The 2011 CMRC ATV series kick off this weekends at the infamous Walton Raceway home of the Transcan Chris Lee had the facility in fine form as expected. The season opener was a one day event this past Saturday, the rain held off and a great day of racing was had by all.

With nearly a full gate the 5 second board went up and the gate dropped, Tyler had a great reaction and powered toward the first corner grabbing the holeshot!

With 24 more minutes ahead Tyler would have his work cut out for him the keep the pack behind him until the end. After the 4th lap ATVA Pro racer Greg Gee and reining Canada Cup Champion had made his way into second place and was making the push for the pass, Tyler managed to hold him off for another lap or so before Gee made the pass and went on to take the win Tyler ended up a close second, with HB Cycle KTM team mate Ben Hodgson in third, followed by fellow Royal Distributing KTM team mate James Bank in forth. At just 17 Tyler had one of his most memrobale races to date.

We were all very pumped for moto 2 after the rush of the first moto. Expectations were high while the hot lap was underway on the freshly watered track.

Again the gate dropped and again Tyler took the holshot for the second time that day this time with Gee in second, Tyler held of the mighty Baldwin Honda for 4 more laps and then slipped into second.

By the half way point Bank the current CMRC Provincial PRO ATV Champ was in third waiting for his opportunity to take second which he got when Tyler spun in a greasy corner allowing the pass.

Luckily the three of them were far enough ahead that only Bank got by. Tyler would settle for third place still very satisfied with his performance, considering the company it was an extremely well fought battle.

With a 2-3 finish Tyler would claim second overall for the day, a great way to begin the season. The next event will be Round one of the Canada Cup in Quebec on Father’s day, we will keep you posted as things unfold.

Chad Weinen and John Natalie continued to dominate the Pro points standings in the AMA ATV Motocross Championship after racing to first and second place, respectively, at the Millville ATVMX National at Millville, Minnesota this weekend.

Chad was the fastest qualifier and took home the overall win with 2-1 in the motos. His Holz Racing/DWT/Motoworks/Can-Am teammate Natalie went 2-1 in the motos for second overall. In ATVMX standings, Chad Weinen leads with 297 points. John Natalie follows with 287, 34 points ahead of third place.

In Payette, Idaho the fifth round of the World Off Road Championship Series saw more impressive performances from Holz Racing/DWT/Motoworks/Can-Am teammates.

Jeremie Warnia and Josh Frederick placed 1st and 3rd respectively in ATV Pro Class over the weekend. Their podium finish extends their points lead to 117 for Jeremie and 107 for Josh. In Side by Side Class 1, Mark Holz raced his Commander to a second place finish to maintain second in Series Points Standings.

Holz Racing rider Collins Webster had a disappointing 10th place finish in Pro-Am ATV Class at Payette due to a mechanical issue, but holds a comfortable points lead with 105. Jeff McBride took 1st in ATV 40+A Class on his Holz-equipped Honda.

In Side by Side Class 2, Jake Greco grabbed the hole shot with his Holz-equipped RZR S and led the race until he tipped over. After righting the UTV he managed a second place finish.

Chad Weinen and John Natalie will race at the AMA ATV Motocross Championship Series Round 8 at Sunday Creek Raceway in Millfield, Ohio, July 2 and 3. Jeremie Warnia, Josh Frederick, Mark Holz and Collins Webster will compete at the World Off Road Championship Series Round 6 at Washougal, Washington on August 20-21.

The Motorsports Group of Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., has enhanced its consumer facing website: www.yamaha-motor.com.

Based on direct customer feedback, the enhanced site provides a better user experience with easier navigation, more engaging content, and above all, allows consumers to more quickly access the information they want about Yamaha Motorsports products.

The redesigned site features a new layout, larger images and full screen videos, and streamlines navigation by categorizing products such as motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, Side-by-Side vehicles and snowmobiles.

A new Parts & Accessories section provides more information and direct access to Genuine Yamaha Parts and Accessories along with GYTR performance parts and Genuine Star Custom Accessories.

“Yamaha stands for quality and performance, and now the millions of annual online visitors will see that same focus carry over to our enhanced website,” said Dave Byer, Division Manager for the Yamaha Internet Marketing Group. “The redesigned site is more visual and the navigation is streamlined providing easier access to information, photos and videos highlighting Yamaha’s broad range of motorsports products.”

To visit the new version of the Yamaha Motorsports website go to: www.yamaha-motor.com

Wes Miller, founder of H-Bomb Media and the Bomb Squad, will be competing in Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race, the second round of the Australian Off Road Championship, June 10-13.

Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race is a two-day off-road race through the deserts of Australia’s Northern Territory. Miller will be using X-Rex tires from GBC Motorsports to help him conquer the Outback, as racers from around the world vie for the title of “King of the Desert.”

Originating in 1976, the Finke was initially an out-and-back off road race for motorcycles. Cars and buggies were introduced in 1988, and a fierce rivalry developed between two and four wheelers.

Always set for the long holiday weekend celebrating the Queen’s Birthday, the Finke Desert Race in Alice Springs draws upwards of 10,000 spectators along 460km round-trip course.

Miller will head to Australia fresh off his victory in the 450+ class at last weekend’s Tecate SCORE Baja 500 to battle with the best the Australians have to offer. “I’m really excited to head to Australia to compete in the Finke Desert Race,” sad Miller. “This is the premier desert race in Australia and I look forward to putting my Baja racing skills to the test.”

The X-Rex tires from GBC Motorsports are very popular in off road racing, and have made a huge impact in Baja events. “I really want to thank all of my sponsors for helping to make this happen,” said Miller. “GBC Motorsports has really stepped it up and events like this give me the opportunity to prove how great their tires are.”

With Miller’s strong background in media production, expect a lot of coverage to come from down under in the next few weeks. Wes is bringing a camera crew to help document their excursion, and share it with race fans.

For more information on GBC Motorsports please visit www.gbcmotorsports.com.

Reigning NEATV-MX Pro CHampIOn Cody Miller earns third straight Podium

Motoworks / Can-Am racer John Natalie, won both the Pro and Pro-Am overalls at round three of the New England ATV Motocross Series this past weekend in Hurricane Hills, Pa. Natalie was joined on the podium in both classes by BCS Performance / Can-Am rider and reigning NEATV-MX Pro champion Cody Miller.

“It was great to see Can-Am racers earn two spots on the Pro class podium this weekend,” said Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “Natalie proved once again that he’s an elite racer who has knack for winning. And I was pleased to see Cody Miller earn two third-place overall finishes despite having a hard crash in practice the day before. He confirmed he has a lot of guts and is determined to repeat as NEATV champion.”

Natalie, who is a regular in the AMA ATV MX Championship Series and currently second in the Pro class points, competed at Hurricane Hills because it was close to his home. Natalie was in championship form as he won three out of four motos and claimed the overall in both the Pro and Pro-Am classes.

“It was fun to come out here and race this weekend and take a couple of wins. The Can-Am DS 450 ran great and everything went really well,” stated Natalie. “The track was pretty technical with really steep jumps and it got rough out there.”

Miller, who said he was not feeling well but raced anyway, went 3-4 in the Pro class to take third overall and 4-3 finishes in the Pro-am class were enough to secure another third place on the podium for the Can-Am DS 450 racer.

Another Can-Am rider, Josh Creamer, who was second in the NEATV-MX Pro class points prior to round three, was anxious to give his new race engine a work out and did so when he won the first Pro class moto.

However, Creamer’s quad and another rider’s ATV tangled off the start of the second moto, resulting in a hard crash that ended his weekend of racing. Battered and bruised, Creamer feels he’ll be ready after a few weeks of recovery.

For more information on Can-Am racing, the entire 2011 schedule, the 2011 contingency program and Can-Am DS 450 ATV amateur racer support program, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.

BRP announces that it has hired all-terrain vehicle media representative and freelance journalist Jerrod Kelley as a consultant to its Can-Am marketing team.

He will be based out of his home office in Alexandria, Minn., and report to Chaz Rice, Manager, Media and Public Relations for Can-Am. In his consultant role, Kelley will manage and coordinate all ATV and side-by-side media requests, assist with the Can-Am social media effort and also offer media support for the Can-Am Spyder roadster.

“Jerrod has many years of valuable experience in the ATV and off-road industry — having worked for a publishing company as a magazine editor for more than a decade — and the professionalism and integrity to back it up,” said Rice. “As BRP continues to grow its Can-Am vehicle line-up and build upon its brand, Jerrod will be able to bring his expertise to our media relations efforts and ever-increasing social media presence.”

Kelley worked for Affinity Powersports Media (Ehlert Publishing Group) in the ATV editorial department for 11 years and finished his tenure there as editor of ATV Sport magazine. Since 2009, he has been self employed as a freelance journalist within in the ATV industry and has supplied content in the form of stories, social media, public relations materials, photography and more for several off-road magazines and businesses.

