Chandler, AZ – Rather than striking out, the third time proved to be a charm as Team DragonFire/AZ West/Rockstar Racing’s Lacrecia Beurrier won the infamous Vegas to Reno off-road race this past weekend. Billed as the longest point-to-point off-road race in the country, Buerrier beat the odds after the ignominy of a DNF the last time out to win not only the 545-mile race, but also clinch the 2015 Best In The Desert Pro Unlimited UTV title. It wasn’t as easy at it may have looked though!
Recent storms made the challenging terrain even worse than normal, which is saying something in a race that three quarters of the field failed to finish last year, Lacrecia included. “The silt beds were so deep and long that even the high horsepower trucks were having issues with the dust,” says co-driver and DragonFire social media manager Chris Moore. “Mounds of silt were exploding in front of the RZR and would actually blot out the sun at times!” The team was flying blind in more ways than one due to GPS issues. “Lacrecia is a true desert racer and she knew the smaller engine and small tires meant she had to keep it pinned to get through the sections torn up by the trophy trucks or get stuck like last year.”
Check out Off-Road.com’s V2R UTV Race Coverage
After nearly 200 miles in the silt and the dust of hundreds of other racers, Team DragonFire was stoked to find out they were still running in the top three at the pits. A scheduled driver change pulled Lacrecia and Chris out of the car for some much needed rest before nightfall. With the temperature in excess of 90 degrees, the two were cooked, but unable to sleep, so they watched as the car disappeared into the distance in the capable hands of relief driver Brian Thomas and Dustin Hoffman (not Rain Man, but a real savant when it comes to race strategy).
Shortly after leaving the pits, a distressed Brian came on the radio relaying that they had hit a rock in the dust and were in need of two tires. Problem was, they only had one spare onboard! Chris and crew chief Eric Beurrier were quick on their feet, grabbing a tire and taking off running through the pits they just left. Chris located Brightside Racing pits where they were busy fueling their Can-Am Maverick. Despite racing a competing brand, the Brightside Team from Oregon didn’t hesitate to help a fellow UTV racer. They strapped an additional tire to the back of their own with instructions as to where the DragonFire car was stuck. Brightside dropped off the tire in no time flat (pun intended) and continued on. The DragonFire team’s season was saved! “We can’t thank them enough for helping us out in a bind,” said Lacrecia. “They are truly a stand-up group of racers!”
After another 200 miles, Brian and Dustin came into the pits very ready to hand the car back over to Lacrecia and Chris. As Lacrecia strapped in, crew chief Eric delivered a simple message: “Just drive to the finish line!” The two were off into the inky blackness of the desert night, being as careful as possible to not take unneeded risks. The two battled through the massive washouts and rain ruts to cross the finish line at 4:00am in first place. Lacrecia received an extra pat on the back for being the first lady to cross the line that night and 100th overall.
Talk about a trifecta! First woman finisher, Pro Unlimited UTV class winner and the 2015 Best In The Desert Champion! The third time at V2R was definitely a charm for Team DragonFire/AZ West/Rockstar Racing.
Special thanks to Denise and Jeff Scolman and the entire Brightside Racing Team as well as all the sponsors who made the V2R win and the championship possible, including AO Coolers, Axxis Rod Ends, AZ West, Bell, BS Sand, Bulldog LED Lights, CP-Carrillo, Dalton Industries, DragonFire, Factory UTV, Gates, ITP, Lonestar Racing, Monster Seal, Mothers Polish, Muzzy’s, Polaris Industries, Queen Racing, RadFlo Suspension Technology, Raceline Wheels, Rockstar Customs, Royal Purple, Rugged Radios, Tred 4×4 and Wicked Bilt.