Shane Dowden and Dustin Jones drove the No. 1978 S3 Racing Can-Am Maverick MAX 1000R to the Class 1900 victory at the 2015 Best in the Desert Henderson 250. The win was the team’s second during its rookie BITD desert-racing season.
S3 Racing changed its normal driver lineup for the Best in the Desert season finale in Henderson, Nevada. Dowden moved into the driver’s seat for the first time that season, while Jones handled navigation duties as co-driver.
The strategy paid off. Dowden and Jones completed the race’s two laps in 3:14:56.027, giving the Can-Am X-Team its second Class 1900 victory of the 2015 BITD season.
S3 Racing Scores Second Rookie-Season Victory
Despite entering the season as desert-racing rookies, Jones and Dowden quickly became contenders in their 121-horsepower Can-Am Maverick MAX 1000R.
“We did it again. What a way to end the BITD season with another first-place victory! Great job to my teammate Shane for an amazing job driving this race. Thanks to our entire pit crew for keeping us going,” Jones said following the race.
The Henderson victory capped a breakout season for S3 Racing. Although the team finished 11th in the final Pro UTV standings, its two race victories demonstrated the speed and durability of the four-seat Maverick MAX platform.
For more on the vehicle from this era, see our Can-Am Maverick MAX 1000R X rs DPS long-term review.
Four Can-Am Teams Finish Inside the Top Eight
The Henderson 250 attracted a then-record 217 entries across all classes. Four Can-Am Maverick teams competed near the front of Class 1900:
- No. 1978 S3 Racing Can-Am Maverick MAX 1000R
- No. 1917 Murray Racing Can-Am Maverick MAX 1000R
- No. 1969 Logan Gastel/Rugged Radios and Racer Tech Can-Am Maverick
- No. 1904 Cory Sappington/Desert Toyz Can-Am Maverick
Jason and Derek Murray completed the two laps in 3:18:17.021 and finished fifth. That result elevated the Murray Racing team to third in the final 2015 BITD Pro UTV standings. The Murrays also finished second in SCORE points, making them the only Pro UTV team to place inside the top three in both major desert-racing series that season.
Logan Gastel and co-driver Adam McKinney finished seventh at Henderson, securing seventh in the season standings. Cory Sappington’s Desert Toyz team finished immediately behind Gastel and ended the season inside the top eight.
2015 BITD Championship Decided at Henderson
While S3 Racing earned the race victory, Johnny Angal secured the 2015 Best in the Desert Pro UTV championship in his Polaris RZR. Cognito Motorsports driver Justin Lambert finished second in the championship.
Read the companion report: Johnny Angal Wins the 2015 Best in the Desert Championship.
2015 Henderson 250 Can-Am Results
- First: Shane Dowden and Dustin Jones, S3 Racing — 3:14:56.027
- Fifth: Jason and Derek Murray, Murray Racing — 3:18:17.021
- Seventh: Logan Gastel and Adam McKinney, Rugged Radios/Racer Tech
- Eighth: Cory Sappington, Desert Toyz
The Henderson 250 victory closed an impressive first BITD season for S3 Racing and added another significant result to the early racing history of the turbocharged Can-Am Maverick MAX.
