg. The decision certainly panned out, as the tandem took home the win. They finished with a two-lap time of 3:14:56.027 to grab win No. 2 in their rookie desert campaign. The ended the year in 11th place in the Pro standings.

“We did it again. What a way to end the BITD season with another first-place victory! Great job to my teammate Shane [Dowden] for an amazing job driving this race,” said Jones post-race. “Thanks to [our entire] pit crew for keeping us going.”

The Murrays recorded yet another top-five finish in their Maverick MAX 1000R. They tallied 106 championship points after completing two laps in a time of 3:18:17.021. The fifth-place run pushed them into third place overall for the season standings.

“This season, we ended up second in the points for SCORE and third in BITD, making us the only Pro UTV team to finish top three in both series, which is very impressive,” said the Murrays on their Facebook page.

Gastel (Rugged Radios / Racer Tech) and co-pilot Adam McKinney took a very solid seventh-place finish in his Can-Am Maverick, which maintained his seventh-place overall finish in the Class 1900 season standings. Cory Sappington’s Desert Toyz Can-Am Team finished one spot behind Gastel in Henderson. Sappington, who took fourth overall in SCORE racing, ended up in the top eight in the final BITD standings for the year.

Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, today announced the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI) has contributed more than $40,000 in cash to support two projects reflecting the program’s expanded mission to promote safe, responsible use and open, sustainable access for outdoor recreation.

Riding groups, land managers and others with a project that is in line with OAI’s mission and in need of support should visit the program’s newly updated website: yamahaoutdooraccess.com.

The program’s third quarter funding cycle coincided with the 88th National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Convention and Expo in October, where Yamaha represented its ongoing commitment to promote safe, responsible ATV and Side-by-Side vehicle use to the future leaders of the agricultural community.

“The National FFA convention is an important opportunity to discuss riding habits for all uses of off-highway vehicles, particularly in agricultural settings,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha ATV and SxS group marketing manager. “Off-highway vehicles are incredibly popular tools on farms and ranches. Teaching respect for vehicles and encouraging safe and responsible behaviors in all settings and uses is an important part of the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative’s expanded mission.”

Yamaha’s multifaceted support of the National FFA and its members includes Yamaha’s annual sponsorship of the National Agricultural Proficiency Award for Outdoor Recreation.

This year’s Outdoor Recreation Proficiency Award was awarded to Sam Alan Shaver of the Southmont FFA Chapter in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Just before he was born, Shaver’s father began what would later grow into the largest off-road ATV race east of the Mississippi, the GNCC Ironman, on his family property.

Growing up, Shaver would help his family prepare for and operate the race each year, and over time, he grew to respect and appreciate the work that went into planning the event. Using his experience, Shaver decided to host a 5k run on his family’s property, which now after four years welcomes more than 8,000 participants each year. The overwhelming success Shaver has had using his family’s property to host popular recreational events set him above the rest of participants for this year’s award.

“Each year, Yamaha proves their commitment in promoting responsible messages to National FFA members,” said Senior Regional Director of National FFA, Maggie Stith. “The National FFA is proud to align with Yamaha’s efforts to support the future of agriculture, and we thank them for their contributions to make the National Agricultural Proficiency Award possible every year.”

The third quarter Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative GRANT recipients are:

– Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area, Pennsylvania
– Stewards of the Sierras, California

The GRANT-awarded projects support the program’s industry-leading dedication to safe, responsible riding and open sustainable access to land, trails and riding areas for OHV users of all types. Yamaha continues to seek qualified projects and applications at local, state and federal levels.

Outdoor clubs and organizations can now apply for a GRANT through the revitalized OAI website at yamahaoutdooraccess.com. The updated OAI website now delivers a more inclusive experience to the outdoor community, with an improved application process, examples of previous GRANTs awarded to various projects and social media support.