“I’m thrilled for this new opportunity and I’m very excited to work with such an innovative and forward-thinking company like BRP,” stated Kelley. “Being an ATV enthusiast myself, having been in this industry since 1998 as a member of the ATV media, I’m very familiar with the Can-Am brand and the media outlets I’ll be working with in this new role. I think it’s an ideal fit to join with an organization that is dedicated to raising the bar, while at the same time appealing to hard-core riders and racers.”

Within the next few weeks, Kelley will be contacting the members of the ATV and off-road media to introduce himself and discuss his new role with the Can-Am brand. He will be meeting select media representatives at the upcoming 2012 product launch.

After months of seemingly endless rain and cancelled races the GBC crew rolled into the Rock Run GNCC in Patton, PA to find near perfect weather conditions with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 70’s. Upon completing the pre-race course inspection several top XC1 riders commented that the hard pack clay surface, with numerous jagged rocks strewn throughout would be a tire torture test of both traction and durability.

When the green flag dropped for the 10am race it was Kristen “Lightning” Atwell who used the grip of her X-Rex tires to grab her 4th consecutive holeshot. The top 3 ladies put on a show through the two hour race and all came flying across the finish line separated by less than 3 seconds. Kristen earned the second place position as well as 3rd overall out of 226 riders.

There was a scent of anticipation in the air as the riders lined up for the afternoon race, and it only heightened as the race got underway. It is quickly becoming a trend for GBC racers to earn the coveted holeshot awards and this week it was Bryan Cook’s turn. His Ground Buster II XC’s helped him launch off the line and lead the pack of XC1 pro riders out onto the 12.5-mile course. Cook finished 11th in round 7 but remains in 6th overall for the season.

In what has already been labeled the most exciting race in GNCC history the top 15 overall riders were separated by mere inches for over 3/4 of the race. Johnny Gallagher ended the day in 6th position, moving him up to 10th place in the standings. “I started near the back and had to fight and claw all day. The track made passing difficult, but my Ground Buster II’s hooked up awesome and pulled me up through the pack,” said Johnny after matching his season best finish.

Kevin Yoho followed Gallagher, finishing in 8th. Yoho sits just ahead of Gallagher in the points at 9th place. Jeff Pickens rebounded from a crash to cross the line in 9th and is in 11th in the points standings. With 6 rounds of racing complete GBC has a combined 9 riders in top 10 points positions of the premier XC1 and XC 2 classes.

David Reeves rode his Derisi Racing/ GBC backed machine to his 2nd win of 2011 in the Junior A class. Other standout rides by GBC supported riders included Rick Cecco’s 3rd place in the 4×4 open class, Jay Shadron’s 2nd place in the schoolboy A/B class, and Ashley Barbee finishing 2nd in the women’s novice class.

About GBC Motorsports: GBC Motorsports has been building ATV tires for over 30 years. Manufactured under the Greenball name initially, in 1995, GBC Motorsports was formed to focus on bringing to the ATV and Powersports market performance tires for every riding style. GBC Motorsport’s passion is to provide the highest quality, best value, and most innovative performance tires to the Powersports enthusiast.

The Team Motoworks / Can-Am DS 450 piloted by Josh Frederick, Jeremie Warnia and Dillon Zimmerman took first overall in what is classified as one of the toughest off-road endurance races in North America.

The team did not just win, it dominated, when the checked flag flew, the Motoworks team had an advantage of 10 laps on the rest of the 36-ATV field.

“To win a race like this by 10 laps really shows how prepared the Motoworks team and riders was for the race,” said Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “Everyone on the team from the riders to the mechanics focused on doing everything to ensure a win at the race, and the DS 450 delivered for them.”

The win is the first La Tuque victory for the Can-Am DS 450, and the first for the Motoworks / Can-Am team. This is not the first time BRP has been victorious in the race, however. In 2002 a team piloting a DS 650 in the inaugural event took the victory.

This is the 10th anniversary of the race which takes place annually in La Tuque, Quebec, which is a three-and-a-half hour drive northeast from Montreal.

The race consists of three four-hour sessions (two in daylight and one in darkness) where teams try to complete as many laps of the course as possible in each session.

When a session ends, the race ATVs are impounded and cannot be worked on until the start of the next session. After 12 hours of racing, the team with the most laps completed wins.

Racer Quote

“The track was a lot rougher than I expected, but our Can-Am worked so good in the rough that it wasn’t an issue. Everyone was really nice there, the event was very well organized and we had a very good experience. This race was a lot like a WORCS race, so we decided to run a set-up that we knew. The Motoworks WORCS set-up is proven and it worked out really well, especially because we won.” – Josh Frederick

For more information on Can-Am racing, the entire 2011 schedule, the 2011 contingency program and Can-Am DS 450 ATV amateur racer support program, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.