Team UXC Off to a Fast Start in the Early Rounds of 2017 Grand National Cross Country Series Racing
- 20 Mar 2017
K&N-sponsored Team UXC competes in both the ATV and UTV classes of the GNCC. This year’s series offered a bit of a twist at the beginning of the schedule. The change created a staggered start for the ATV and UTV classes. “To change things up a bit, Big Buck in South Carolina was our first destination, making the Hog Waller mud bog in Florida round 2,” Swift said. “It also meant our UTVs would not be making an appearance until Round 2.” Here is a look at the first two round of the GNCC for Team UXC.
Michael Swift’s son, Tayton, started the day and the season off right with an impressive 3rd place in the 90 Limited 8-12 class. After watching his son’s performance, Michael Swift was ready to board his Polaris Scrambler XP 1000 for the first full race since his wreck at Ironman. The Pro 4x4 racer did not feel up to full race fitness, but was ready to get back to competition. Lining up alongside Swift, was teammate and fellow Pro 4x4 rider, Kevin Trantham. Trantham was fresh off of winter training and was excited to see what the 2017 machine would do on the varied terrain at Big Buck.
Trantham ran a fast and competitive race and brought his Polaris home in 3rd. He said the varied course of Big Buck lent itself well to the high maneuverability of the Scrambler. The motor was strong and the Teixeira-Tech chassis components were key contributors to this podium finish. Team UXC 4x4 Senior Class racer, Graham Widdicombe, raced to a solid 5th place finish in the season opener. This is Widdicombe's second season with the team. Round 2 ATV / Round 1 UTV – Wild Boar, Florida Swift says the Wild Boar round presents some unique challenges in the GNCC series. “It’s always hard to know what will happen in Florida as it’s a unique terrain compared to the rest of the tour,” Swift said. “However, the sand, pine trees, and bog combination always means a rough, often tight track. It presents a challenge to both the machine and the racer with sand sapping both power and energy.”
“Many will know Jesi’s story, but for those who don’t, an unfortunate accident left this young lady paralyzed,” Swift said. “However, never one to let anything stand in her way, she has found that racing single seat UTVs has given her a great release. After finishing her first race in the Ace two years ago, she said it made her feel like she had legs again. We look forward to having her on the team and her continued success!” In her UTV race, Stracham got a fantastic start but unfortunately caught a tree, which affected the steering on her machine and she had to pull out. Another new racer joining the UXC UTV team is Matt Ashton. Running in the Amateur Limited class, Wild Boar would be Ashton's first GNCC race. Ashton brought his RZR across the finish line in 2nd place in the UTV Amateur Limited race.
The big news in the Wild Boar stop of the GNCC for Team UXC was the performance of Swift and Trantham in the Pro ATV race. After lap one, Swift was in a solid position in 4th, but Trantham was down in 10th. By the end of lap 2, Swift was up to 3rd and Trantham had caught and passed the other six riders in their class to pull himself up to 4th. In the end, Trantham took a very well-earned 2nd place in class and the overall. Swift finished just off the podium with a strong 4th. Other ATV results were very positive for Team UXC as well. Tayton Swift continued his charge on the 90 Limited 8-12 class with a 2nd place finish after leaving the starting line last. Graham Widdicombe pulled out a 2nd place in the Senior 4x4 race. K&N is proud to support Team UXC in the 2017 GNCC racing season. | ||||||
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