Can-Am Renegade 800R X xc ATV racer Bryan Buckhannon won the 4×4 Pro class and earned the top spot on the morning overall podium at round nine of the 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country racing series. Can-Am amateur 4×4 racers also won three classes, as the 13-round national endurance series made its annual stop at Snowshoe Mountain Resort in Snowshoe, W. Va.

“I think it’s fair to say that Bryan Buckhannon has found his groove with the Can-Am Renegade 800R, earning back-to-back wins and three victories in the last four rounds. His outstanding performance at a challenging Snowshoe GNCC, which pushed him into the 4×4 Pro class points lead, gives him momentum heading into the two-month break,” said Jeff Leclerc, Racing Project Leader, Can-Am. “Can-Am 4×4 amateur class racers continue to outdistance their competition, as Tanner Bowles, Nick Eichelberger and Terry Whitesides all own the class points lead at the break.”

The AMSOIL GNCC returned to the highly popular and picturesque Snowshoe Mountain Resort for round nine and a weekend of activities and off-road racing. The course, which dissects the rocky, steep, tree-lined slopes of Snowshoe, featured thick fog, mini mud runs, nasty rocks and a unique, multiple-row street-start. Racers were released in single rows of five on asphalt, sprinting to be the first into the woods. Once on the course, it was up to the racers to ride smart and both conquer and avoid the natural obstacles that define Snowshoe.

ATV Parts Plus / Can-Am Renegade 800R racer Bryan Buckhannon, who trailed fellow Renegade pilot Kevin Trantham by seven points in the 4×4 Pro class rankings coming into Snowshoe was on the gas in his home state. However, Buckhannon didn’t have the lead until lap five. Prior to that he was patiently tucked in second behind BNR Motorsports / Loctite / Can-Am Renegade pilot Rob Smith for the first three circuits and then another racer on lap four. Once the multi-time ATV 4×4 Open class champion jumped out front, he never let up and held the lead all the way to the finish, winning by more than six minutes.

“We had a great weekend on the Can-Am. It felt good to get another class win and my first overall at Snowshoe. The course was rough and I couldn’t have done it without my friends in the mud hole helping me find lines. Also, a huge thank you to my mechanics for prepping my quad for me,” said Buckhannon.

Smith ended up third on the class podium and also earned the third position on the 10 a.m. session morning overall podium. He now has four class podiums and two trips to the overall podium in ’14, and is third in the class points battle. Can-Am X-Team racer Jordan Phillips, who has two victories this year, finished one spot behind Smith. Trantham, who battled in the top three much of the day, ended up fifth. He fell to second in the point standings, trailing Buckhannon by just seven points.

“The track was crazy. I had a good start and felt awesome with the lead,” said Smith. “I got stuck a few times and that dropped me out of contention for the win. I had a great battle coming into the finish and am happy to have made the podium at such a tough race.”

Can-Am earned a sweep in the 4×4 A/B class, as class leader Tanner Bowles continued his near-perfect season with his eighth-consecutive victory. The West Virginia racer has made the podium at every round and essentially has locked up the class championship, tallying 179 points, eight wins and one second-place (opener) run. Bowles will move to the 4×4 Pro class after the break, giving Can-Am another threat in the premier 4×4 ranks. Joshua Trafelet and Cory Bartlett also put their Can-Am ATVs on the class podium.

Amateur racer Nick Eichelberger also kept his winning streak alive, earning the 4×4 C class win at round nine. Eichelberger has won the last three rounds and all five times he has entered. He has climbed to second place in the class standings despite missing four rounds. The final victory earned by Can-Am was by Nate Luther of Pennsylvania, who edged Can-Am racers Chris Bragg and Terry Whitesides for 4×4 Sr. (40+) class win. Whitesides, who has four wins this year, maintained his points lead going into round 10.

For more information on 2014 Can-Am racing, the contingency program and all amateur racer support programs, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.

Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., is donating $15,000 to two of the company’s charitable organization partners: Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) and Feed the Children (FTC).

Yamaha recently gathered select motorsports dealers for an incentive and appreciation event near Austin, Texas, where the company unveiled the all-new 2015 Viking VI EPS six-person Side-by-Side (SxS) vehicle.

The launch event-turned-celebration of Yamaha’s SxS line expansion included a number of activities that ultimately allowed Yamaha corporate staff and dealers to help raise awareness and money for HAVA and FTC. As a result of the event, Yamaha committed to donating $15,000 to be split evenly between the two organizations.

