Steve Beilman and Wayne Matlock piloted their virtually stock Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs side-by-side vehicles to a 1-2 finish in the UTV Open class at round one of the 2013 Lucas Oil Off Road Series (LOORS) at Glen Helen Raceway in Southern California.

In Texas, Louis Powersports / Can-Am DS 450 Pro Cody Miller won both the Open Expert (Pro) and Pro-Am classes at round one of the Dockside Marine Texhoma Quad Racing Association (TQRA) series.

“It’s great to have off-road racing veterans like Wayne Matlock and Steve Beilman behind the wheel of the new Maverick 1000R X rs and even better to have them put it on the LOORS podium. These guys basically had stock vehicles, sans the cage and doors, yet still dominated the UTV Open class at round one,” said Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “Their genuine excitement about the Maverick, along with their recent racing success is not only contagious, but it also reinforces that fact that our all-new high-performance side-by-side vehicle is purpose-built to win races.”

Despite limited practice time, Matlock qualified first in the UTV Open class, while Beilman secured the third spot on the line. At the start of the main event, a modified competitive vehicle edged Matlock for the holeshot, but both he and Beilman locked in behind the leader and, by lap two, were already pressuring him for the lead.

Matlock was on rear bumper waiting for a time to pass, but was hampered when the leader slowed over a jump. Beilman took advantage of the leader’s pause and pinned it over a tabletop jump and literally leapt to the front, passing both the leader and Matlock. From there, Beilman maintained a steady pace and tried to extend his lead.

Matlock, who tired of following the second-place racer, made his move and made a timely pass after the finish line jump at the start of the fourth lap. Matlock’s pass put the Maverick pilots in first and second with several laps remaining.

However, a mandatory caution allowed Matlock to reel in Beilman and during the final six laps the two racers put on a show, as they were bumper-to-bumper to the finish line. At the checkers, Beilman held off his fellow Can-Am racer by one second to take the first-ever LOORS win with the Maverick 1000R.

“With literally only minutes of seat time in the new Can-Am Maverick, we didn’t really know what to expect this weekend. We knew the Maverick 1000R was fast, but didn’t know how it would stack up under real race conditions. Obviously, my Velocity / Can-Am Maverick showed us that it could out perform the competition right out of the box and that is huge,” said Beilman.

The LOORS schedule resumes Saturday, April 13 at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park in Southern California.

TQRA Results:

Louis Powersports / Can-Am DS 450 teammates and brothers Hunter and Cody Miller each won one Open Expert (Pro) class moto at round one of the TQRA series opener at Village Creek MX in Forth Worth, Texas. However, since Cody won the final moto, he earned the overall win over the elder Miller.

With 1-2 moto finishes, Cody also edged Hunter in the Pro-Am ATV class. Hunter Miller won the second moto, but finished third in the first moto and had to settle for second overall. With a 1-1 moto sweep, fellow Can-Am racer, Jeff Reeves, won the Over 30 A class and put his DS 450 ATV on top of the podium at Village Creek MX.

The Millers were excited to debut their Maverick 1000R X rs vehicles in the series, but due to a lack of competition, the side-by-side racing was cancelled. Round two of the TQRA series is slated for March 16-17, at Moto City in Blanchard, Okla.

For more information on Can-Am racing, the Maverick 1000R side-by-side vehicle, the entire 2013 schedule, the ’13 contingency program and Can-Am DS 450 ATV amateur racer support program, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.

The Dirt Series has gained a whole lot of traction since last year. It’s back and better than ever for 2013, and this time around STI will be providing a generous contingency program to ATV and UTV competitors of all ages and skill levels. STI will also be working through Triumph Motorsports to provide reliable trackside support and product.

The gate drops this weekend, March 10, at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park. This SoCal-oriented series features a total of eight events—once a month—until the finale in October. There will also be a series-ending awards banquet.

A racer must participate in six of the eight rounds to qualify for overall series perks. A wide array of sponsors has stepped up to chip in more than $150,000 worth of prizes to motorcycle, ATV, UTV, trophy kart and stadium lites classes.

According to series promoters, the main focus is to bring new life back into the rich history of the area by utilizing existing core tracks or tracks that have been unavailable to some of the vehicles being raced that can accommodate the series premise.

