Alamo, NV – Northern Nevada must be a favorite location for Garrick Freitas and the Freitas Motorsports crew. They always do well on the high-speed point-to-point courses there. The team won back-to-back Vegas to Reno races on some of these same roads that were run at the Best in the Desert Silver State 300. Point to point races typically favor the unlimited open wheel cars like Garrick’s General Tire FOX Jimco. Multi-lap races are better suited to the big Trick Trucks. First, the heavy trucks tear up the course and then use their huge tires and long travel to overpower the lighter class 1500 cars. Not this time; the top five finishers at the Silver State had three 1500 cars and only two Trick Trucks. Garrick qualified 15th but called upon his Kroyer horsepower to charge all the way up to third in class 1500, fifth overall at the drop of the checkered flag.

“We were trapped behind Damen Jeffries for most of the race,” said Garrick, “He was running a good pace but we wanted more. We had plenty more speed on tap with our Kroyer Racing engine but it was too risky trying to pass in the dust. We made a charge a couple of times but one attempt resulted in us almost plowing over a tree. We got going again with no damage but it was a close call.”

The Canidae Tap It Silver State “300” scheduled for May 3-5, 2013, is a race rich in Eastern Nevada’s most scenic high desert beauty and history.  The 300-mile single loop race course starts 15 miles north of Alamo and features a mixture of high-desert mountains, sand-washes, and awesome panoramic views. It crosses through the vast cattle ranching pastures, past towns where railroading was the primary way of life in the late 1800s, and through the mountains where some of the wildest gold and silver mining camps in the West were located in the 1870s.  The Canidae Tap It Silver State “300” gives racers an opportunity to go back in time and experience what it might have been like to live as a cattle rancher, a miner or a railroad man.  However, there won’t be much time for taking in the spectacular sights of the surrounding landscape, as the course is a fast one that demands 100% of the racers’ attention.  The 2012 event turned into a 300-mile long drag race where the top three finishers were separated by a mere 34-seconds. This is not only a great race to experience, but also a great event to bring the entire family to. Best In The Desert racing is about creating memories and the Canidae Tap It Silver State “300” will definitely live up to your wildest expectations.  The Canidae Tap It Silver State “300” is a grand event, not just another great desert race!

Casey Folks announced today that 254 entries, including 41 Trick Trucks, 29 Class 1500 cars, and 30 Class 1000s are signed up for the General Tire Mint 400 presented by Polaris. Plus, he said only a limited number of spots remain to enter the race. Hundreds of race teams from across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia and Europe will converge on Las Vegas, Nevada for “The Great American Off-Road Race” and to compete in twenty-one different classes of off-road desert race vehicles at this year’s General Tire Mint 400, which will take place from March 20th – 24th, 2013.

So who’s coming? Only the top off-road racers in the world! Names like Rob MacChacren, Cameron Steele, BJ Baldwin, Adam Householder, Steve Olliges, John Swift, Shawn & Ray Croll, Jason Voss, Curt LeDuc, Kyle Conlon, Brandon Arthur, Bryce Menzies, Kevin McGillvray, Ryan Poelman, Jesse Jones, TJ Flores, Steve Strobel, Mark & Gary Weyhrich…and the list goes on and on.

Best In The Desert’s Parker “425” was the season opener for KC Dirt Tribe off-road racers. This year’s race featured record breaking entries in many classes and KC Dirt Tribe racers came into Parker fully prepared to take on not only the competition but also the challenging Arizona desert at this legendary event.

KC Dirt Tribe driver Rob MacCachren got the race weekend started off in the right direction when he recorded the fastest lap among the 67 qualifiers at the time trials to capture the “Team Ford” Pole award in his number 6 Ford Trick Truck. Unfortunately, on race day Rob suffered an engine failure on the first of three laps while he was battling Robby Gordon for the lead. That left Dirt Tribe driver Jason Voss to take up the charge for the top spot. Jason chased Robby Gordon all day and stayed within striking distance, only 30 seconds behind. At the finish line, Gordon was issued a time penalty for a rules infraction. As a result, Jason Voss was officially declared first overall and Trick Truck class victor.

Best In The Desert, the world’s largest off-road desert racing organization, announced that 236 entries have already signed up for the 2013 Blue Water Resort & Casino Parker “425”. “The Legend Lives On” as the annual Parker “425” in Parker, AZ, is set for this weekend, February 1-3. This will be the first race on the six-race schedule for Best In The Desert’s car & truck classes.
The heated action of the Time Trials sets the pace for the race weekend.

The race weekend action gets underway this Thursday, January 31st, with the Time Trials. Nearly 90 Trick Trucks and Class 1500 cars will qualify on a specially designed 5-mile course for a shot at the first overall starting position and the coveted $1,000 Team Ford “Pole Award”. Along with the bonus cash, the top qualifier gets to start dust free as he tackles the challenging Arizona desert. With the huge field of unlimited cars and trucks, the fastest qualifiers will definitely have an advantage for a chance at the first overall finish.

EL CAJON, Calif. — While no one would ever call off-road desert racing easy, its evolution has seen the races become more challenging and strenuous on both the drivers and the equipment. The long and diverse list of 2012 championship-winning athletes show what it takes to win in some of the most demanding racing styles in the world.

Running everything from 68-horsepower 1/2-1600 cars to 800-horsepower trick trucks, each class of off-road race vehicle has its own unique demands. This year’s desert champions relied on their suspension systems, among other things, to outperform the competition.

