Can-Am X-Team Riders Record 6 Class Podiums at John Penton GNCC Race
Robert Boop
Can-Am X-Team riders had a successful showing at round eight of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country series earning six podiums at The John Penton event held in Millfield, Ohio. Clifton Beasley won his 27th consecutive ATV race with another victory in the U2 ATV class. Another X-Team rider Kevin Trantham continued his unbeaten streak in 2012 by winning the 4x4 Lites ATV class and finishing second overall on the GNCC morning podium. And Bryan Buckhannon also won the 4x4 Open ATV class to pull within four points of the class points leader before the summer break.
"We had a great morning session in Ohio, with several of our X-Team-supported racers winning their individual classes," said Jimmie O'Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. "Cliff and Kevin, each put in one of their best races of the season in the very challenging conditions at the John Penton event, and both are having a very awesome year.”
Beasley is in complete control of the U2 class aboard his Team UXC Can-Am Renegade 800R X xc with a 27-point lead. One more class win will secure another title for the X-Team racer, who won his class by more than four minutes at round nine. “I’m real happy to take another win. I have one more race to win before I wrap up the championship, then I can relax a little,” he said. “I had a pretty good race out there. It was pretty slick in the morning and people were spinning out all over the place so I just tried to ride smart and ride my own race and it paid off.”
Aboard his Zakowski Motorsports-prepared Can-Am Outlander 500 XT, Trantham earned his 14th straight victory in the 4x4 Lites class dating back to 2010. His second overall on the morning podium was a career best.
Buckhannon, on his Can-Am Outlander 800R X xc, notched his fourth victory of the season in the 4x4 Open class. He won by more than 14 seconds and trails Can-Am X-Team racer Michael Swift by only four points going into Round 10. Swift led for much of the race, but bobbled on a hill allowing Buckhannon to take the lead. “Michael Swift and I were really battling out there and it was really fun to have good racing like that,” said Buckhannon.
In XC1 Pro class action, Team Warnert Racing / Can-Am DS 450 racer Chris Bithell held an early lead, then ran in third place for much of the day before eventually finishing in a respectable fourth place. The Pennsylvania racer is currently fourth in the Pro-class point standings. Teammate Adam McGill, who also was an early race leader on his DS 450 ATV, was slowed by an electrical issue and ended up in 11th place. At the break, McGill sits comfortably in second place in the championship points race.
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