“Yamaha is a longtime supporter of both HAVA and FTC, and is excited to be able to increase our financial contributions to each of these great organizations this year through the Viking VI launch event,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s ATV/SxS group marketing manager. “As a founding sponsor of HAVA and official partner with FTC for nearly 20 years, Yamaha is extremely proud to support these organizations and the work they do for veterans and families in need.”

Yamaha is a founding sponsor of HAVA, an organization created to help disabled soldiers and veterans with the healing process through active participation in outdoors sports. Yamaha has worked with Feed the Children (www.feedthechildren.org) as its corporate charity for nearly 20 years raising several hundred thousand dollars and feeding tens of thousands of children.

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., (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 www.yamaha-motor.com.

Can-Am DS 450 ATV racers earned three total podiums in Pro-level classes at round five of the 2014 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship Series in Ohio.

Joel Hetrick took second in the Pro class, while fellow Can-Am racers Jeffrey Rastrelli and Ronnie Higgerson each made it on the Pro-Am class box at the Built Ford Tough Briarcliff ATV National.

“We were pleased with the effort put forth by our DS 450 Pro racers, earning three total podium finishes in the two premier classes at the ATV MX Nationals,” said Jeff Leclerc, Racing Project Leader, Can-Am. “Joel Hetrick has now moved into a tie for second place in the Pro ranks and Ronnie Higgerson currently leads the Pro-Am class in points after five rounds of racing. We just have to keep our heads down and stay focused on earning victories and, ultimately, class championships.”

Briarcliff MX in Nashport, Ohio, hosted its first ever Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship Series event. Eighteen Pro class racers, more than 20 Pro-Am class competitors and hundreds of amateur class riders suited up for round five of the series, the inaugural Built Ford Tough Briarcliff ATV National, held over Father’s Day weekend.

Four Can-Am DS 450 racers battled in the Pro class Saturday, June 14, with Joel Hetrick (JB Racing / DWT / Mtn. Dew Live Wire / Can-Am) earning the highest finishing position and lone podium, taking second overall. Hetrick put together a 4-3 scorecard to earn second at Briarcliff. The Pennsylvania-based Pro fought hard for his third-place finish in moto two, which ultimately gave him the advantage for the No. 2 spot on the podium over the competition. It was Hetrick’s second podium in the last three rounds, which helped propel him into a tie for second place in the class point standings.

“I got off the quad in the [moto one] holeshot and was in about 15th. I put in some hard work and came back to finish fourth. The second moto went a little better. I battled with another racer, who ended up passing me, but I got him back and secured second overall,” said Hetrick. “My Can-am was working awesome. It had a ton of power, which was what I needed for this high-horsepower track. It definitely got me up on the box this weekend.”

BCS Performance / Can-Am Pros Ronnie Higgerson and Josh Creamer both earned top 10 finishes at Briarcliff MX. Higgerson equalled a season and personal best with his sixth-place (5-7) run. Creamer, a former ATV MX Pro class champion, had a difficult first moto due to a late mechanical prior to start, but rebounded to finish sixth in moto two to tally 10th overall at round five. Can-Am DS 450 riders are currently second, sixth (Creamer), seventh (Higgerson) and eighth (Rastrelli) in the Pro class standings.

Can-Am racers also competed in the Pro-Am class on Sunday. Jeffrey Rastrelli, who was still recovering from crash in the first Pro moto on Saturday, earned second overall in the Pro-Am class. The Florida racer put in two podium performances, including a victory in moto two, with his JB Racing / Cheerwine/ Can-Am DS 450 to earn second overall. Higgerson ended up third overall with a 4-3 scorecard to retain his current points lead. He has made the last four podiums, which includes two wins, to build a 20-point lead over second place. Rastrelli is in third place, six points behind the No. 2 spot. Finishing 10th in the Pro-Am ranks was Canadian X-Team member Mathieu Deroy on his DS 450.

“I came out second in the first pro moto and got a pass early and was able to lead for several laps. BCS Performance has this Can-Am rippin’. It was a high-speed track and that’s what I like and it just made it a really great weekend for me,” said Higgerson. “I have the points lead in Pro-Am, so my goal for that class is to stay there.”

Amateur and Massachusetts racer Jake Bradway, who also races in the New England ATV Motocross series like Deroy, earned third in the College 16-24 class aboard a Can-Am.

For more information on 2014 Can-Am racing, the contingency program and all amateur racer support programs, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.