Press Release –

American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) announced today that it has hired Rod Lopusnak as its new National Sales Manager.

Lopusnak will manage all sales functions, including the company’s four sales regions as well as dealer development and dealer relations. He begins his new role with ASMC immediately.

“Rod’s return to American Suzuki’s motorcycle and ATV division will certainly deliver rewards through his vast experience in the industry,” said Mac Kato, vice president of American Suzuki’s motorcycle/ATV division. “Rod brings a thorough understanding of the motorcycle industry and of our need to serve both Suzuki dealers and customers.”

With experience working in motorcycle dealers, as a Suzuki District Sales Manager, and at the ASMC headquarters in Brea, Calif., as ATV Operations Manager, Lopusnak brings valuable experience to his new role.

“I am thrilled and honored to be on the American Suzuki team,” said Lopusnak. “This is a dream position for me, I can remember being a dealer and dreaming about this. I consider Suzuki, each employee and the dealers as part of my family! I’m just excited to get started and to speak with the best dealers in the industry every day. This is a special day for me and my family.”

His duties as National Sales Manager will include management of all sales functions, including ASMC’s four sales regions as well as dealer development and dealer relations.

Lopusnak spent the last 14 months as Vice President of Business Development with Tucker Rocky Distributing, a national distributor of parts and accessories to the motorcycle and ATV industry.

Press Release –

Support Offers At Least $3,000 In Benefits, 75% Parts Discount, Factory Race Tips And More

Amateur racers who ride the Can-Am™ DS 450™ EFI ATV now have unprecedented access to factory racing support thanks to the 2009 Can-Am X-Team DS 450 Racer Support Program. No matter the race series and no matter the class, amateur DS 450 racers can apply through any authorized Can-Am dealer and receive factory support upon racer approval.

“This is just one of the ways Can-Am is standing behind its racers,” says Bernard Guy, Director of Marketing, Can-Am ATVs. “We proved last season the DS 450 is competitive at the professional level and now we want to extend support to everyone who chooses to race a DS 450. We feel if someone who is considering a race ATV brand, this program makes it an easy decision; race a DS 450 and you will have the factory standing behind you.”

A racer who is approved, and purchases a DS 450 in the program timeframe, will receive a one-year Can-Am X-Team Membership card with unique racer ID giving access to a $1,000 racer discount on any new or unused 2008 DS 450 or a $500 on any new or unused 2009 model and a $1,000 X-Team Racer parts account.

The approved racer will also receive a FREE X-Team Stage 1 Racing kit (up to a $1,000 value). This kit (Racing Engine Control Module, Motoworks SR4 aluminum slip-on silencer, and other factory-developed racing items) brings the crank horsepower of the DS 450 to 50 hp – an improvement of 11 percent on stock – while considerably increasing low end torque.

Approved racers will also receive a significant discount on specific Can-Am X-Team Performance Packages. Four performance packages are available to further customize the DS 450 (other than X mx and X xc models) to specific racing applications, and they are offered at an unbelievable 75 percent off MSRP to approved racers.

From KYB shock packages to 50-inch widening kits; these performance packages have been race-tested with winning results:

MX 50″

This kit contains +2″ MX (motocross) racing A-arms, caster and camber adjustable by 1° increments, with extended tie-rods and brake lines, as well as a racing-specific hollow rear axle adjustable from 46″ to 50″ by 1″ increments. ($1,400 retail value; $349.98 racer price)

MX 50″ KYB Shock

Consists of a pair of KYB HPG C40 aluminum piggyback front shocks and one KYB HPG C46 aluminum remote reservoir rear shock. Shocks are Kashima-coated for lower friction, with dual-speed compression, rebound and preload adjustments and come complete with racing spring set-up. Mated with the MX 50″ package, this kit provides 10.7″ of travel and an optimal 7″ ride height for MX racing. ($2,300 retail value; $574.98 racer price)

