With only a few days remaining before the Blue Water Desert Challenge race weekend gets underway in Parker, AZ, October 12-14, there are already 157 entries pre-registered for this thrilling 2-day event. And with entries still being accepted until the end of day Friday, this year’s race should easily top 170.

Unlike all of the other Best In The Desert long distance races that are either a long loop race, or a point to point course, as is the Parker “425” or the recent General Tire “Vegas to Reno” courses, the Blue Water Desert Challenge is a unique 2-day multi-race format that features Best In The Desert’s Car, Truck and UTV classes running both days for combined results to determine the winners. This is a great viewing event for everyone that loves desert racing; spectators, racers and pit crew members included.

As a result of the multi-race format each day, some of the top off-road racers in the world get to compete in more than just one class of vehicle. Many of the Trick Truck and Class 1500 drivers are also running their back-up race vehicles or prerunners in the Sportsman class as well. With the exception of the Class 1500 cars, each race heat features groups of different class vehicles running at the same time, resulting in extremely close fender-to-fender race action. Due to the large number of vehicles entered, Class 1500 runs its own separate heat. But at the end of 2-days of racing, it comes down to racers taking home victories, bragging rights, walking away with as many championship points as possible and of course the money.

With four of six races in the books, Robby Gordon still holds on to the overall Best In The Desert points lead, but his lead in Class 1500 is narrowing with Garrick Freitas gaining ground on him. Among the Trick Truck drivers, Mark Weyhrich holds a slim lead over Steve Sourapas. Class 1000 is a real tight race with Philip Heynen barely ahead of the second place tie held by Carrie Smiley and Cody Reid. Bryan Folks holds a commanding points lead in Class 1100. Troy Vest sits atop the Class 1200 ranks for Protrucks. Hank Winter holds only a two-point lead over Ryan Mattox in Class 2000. Steve Alexander has a comfortable lead in Class 5000 in his bright yellow KC HiLiTES Baja Bug. Troy Messer is dominating the TrophyLite class so far this year. Al Hogan holds the point lead in a tight battle over Barry Karakas, Sean Backus, Randy Merritt and Travis Bozzano in the highly competitive Class 7200 “Mini Trick Trucks”. Dr. Macrae Glass holds the lead in Class 8000 and Tim Casey has Class 8100 all but locked up.

Racing gets underway at 6:15 Saturday morning and runs virtually non-stop until around 4:30 Sunday afternoon. The Blue Water Desert Challenge is like no other event on the Best In The Desert race schedule. If you can make it to Parker, it’s definitely a great opportunity to see the world’s top off-road racers in action. And if you can’t make it, tune into the many off-road racing based websites that will be covering it this weekend.

The Blue Water Desert Challenge is held in the Town of Parker, AZ with the start/finish line just one mile from the host hotel, the beautiful Blue Water Resort & Casino, right along the scenic Colorado River. It’s a great time to come to Parker; off-road race by day and play at the exciting Blue Water Resort & Casino by night.