Looking to build on the 2009 multi-championship success, BRP is pledging support to various race-team partners and more than 20 factory-supported racers in the Can-Am X-Team support program. In all, more than 30 racers will have some level of factory backing as they compete in all the major national and regional ATV-racing series in North America.
"At BRP, every product we develop sees benefit from successes on the race track," says Denis Morin, vice-president, Product development & Racing. "Last year marked the most successful ATV-racing season for Can-Am with seven Pro and amateur overall championships. With multiple riders receiving support from BRP once again this season, we are confident to bring home more championships than ever before."
Team Warnert Racing / Can-Am
Warnert Racing will concentrate 100 percent on the Grand National Cross Country series (GNCC) 13-round championship, fielding seven racers in six classes. Returning in the XC1 Pro class is Chris Bithell (#13). This will be his third season with Warnert Racing on the Can-Am DS 450™ EFI ATV. Joining Bithell in the XC 1 Pro class is Adam McGill (#3), who finished last season with multiple Pro-class podiums and third in the points championship. Both riders have one goal: giving BRP's Can-Am DS 450 a GNCC XC 1 Pro championship.
In the 4x4 classes, Warnert is supporting three racers. Defending his 4x4 Open-class championship on the Can-Am Outlander™ 800R EFI XT™ ATV will be Bryan Buckhannon (#230). Joining him in the morning race is multi-time GNCC champion Michael Swift (#204), who will race an Outlander 800R EFI XT ATV in the 4x4 Limited class. Finally, Cliff Beasley (#206) moves to the U2 class. Beasley will race the Can-Am Renegade™ 800R EFI X™ xc.
Lexie Coulter (#220) joins Warnert Racing to continue her quest for the championship in the Women's class. Jamie Bithell (#28) looks to build on the experience he gained with the Can-Am DS 450 last season when he finished second in the College A (16-21) class. In 2010, Bithell signs on with the Warnert team and will return to the class hungry to earn a championship.
Team Motoworks / Can-Am
The Motoworks team's main focus in 2010 will be to bring home championships in both the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) out west and AMA/ATVA Motocross National series in the eastern United States. For the ATV Motocross nationals, Motoworks will have three riders. Returning to race the Can-Am DS 450 will be former national champion, John Natalie (#13). Joining him in the Pro 450 class are Chad Wienen (#44) and Jeremie Warnia (#62). Wienen currently leads the Pro-class points championship in the preseason warm-up World MX Racing series and won the Montreal Supercross on a Can-Am DS 450 late last season. Warnia will see his first full season at the ATV Motocross nationals.
In the WORCS series multi-time champion Josh Frederick (#2) will lead the charge to bring the Pro-class championship back to Can-Am DS 450. He will be joined in the Pro-ranks by last-year's Pro-Am-class champion, Dillon Zimmerman (#49).
In the New England ATV MX series, defending champion Joe Haavisto (#75) has made the switch to a Motoworks-prepped DS 450 ATV for the 2010 season. He will look to win his third-straight NEAVT-MX championship in 2010.
Team BCS Performance / Can-Am
Cody Miller (#22) is looking to shake up the NEATV-MX Pro class aboard the Can-Am DS 450 in 2010. The racer has plenty of seat time on the machine, finishing ninth overall with one Pro-class podium during the 2009 ATV motocross national season. BCS Performance is also supporting several amateur DS 450 riders in the 12-round New England-based series.
MPR Racing
Long-time Can-Am racer and one of the most popular ATV racers in GNCC history, Mike Penland (#240), will move to the Utility Senior (45+) class for next season on an Outlander 800R EFI XT.
Can-Am X-Team
In addition to the partner teams, Can-Am offers factory race support to numerous riders. The CMRC Canadian Nationals see Richard Pelchat (#46), Michael Ouellette (#41), Philippe Bellerose (#601) and Pier-Olivier Lavergne (#428) race motocross in 2010. While in the Canadian FMSQ cross-country series, Amelie Lavallee will defend her series title racing aboard a DS 450 for the Can-Am X-Team.
In the GNCC series, Scott Kilby (#207) will compete in the 4x4 Limited class on an Outlander ATV. Kilby will be joined in the class by Ken Robey (#209) on his Outlander 800R. In the 4x4 Open class, Zac Zakowski (#223) will compete for the team aboard an Outlander. In the U2 class the Can-Am X-Team will feature Jeremie Dudding (#241) aboard a Renegade™ 800R EFI X™ xc and Sam Williams (#216) competing on a Renegade 800R ATV. Lance Smith will race the GNCC Vet A (30+) class in the afternoon on a DS 450 and Kevin Trantham (#233) will ride an Outlander 500 EFI XT in the 4x4 Lites class.
Two racers in the AMA ATV Motocross Championship amateur classes are also receiving support. Cole Henry (#11) came up just shy of two class championships last season and is looking to bring the DS 450 a motocross championship as he races the Pro-Am Production and Production A classes on his DS 450. Henry will also receive support from Motoworks in the WORCS racing series this season. Joining him in the motocross championship series will be Cameron Reimers (#21), who will race a DS 450 in the Pro-Am Production and Pro-Am Unlimited classes.
Racing the Extreme Dirt Track ATVA Nationals series will be Chuckie Creech (#25) on a DS 450. Creech finished last season third in the Pro points championship and will be looking to give Can-Am its first wins in the series.
In Texas, as part of the TQRA race series, Hunter Miller (#90) is getting X-Team support to race the Pro-Am motocross class on a DS 450. He will also contest the Texas Off-Road Nationals ATV Series (TORN) as part of the Can-Am X-Team.
Finally, BRP is pledging Can-Am X-Team support for the Gorilla Axle Mud-Racing team in 2010. The team will represent BRP with Can-Am Outlander and Can-Am Renegade ATVs at various mud races and events throughout 2010.
Visit www.can-amxteam.com for more information on the contingency program, photos on the 2009 season along with information and results from the upcoming 2010 ATV racing season.
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, direct injection technologies such as E-TEC, Can-Am all-terrain vehicles and roadsters, as well as Rotax engines and karts. With manufacturing facilities on three continents, BRP products are distributed in more than 80 countries.