XC 46″ KYB Shock

Package consists of a pair of KYB HPG C36 aluminum piggyback front shocks and one KYB HPG C40 aluminum piggyback rear shock. Shocks come with dual-speed compression, rebound and preload adjustments and complete with racing spring set-up. Mated with the standard DS 46″ width, this kit provides 9.6″ of front travel, 10.5″ of rear travel and an optimal 7.5″ ride height for XC (cross-country) racing. ($1,500 retail value; $374.98 racer price)

Steering stem and handlebars

Package includes an extra-strength extended 1″ steering stem with anti-vibe mounts and an aluminum 6061-T6 taper-profile handlebars with square pad. This package is recommended for racing with all 2008 and 2009 DS 450 standard and 2008 DS 450 X package models. ($300 retail value; $74.98 racer price)

Moreover, racers will not only have access to more than 1 million dollars in race contingency in 11 national and regional racing series, but approved X-Team racers winning a class championship will be featured on advertising in the pages of ATV Insider magazine and on many racing websites. This can launch a career and get sponsors to notice!

Last but not least, X-Team racers will be notified by the Can-Am Racing department if important racing tips become available during the 2009 season.

Full details of the program and more race information can be found at www.can-am.brp.com or www.can-amxteam.com.

Press Release –

Can-Am Offers Over $355,000 in ATV Contingency, the Largest ATV Program in the 2009 GNCC Racing Series

Grand National Cross County Series Title Sponsor Can-Am returns for the GNCC Series with a new, larger contingency program, as their 2009 GNCC payout for ATVs totals $355,800.

The Can-Am program features the largest ATV payout in the GNCC Series.

The Can-Am program offers contingency from GNCC Youth and Utility classes all the way up to the pro ranks.

Can-Am awards the XC1 Pro class race winner a prize of $2,500, followed by $1,000 for second, and $750 for third.

“We stepped up our contingency program in 2009 to help support the ATV racers out there dedicated to Can-Am ATVs,” said Del Bohlman, Racing Manager for Can-Am ATVs at BRP. “We want to see as many yellow Can-Am ATVs out on the GNCC course as possible and will continue to support the GNCC series and ATV racing as a whole. We can’t wait for the season to begin.”

Click here for more information and scroll through all of the 2009 GNCC contingency postings.

The 2009 AMA/ATVA Grand National Cross Country Series begins with The Parts Unlimited River Ranch in River Ranch, FL on February 28- March 3.

Press Release –

The 2009 ATV racing season is already underway and BRP is setting lofty goals for its Can-AmTM ATV racers and teams for this season.

At the top of the list is championships. Last season, Can-Am racers took home championships in the WORCS, CMRC Canadian Nationals and the GNCC series.

In all, racers claimed five championships across North America. It should be an exciting season as Can-Am continues to support ATV racing at both the local and national level.

“Our goal when racing any product line at BRP is to win races and championships,” says Del Bohlman, Racing Manager for Can-Am ATVs at BRP. “Our ATV racers and partner teams gave us our most successful ATV racing season last year and we are really looking forward to this season when we will continue where we left off. Our race teams are working hard right now to build upon the successes of this past season.”

Like last season, Can-Am will field several teams out of four full-out racing semis.

In all, there will be more than 30 Can-Am factory-sponsored racers in the WORCS, ITP Quadcross, CMRC, AMA ATV National Motocross Championship, Rock Maple Racing, Championship Mud Racing and GNCC series.

Here is a list of the teams and lineups:

Team Warnert Racing / Can-Am

Warnert Racing will field riders in both the ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited and the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country series.

In the AMA series, both John Natalie (#13) and Cody Miller (#22) will race DS 450TM EFI ATVs against the top pros from around the world in the premier ATV Motocross championship on the planet.

Last season, Natalie finished fifth overall with two moto wins during the season. His teammate, Miller, tied for tenth place in points with consistent finishes in the top 10.

In the GNCC series, Warnert Racing welcomes back Chris Bithell (#13) and has a new rider in the stable with Brent Sturdivant (#105).

Both will race DS 450 ATVs in the XC1 Pro class against the top woods racers in the world. Bithell took the overall win at the Unadilla GNCC in 2008 and look forward to repeating the feat several times in 2009.