Best In The Desert, the world’s largest off-road desert racing organization, announced that over 160 entries have already signed up for the 2013 Blue Water Resort & Casino Parker “425”. Casey Folks, director of Best In The Desert said, “We’re well on our way to having a record-breaking entry for this year’s race. The interest has been overwhelming in this legendary event and I feel 2013 is going to be an awesome year for not only us, but also for all of our great and loyal racers.” “The Legend Lives On” as the annual Parker “425” in Parker, AZ, February 1-3 kicks off the Best In The Desert’s 2013 six-race schedule for the car & truck classes.

The race weekend actually gets underway on Thursday, January 31st, with the Time Trials where the Trick Trucks and Class 1500 cars go head-to-head on a specially designed course to determine the first overall starting position and claim the coveted $1,000 Team Ford “Pole Award”. Directly following the Time Trials, participants will parade their vehicles to the center of town for the “Downtown Parker Experience”. The “Downtown Parker Experience” features all the Time Trials vehicles on display for race fans and local residents to check out up close along with live entertainment all afternoon long.

When the dust settled after a long 2012 6-race Best In The Desert season, seven KC sponsored Dirt Tribe athletes sat at the top in their respective classes. No other lighting manufacturer even came close. Since 1970, when KC pretty much invented the off-road lighting industry, the top names in off-road racing have chosen KC HiLiTES to light their way to victory.

Leading the KC Dirt Tribe championship charge was the Trick Truck team of Steve Sourapas and Rob MacCachren in their Geiser Bros. built Ford truck. It was a tight battle that was finally settled at the Henderson “250” just south of Henderson, NV. Doing the driving duties at this race, Rob MacCachren started the weekend off right by winning the “Team Ford” Pole Award at the time trials. Starting in front, Rob fell briefly to second place on corrected time, but then reclaimed the lead to take first overall for the race and the Trick Truck Class Championship by a close 3 points margin of victory.

The Blue Water Desert Challenge in Parker, AZ, October 12-14, hosted by the Blue Water Resort & Casino, is the fifth event in the six-race 2012 Best In The Desert “American Off-Road Racing Series”. 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 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.

Held along the picturesque Colorado River, this is the third year running of the Blue Water Desert Challenge, and it is quickly becoming a classic event welcoming in the fall season. As soon as the dust settled at the “Vegas to Reno race”, racers started telling each other, “I’ll see you in October at Parker.” The unique format still allows competitors to log in 150-miles of challenging desert racing over the course of two days. It also offers the racers to make adjustments and fine tune their vehicles for the second day of shoot-out style competition.

It is said that one of the most famous races in the world is limited to 33 entries. That of course is the Indy 500. Well, one of the most famous off-road desert races in the world also has a limited entry. That being The Mint 400, “The Great American Off-Road Race” which is limited to just over 300 entries. What these two legendary events share in common is the prestige of just having the opportunity to be included and compete against the best and fastest racers in the world.

The premier 800-plus horsepower Trick Truck field includes the likes of BJ Baldwin, Steve Sourapas, Rob MacCachren, Cameron Steele, Steve Olliges, John Swift, Adam Householder, Tim & Troy Herbst, Jason & Rich Voss, Kevin McGillivray, Chad Ragland, Marc Ewing, Rick Geiser, Rick D Johnson, Jerry Zaiden, Jerry Whelchel, Mark & Gary Weyhrich and so many more.

The fast and nimble Class 1500 unlimited buggy entries include Clyde Stacy, Robby Gordon, Dale Dondel, Chuck Hovey, Adam Pfankuch, Sam Berri, Ray Griffith, Mike Childress, Shelby Reid, Harley Letner, Garrick Freitas, Kory Halopoff, Pat Dean, TJ Flores, Justin Lofton, Todd Tuls and the list goes on.

For 2012, The Mint 400 field is now complete and the racers fortunate enough to be part of it are ready to take on the challenge of a lifetime. It will get started Thursday morning, March 22nd when 35 Trick Trucks and 50 open Class 1500 buggies get set to go head to head at the Times Trials for a shot at the coveted “Team Ford” pole award and the $1000 in bonus cash from Steve Olliges of Team Ford Lincoln that goes along with it. In a new twist this year, the Class 1100 limited displacement buggies will also have a shot at their own Times Trials that will determine their overall starting order along with a $1000 cash award for the fastest qualifier generously sponsored by Banning Motorsports and Drake Supply Company.

Contingency and tech inspection kicks off Friday, March 23rd from 8:30 AM until 7:30 PM on Fremont St. for the Fremont Street Experience. Race fans will have the chance to get up close to the race vehicles and drivers as well as check out all the awesome products on display as they weave their way down the street lined with hundreds of race related manufacturers and vendors. This spectacular event is made possible through the sponsorship of the entire Downtown Las Vegas/Fremont Street Group.

Mad Media and the Martelli brothers are coproducing the Mint 400 along with Best In The Desert. “We’ve expanded the reach of The Mint for 2012 dramatically by increasing the coverage with our TV partner FUEL TV and by partnering with Race-Dezert.com for live tracking and web coverage during the race,” said Joshua Martelli.  “We’ve also just pulled the trigger on a new Mint 400 social media package that includes Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. We will be producing a ton of new video content prior to and during the race – and distributing it through these channels to all of our fans.  We’re going to elevate The Mint 400 back to being the most important motorsports event in the world, one year at a time.”

Best In The Desert official sponsors: Ford Motor Company – official truck, General Tire – official tire, Lucas – Official Oil, VP Racing Fuels – official fuel, KC HiLiTES – official light, John Deere – official UTV, American Beta – official motorcycle, Fabtech – Official Suspension, Fall Advertising, Prerunner Maniac, McKenzies, PCI Race Radios, Bullet Liner and Sportsman Cycle Sales.