Being a new style series, the intent is to co-exist with other local races and develop a standalone series that can excite youth, beginner, amateur, vet and pro racers, keeping the series and travel schedule feasible for a budget-minded racer, sponsor, vendor and/or spectator range, integrate different racing environments, give away great prizes and just put on a good-time event!

You can download an STI Bucks Award Program application here.

Arctic Cat Inc. (ACAT) today unveiled plans to produce an all-new 50-inch wide, trail-legal Wildcat. The narrower stance of the Wildcat model will allow riders access to authorized ATV trails, making the 50-inch Wildcat a versatile option for consumers.

The company expects to begin shipping the 50-inch Wildcat side-by-side to dealers in the 2014 fiscal fourth quarter.

“The new 50-inch trail model builds upon the success of our pure-sport Wildcat,” said Claude Jordan, Arctic Cat’s chairman and CEO. “Our 50-inch model will feature everything enthusiasts love about the Wildcat, including the styling, and will lead the trail category with an unmatched suspension and ride-in comfort. Combine this with an all-new twin-cylinder engine and consumers will have an unrivalled Wildcat riding experience.”

The 50-inch Wildcat trail model further expands Arctic Cat’s Wildcat line, which was named Dirt Trax Magazine’s “Best-In-Class Extreme Performance ROV.” Arctic Cat offers the Wildcat in Base and Limited models, as well as the recently introduced four-seat Wildcat 4 and high-horsepower Wildcat X.

About Arctic Cat – Arctic Cat Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), side-by-sides and snowmobiles under the Arctic Cat brand name, as well as related parts, garments and accessories. Its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol ACAT.

More information about Arctic Cat and its products is available at www.arcticcat.com.

DIRT TRAX MAGAZINE AND HATFIELD MCCOY TRAILS ENTER INTO MEMBER COMMUNICATIONS AGREEMENT

Dirt Trax Magazine, one of the largest circulated off-road publications in North America, has entered into a Member Communications Agreement with West Virginia’s legendary Hatfield McCoy Trails beginning spring 2013.

Hatfield McCoy Trails is the biggest trail sanctioning organization east of the Mississippi River with over 600 miles of organized trails throughout southern West Virginia. Hatfield McCoy’s fully managed and widely marketed trails have become the leading example of a user-pay, motorized recreational trail system in the United States.

Boasting one of the largest memberships in North America, Hatfield McCoy Trails continue to lead the ATV and Side by Side industry by providing 365-day access to West Virginia’s mountain country, linking many of its “ATV friendly” towns year round.

Mike Pinkerton, Director of Marketing for Hatfield McCoy Trails commented about the relationship with Dirt Trax Magazine: “Hatfield McCoy Trails is pleased to partner with Dirt Trax Magazine in a Member Communications Agreement. We see substantial benefit from providing Dirt Trax Magazine to our membership and accessing the magazine’s influence to communicate important news about Hatfield McCoy Trails to our membership. Dirt Trax Magazine is respected in the ATV and SxS industry for honest reporting, great coverage and a commitment to safe, responsible riding.”

Dirt Trax Magazine’s Matt Lester added these comments: “Hatfield McCoy Trails are known as the leaders in motorized recreational trail promotion and development. Dirt Trax Magazine readers love Hatfield McCoy and are anxious to get more information to make riding plans there. Entering into a Member Communications Agreement makes great sense for Dirt Trax Magazine.”

Under the terms of the agreement Dirt Trax Magazine will be mailed to Hatfield MCoy Trails members four times annually. As well, Dirt Trax Magazine will carry exclusive Hatfield McCoy promotion and information in each issue.

Supertrax Media publishes Dirt Trax Magazine in the US and Canada and Supertrax Magazine, the largest circulated snowmobile enthusiast publication in the world. Supertrax Media also produces Dirt Trax Television, the largest viewed ATV and SxS television adventure series in North America and SnowTrax Television, the largest viewed and longest running snowmobile enthusiast television series in North America.

The Hatfield McCoy Trail System is a statutory corporation created by the West Virginia Legislature to generate economic development through tourism in nine southern West Virginia counties. The Hatfield~McCoy Trail System covered more than 500 miles of off-road trails in five of its nine project counties. Each of its six trail systems is open 365 days a year to ATVs, dirt bikes, and utility vehicles (UTVs).