Sturdivant will look to build upon the experience he gained last year on the DS 450.

Warnert also will support riders in the 4×4 classes as Bryan Buckhannon (#203), Michael Swift (#205) and Cliff Beasley (#208) will all race Can-Am OutlanderTM ATVs in the three 4×4 classes.

Each of the three racers will be defending championships in their respective classes. They are: Buckhannon, 4×4 Open; Swift, 4×4 Limited and Beasley, 4×4 Lites.

In the U2 class, Rick Cecco (#221) will race a Can-Am Renegade 800 XTM in the class and looks to secure the first championship for the Renegade.

Team Motoworks / Can-Am

The Motoworks team moves east this year and takes on the AMA ATV Motocross Championship with Jeremy Lawson (#16) and Brandon Smith (#70) racing DS 450 ATVs out of the rig.

Lawson will look to improve upon his fifth-place overall finish in 2008, and his teammate, Smith, is excited to bring experience in the ITP Quadcross Pro class east to take on the best ATV motocross racers on Earth.

Out west, WORCS 2008 Pro-class defending champion, Josh Frederick (#1), will pilot his DS 450 in the WORCS championship and the ITP Quadcross series.

Frederick has had an exciting 2009 thus far as he finished second in the PIAA 8-Hour Endurance Race, missing first by a mere 20 seconds. However Frederick took the win for the opening round of the WORCS series.

His teammate in the WORCS Pro class will be Jeremie Warnia (#62) who will also contest the ITP Quadcross Pro class aboard a DS 450.

In the amateur ranks will be Dillion Zimmerman (#49) who had a phenomenal 2008 season finishing second in the WORCS Pro-Am class and first in the 91-450 4-Stroke Expert class at the Quadcross series.

Team Epic Racing / Can-Am

The Epic moves west to contest the Quadcross series with two DS 450 riders out of the racing semi.

Sage Baker (#49) will bring valuable experience he gained last year in the AMA ATV Motocross to the premier west-coast ATV motocross series. His teammate will be Hunter Miller (#90), brother of Can-Am rider Cody Miller.

Miller contested the AMA ATV Motocross series last season and looks forward to the challenge of the Quadcross series.

Can-Am X-Team

In addition to the partner teams, Can-Am offers factory race support to numerous riders.

The CMRC Canadian Nationals will see both Richard Pelchat (#46) and Michael Ouellette (#41) race in 2009.

Pelchat is the defending Canadian national champion and he will also race in the AMA ATV Motocross series.

In the GNCC series, Mike Penland will race in the 4×4 Limited class (#235) and Scott Kilby (#210) will compete in the 4×4 Open class, both will ride Outlander 800R ATVs, while Lexie Coulter (#217) will race a DS 450 in the Women’s class.

Can-Am veteran, Jeremie Dudding (#226), will switch to a Renegade 800R X and compete in the U2 class for 2009.

There will also be riders in the AMA ATV Motocross Championship amateur classes, in particular, Angel Adkins, in the Women class and Cole Henry, in the 450 classes, who recently gave the 2009 DS 450 X mx its first race win. The Rock Maple Racing QTC class will feature Jamie Bougher (#274) aboard a Can-Am Outlander; Bougher will also race in the GNCC series.

And in the ITP Championship Mud Racing series, the entire Gorilla Axle race team will compete on Can-Am Outlander ATVs along side the Performance East, Inc., race team, which will also contest the series on Outlander ATVs.

In addition, Can-Am is offering an extensive contingency program for Pro and amateur racers for 2009.

Contingency money will be paid in the following race series: GNCC series, AMA ATV Motocross Championship, CMRC Canadian National Championship, CMRC Quebec Provincial Championship, WORCS, ITP Quadcross, Score Baja/BITD series, Rock Maple Racing series, NE-ATVMX, PAMX and OMA series.

In all, Can-Am is pledging more than $1.1 million in contingency money toward ATV racing across North America.

Visit www.can-amxteam.com for more information on the contingency program and photos on the 2008 season and upcoming 2009 ATV racing season.