Upon arrival at the top of Snowshoe Mountain in Snowshoe, WV, fans are greeted by picturesque views, a village that offers plush lodging, fine dining and activities for the whole family.

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is just another ski resort, however. The terrain that lurks in the woods and slopes below the village is some of the most rugged on earth, and once a year the town hosts the GNCC series for what is billed as “America’s Toughest Race.”

The unique starting grid for this event lines riders up in rows of five as they were flagged off in five-second increments. The morning race would utilize only one side of the mountain, making the course 14 miles in length.

Kevin McKeown was the top finishing GBC rider by winning the 16-19 C class for the 4th time in 2011. He placed 11th overall. Forest Wharton once again bested the +45 4×4 class. Garon Davis used his 2nd place finish in the Sport 15+ class to further extend his series points lead.

Kristen Atwell used her considerable rough-terrain experience and the grip of her X-Rex tires to claim 3rd in the Pro Women’s class for the day. Kara Merritt followed in 4th and is just one point out of the top three in the standings.

The afternoon pro race featured a “double loop,” bringing the course length up to 23 miles. Upon completion of lap number one, GBC riders Bryan Cook and Johnny Gallagher had worked their way up to 3rd and 4th respectively, mere seconds from the race leader.

Halfway through the 2-hour race Cook and Gallagher both checked in inside the top 5. Unfortunately Gallagher suffered a mechanical failure in the third lap that ended his day early.

Cook continued to shred the Snowshoe trails and after 2 hours and 10 minutes of racing crossed the finish line in 3rd place, making his first podium appearance of the 2011 season. “I made the switch to the X-Rex rear tires for the rough conditions of this race and I couldn’t be happier with the result,” said Cook.

Kevin Yoho and Jeff Pickens would also place their GBC-equipped machines inside the top 10 for the day. In the XC2 Pro Am class teammates Aarol Bright and Richie Brown finished 4th and 5th respectively, capping off an impressive day for GBC Motorsports.

Team Gorilla Axle / Can-Am had another good showing in the ITP Championship Mud Racing (CMR) series held at Southern Ridge ATV Park in Dozier Ridge, Ala.

Three riders piloted their Can-Am vehicles to five total podiums, including second overall in the highly competitive Pro A division.

Steve Hittle has led the way aboard his Can-Am Outlander in the Pro A class in 2011 with five heat wins and an overall.

The Team Gorilla Axle / Can-Am racer won round two and then finished second at round three to take over the class points lead. Hittle leads Can-Am-mounted racer Ethan LaFontaine by 10 points heading into round four. Hittle also is a major contender in the RUV class with his Can-Am Commander 1000 X. He’s currently No. 2 in that class and in the Super Modified (Open) division.

“Team Gorilla / Can-Am riders continue to challenge for the CMR title in their respective classes on ATVs and behind the wheel of the Commander side-by-side,” said Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “Steve had another good run in the Pro A class, finishing second and maintaining his points lead.”

Lisa Wise, who competes in Pro A as well as the Women’s class on a Can-Am Renegade 800R, is also having a good season. She finished second in the Women’s class in Alabama to secure second overall for the season with five rounds remaining.

Wise is currently third overall in the Pro A class, where she earned second overall at round 2 and has three heat wins in 2011. She’s also tied for third place with her husband, Mark, in the Super Modified (Open) class aboard an Outlander 800R.

Mark, who also competes in the Pro B division, won round two and took second at round three to climb into third place in the division aboard his Gorilla Axle / Can-Am 800. He’s currently in fourth place in the RUV class in his Commander 1000 X.

“The CMR series is about riding, strategy and the challenge of getting through the pit. Going fast and winning is the rewarding part of racing, of course, but this sport is also about family and friends, too,” explained Lisa Wise. “Racing for Gorilla Axle and Can-Am is awesome and they’re always open to our suggestions and they give us the equipment to go faster. We’re so proud to wear the Team Gorilla / Can-Am gear and to be racing for them and winning trophies.”

CMR Round 3 Results:

– Steve Hittle: 2nd Pro A; 3rd Open Class
– Lisa Wise: 2nd Women’s
– Mark Wise: 3rd RUV; 3rd Pro B

Round four of the ITP Championship Mud Racing series presented by Can-Am is scheduled for July 2, at Creekbottom Trail Rides in Doles, Ga.

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.

Motoworks / Can-Am pro ATV racer and current AMA ATV MX Championship series Pro-class points leader Chad Wienen crashed Friday while training at his practice track in Illinois suffering a season-ending injury to his back.

Medical crews were on the scene quickly and he was transported to an area hospital. At the hospital, it was discovered Wienen broke two vertebrae in the middle of his back, but he suffered no major spinal cord injury and has feeling in his extremities.

Wienen underwent surgery on Saturday to stabilize his back. The surgery to fuse several vertebrae in his back was successful and he is conscious and talking; he may be moved out of recovery today. He is anxious to get back on his feet and will start rehabbing as soon as he gets approval from the doctors.

