This past weekend was the BITD Henderson 250, the final leg in the 2012 BITD season. Our team showed up in the Can Am Commander ready to give it all we had for the Championship race. Before the race even started we had the overall points lead with 353 points and second was at 336. This was due to a fast and reliable season with several podium finishes. However due to BITD rules there is a mandatory low point drop race, and with this into effect we dropped down to only a 2 point lead over Coastal who was in second place. And to top it off this race is a double points race worth 140 points!

This was a 3 lap race of 46 miles for a total of 138, and with several top teams able to take the championship it was a must finish race for the Murray’s. When the starting lights flashed the Commander rushed out into the cold desert taking the hole shot on the outside line against an SR1. Within the first 5 miles the Commander had passed two other SR1 cars ahead, and then held a fast and steady pace of nearly 50mph average for the first lap and was running in the lead for most of the lap up until the last mile of lap 1. The course was mostly fast sand and wash roads with a medium rocky base. There were several rough sections with large bumps and some tight rally style turns through out the course. They were pushing the pedal through the floor trying to gain as much time as possible on the rest of the pack slowly fighting to catch up. Clean air allowing the team to run a little faster, but as lap 2 came about the dust was settling with a slight breeze allowing some of the other racers pick up some speed, and slowly catch the 1917 Commander.

 

By the end of lap 2 the Murray’s were running in 5th place about 1-2 minutes off top place after 94 miles of desert racing. This was still not an issue because the second place competitor- Coastal who was battling for the Championship was physically 4th and just ahead of the Murray’s.

 

On the 3rd lap the Commander was running great, just could not keep enough speed to stay in the front of the pack, and long as the current running positions held the Murray’s would have help the Championship lead. On the final lap about 7 to 8 miles from the finish the 1917 Commander was flagged down by a downed bike rider who needed assistance. The rider had hurt his arm, and also broke the kick start and needed a hand to try to limp into the finish as well. The Murray’s knew that with 8 miles to go they just had to finish in current position and were not able to catch the car ahead in 8 miles, so they assisted the downed rider for 5-6 minutes to ensure he was able to safely get to assistance. Once moving again, the Commander quickly made it to the finish line and saw that they finished 5th, and the Coastal Polaris was one position in front which would keep the Commander in the points lead.

 

However once times were checked the Coastal Polaris finished 4th physically, but managed to finish a mere 7 seconds ahead of the 3rd place Cognito car resulting in 4 more points giving them the overall points Championship. Murray Motorsports ends up in 2nd place for the season Championship after 1500 miles of desert racing as a result of 7 seconds, and a mere 2 points difference with the throw out race. (even though the 1917 team finished the season 1st in overall points- 2nd with the required throw out) The top 3 teams were within 7 points ending with 499, 497 and 492 for the season. The team is proud of the accomplishment, and the results show the reliability, speed, and capabilities of the Can Am Commander in the most grueling conditions, especially for being only the second year out on the market! The 1917 Commander was the only team to have finished all the miles and races in 2012 in Best in the Desert and on that note all of the races for 2 full seasons making 20 straight finishes in off-road Desert races, with most top 5 and podium finishes! This 2nd place finish results in 3 consecutive years of top 3 podium seasons as well!

 

The Murray Brothers and the team are eager to start the 2013 season in the new Mavericks and will have more passion to seek the Championship than ever before!

 

 

The team would like to thank their amazing sponsors for all the help for 2012! Truly the best quality products are used to help keep the UTV on the podium.

Thanks to Can Am- BRP for the best built Side by Side on the market

ITP for the toughest tires available

Desert Toyz for the suspension and fabrication skills to build winning race cars

Elka Suspension for the shocks that keep the Commander under control in the roughest of environments

K&N for awesome airflow

Yoshimura for the added power with exhaust and fuel management systems

Beard Seats for durable and comfortable seats

Shoria Batteries for lightweight powerful batteries

Rigid Industries for the best lighting

PCI for all the best radio help

Streamline for brake lines and components

OMF for the best beadlocks in the industry

UTV underground for the best photos and industry news

Dasa for reliable motor work

Joes Racing for all the best electrical accessories

CBR for keeping the motor cool and efficient

Jaz for the fuel cells

Dead Rabbit for all the clothing and hats

Sunset Vans for helping get the team out to the races

Last but not least our crew who know who they are! They are the best!