“As the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative has grown and matured, the program’s website needs to better reflect the work being accomplished by those on the ground making sustainable access a reality for outdoor enthusiasts of all types,” said Nessl. “The changes to the website are intended to make it easier for outdoor clubs and organizations and land managers from across the nation to seek funding for projects that promote safe and responsible use.”

Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, (YMUS) a leader in the motorsports market, makes the toughest, most capable and versatile ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings also include motorcycles, outboard motors, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, boats, outdoor power equipment, accessories, apparel and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of dealers in the United States. Headquartered in Cypress, Calif., since its incorporation in 1976, Yamaha also has facilities in Wisconsin and Georgia, as well as factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia.

For more information on Yamaha, visit yamahamotorsports.com.

This year’s SCORE Baja 1000 a shorter course at more than 800 miles but much more brutal terrain as year’s past.

Polaris RZR would go into the race, once again, as the defending champion and reign supreme taking the top five spots in Class 19.

The field would see 24 side-by-sides start the race with 10 finishing, including an impressive eight RZRs. Polaris Factory Racers Jagged X in their No. 1932 RZR XP 1000 would enter the race with one point separating them and the other two top teams for the 2015 SCORE Championship.

Jagged X would have a great Baja 1000 race staying at or near the lead the entire race. Drivers Brandon Schueler, Keith Redstrom and Blake Van de Loo, along with co-drivers Craig Hein, Jason Speiss and Chad Hummer would pilot the No. 1932 to a second place finish, behind the No. 1971 RZR XP 4 1000 of Terry Hui and Wayne Matlock, to seal their second SCORE Championship in three years.

Polaris Factory Racer Justin Lambert in his No. 1908 RZR XP 4 1000 would finish third. The No. 1938 RZR XP 4 1000 of Dan Fresh would finish fourth in his first-ever Baja 1000 race and fifth would go to the No. 1923 RZR XP 1000 piloted by Benjamin Bischoff.

Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, announces new Grizzly and Kodiak 700 “Build Your Own” (BYO) pages on its website providing customers the opportunity to easily personalize and customize their Yamaha ATVs online. Current and future Grizzly and Kodiak 700 customers can now see how great their accessorized Yamaha ATV will look via the interactive BYO platform at www.YamahaOutdoors.com.

Yamaha presently has a wide variety of genuine accessories for the all-new 2016 Grizzly – an ATV combining superior handling, comfort and performance in a recreational machine – and Kodiak 700, a vehicle boasting class-leading performance and value for the hard-working utility ATV customer.

Unveiled in June 2015 and assembled in the U.S. at Yamaha’s manufacturing facility in Newnan, Georgia, the all-new Grizzly and Kodiak 700 ATVs are being shipped directly to Yamaha dealers across the country and are on showroom floors now.

“We ensure all of our ATVs and SxSs meet the highest quality, durability and performance standards and the same is true of our Yamaha Genuine Accessories, which are simultaneously developed with the vehicle,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s ATV and SxS group marketing manager. “The all-new Grizzly and Kodiak 700 Build Your Own pages are great user-friendly tools for both consumer and dealers alike, showcasing the look and diversity of Real World Tough accessories available to complement your Yamaha ATV or Side-by-Side.”

Current and future Grizzly and Kodiak 700 customers can now virtually customize their ATV via the BYO tool on the Yamaha website to get an idea of what accessories best suit their off-road needs, as well as how the vehicle will look after installation.

Supporting the customization and ease on the Grizzly and Kodiak 700 BYO platform, the Yamaha accessories are separated into five categories: Protection, Hunting, Storage, General and Utility. Through a simple “drag and drop” setup, a wide range of accessories from skid plates to snowplows can be added, simultaneously updating the MSRP and picture of the personalized vehicle.

The final build can even be printed, saved under the “My Yamaha” feature or emailed to a Yamaha Motorsports dealer for ease of ordering and installation.

The “Build Your Own” feature for other Yamaha ATV and SxS vehicles is at YamahaMotorsports.com.