“Chad is a hard-working and dedicated racer and I am sure he will tackle his recovery from this injury just like he tackled his training: with 100-percent commitment,” said Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “I was glad to hear the surgery was successful and Chad is in good spirits and ready to move on and start recovering. He is in the thoughts and prayers of everyone here at BRP.”

Wienen will not be racing for the remainder of the 2011 season. He currently leads teammate John Natalie by 10 points in the Pro-class points and had four overall wins in seven rounds of racing this year.

With four more rounds of racing in the season, the team’s focus will be on getting Natalie a championship and making sure Wienen has everything he needs to fully recover from this injury.

Wienen wanted to make sure everyone knows how much he appreciates the outpouring of support from his fans and of that from the industry.

Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP), a privately held company, is a world leader in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of motorised recreational vehicles. Its portfolio of brands and products includes: Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea‑Doo watercraft and sport boats, Evinrude and Johnson outboard engines, Can-Am all‑terrain and side-by-side vehicles and roadsters, as well as Rotax engines. BRP products are distributed in more than 100 countries. www.brp.com

Wes Miller, founder of H-Bomb Media and the Bomb Squad, took to the red-soil trails of the Outback as he managed to finish 2nd after two grueling days of racing.

Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race is considered by many to be Australia’s version of the Baja 1000 and was held June 11-13.

GBC Motorsports provided Miller with X-Rex tires to help him tackle the rough Aussie terrain as he competed with some of the fastest racers in the southern hemisphere.

Miller has plenty of experience in off-road racing, winning four Baja 500s in as many years as well as two Baja 1000s and three straight SCORE championships.

Most recently, Miller helped teammates Wayne Matlock and Josh Caster win the Open Pro ATV Class in the 2011 Baja 500, just a week before the Finke Desert Race was set to begin. The team is leading in points in the 2011 SCORE season and is poised to win another championship.

Following a quick turnaround Miller and his crew spent the week in Alice Springs, Australia building a quad from the ground up.

As title sponsor for Miller’s endeavor, GBC Motorsports provided X-Rex tires for the race. “GBC has a long history of supporting racing, and when I approached them about this event, they were 100% behind it,” Miller said. He powered his way into 2nd place overall aboard a Honda TRX700XX, equipped with X-Rex tire. “GBC’s X-Rex tires offer great traction and puncture resistance,” he went on to say. “They also work really well in a variety of terrain, which is what I needed for this type of race.”

After qualifying 8th, Miller managed to finish the first day of racing in 2nd, less than two minutes behind the leader. During the second day of racing Miller was able to close the gap on the leader, but could not quite make up the deficit. “I gave it my best and I felt that I rode the 700XX as fast as I could go in those conditions,” Miller said. “And I had no flats for the entire 280 miles.”

Miller noted that there was less terrain variation than is typical of Baja races, but that Finke had its share of surprises. “The whoops are brutal, but it reminded me more of a groomed high speed grand prix course in the US.” He averaged 52.82 mph on his quad, a mere 0.1 mph behind the winner. “The racers there are definitely fast and I feel like they approach the event with more of a kamikaze attitude. I definitely tip my hat to the Aussie riders.”

The huge “Good Times Sales Event” promotion launched by Kawasaki in April has reached the half-way point and the company said that more than 3.2 million game pieces will have been distributed to consumers by the end of July.

Following the event’s July 31st conclusion, each of the 820 participating Kawasaki dealers will be giving away a new Kawasaki motorcycle or ATV.

Chris Brull, Kawasaki’s director of marketing, said “this multi-tiered program represents one of the largest promotional outreach campaigns the company has undertaken, and the event is by far the largest vehicle giveaway in Kawasaki’s history.”

National television spots have been running on ESPN/ESPN2, SPEED, Fuel TV, National Geographic TV, and History Channel, in addition to direct promotions through the company’s website, direct mail and the network of independent Kawasaki dealers.

It combines instant win opportunities for consumers, including four Grand Prize giveaways of 2011 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero cruisers (or a different Kawasaki vehicle of the players choice).

Other “Good Times Sales Event” prizes include $250 off any Kawasaki vehicle over 249cc, 15 percent off any Kawasaki accessory item, or 10 percent off dealer service. Additionally, more than 115,000 certificates for free Green Day music downloads and Monster Energy Drink buy-one-get-one-free coupons will be given away.

However, as Brull pointed out, the most unique component of the promotion is the sheer number of units that will be given away through the 820 participating Kawasaki dealers, with each of them holding post-event drawings for a new 2011 Ninja 250R sportbike or a Bayou 250 ATV. “This is a giant undertaking which will impact a lot of enthusiasts in a very positive way,” added Brull.

To participate, holders of a “Ticket to Win” distributed through direct mail, dealer contact, or requested at www.kawasaki.com/win, will need to bring their ticket to a participating local dealer to have it read by an in-store decoder which will light-up to reveal their prize.

Once they have processed their Ticket to Win in-store, players may also register for that dealer’s individual 2011 Ninja 250R sportbike or Bayou 250 ATV giveaway.

The company will announce all winners in August.