October 2001 --This race “encompasses everything the Nevada desert has to offer!” says Best In The Desert race promoter Casey Folks of the 2001 Vegas to Reno off-road race.

Unlike any other publication in the world, Off-Road.com will be there to cover it, providing our notorious Real-Time event coverage beginning Thursday, September 27 with Contingency festivities at the Sun Coast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada and ending some 526 grueling race miles north in Reno, Nevada on the 28th and 29th.

Brian Collins holds a surprise ace in his hands. Lightening Larry Ragland has signed on with his crew in hopes of driving the Collins Trohpy Truck to victory.

“The racers begin this race in the Southern Nevada desert, where it is hot and dusty and they race over rough, rocky terrain,” says Folks. ”As the race proceeds north, and the racers climb in elevation, the terrain turns to beautiful mountain passes with a softer terrain and it begins to cool down. As the racers approach Reno, Nevada, some 500-miles from the start, they are focused on only one thing, getting to the finish! The first place finishers will reach the finish in a little over ten hours, with the last place people
coming in some twenty-three hours later. After racing for twenty-three hours, it is truly a test of man, mind and machine.”

Among the mix of Motorcycle, Truck, Buggy and ATV entries to take the green flag on Friday, September 28, is Rob MacCachren in his Stock Mini Ford Ranger, who shares the series points lead at 450 with three other drivers.

MacCachren is on the brink of setting a standard in off-road racing history, climbing to the top of the championship ladder in four different off-road racing series. Having already clinched the title in the CORR short-course series back east in Topeka, Kansas last weekend aboard his Pro 4 Ford F-150, MacCachren to take his career high-note one step further with a top-finishing Vegas to Reno win this weekend. He also holds good ground in his championship points pursuit in both the SCORE and SNORE series, driving his Fraley-built Class 1/2-1600 car.

Deputy Sheriff: Manhunt for MacCachren

The biggest threat to this weekends win for MacCachren is Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Steve Williams, who is only 44 points back, running second in the in the 7300 trucks.

Opting out of the race in Tonopah, Dr. Macrae Glass can easily come up with the goods and be the first to triumph across the finish line. He’s been known to pull a cold one from the ice chest in many Baja win celebrations. He’ll look to do it again this weekend Reno.

Sharing the lead in the BITD points pursuit with MacCachren is ace Class 8 racer Kyle Taylor who’ll be behind the wheel of his high-horsepowered Chevy truck, going up against 12 others in his class who envy his back-to-back win streak.

The Ragland/Collins team may strike like lightening, but the Herbst/Roeseler duo may be long gone by then.

Dave Westhem, 30 points back at 420, is next in line in Class 8, hoping to pilot his Chevy to a V to R win.

The two of them have a good chance at driving home a win, but will have to face the hopes of Blue Oval pilot Eric Lane in his Lightforce Ford F-150, who, up until now, ran an outdated set of quarter elliptical spring packs in the rear. In between his last showing at Tonopah, where he finished third, Lane picked up Ready Pac and New Houlland Equipment to help produce a King Shock, coil-over four-link in the rear. According to Lane, that was one of the only things holding him back in the rough stuff.

Michael “Montana” Ortiz, who sits way back in the pack, turned his Chevy’s transmission into mush during testing and will not make it to the race where he had planned to take his truck to certain victory.

Roeseler: Hitchhiking his way to Reno?

Perhaps the crowd favorite for the “The Longest Off-Road Race in the United States” is defending Trophy Truck champion and V to R overall winner Larry Roeseler of Irvine, California. But, probably won’t find him driving the monstrous MacPherson Chevy Big Mac. He’ll likely take the ride north as a back-up driver for the defending champion and third overall finisher at last year’s V to R Troy Herbst in the Unlimited Class 1 Ford Smith-Built Truggy that sits second in class points at 225. Look for the two to be the first two to cross the finish line in the four-wheeled class.

But, don’t be surprised if class leader Mark Weyhrich of Troutdale, Oregon shows up instead. He’s smothering the Unlimited Class 1 pack at 128 points ahead with 358. The only thing going against him is the massive chase crew that the Herbst are known to bring to the butchering block.

Class 1 would not be a healthy pack of competitors without John Gaughan of Las Vegas, Nev. in third at 210 points, Checker and Ridgecrest Auto Recycling’s Tom Koch of Ridgecrest, Calif. in fourth at 196 and Pro Dirter Doug “The Transman” Fortin at 183.

There are a slew of others in the 21-car Class 1 field who can and have made the grade, namely Jeff Darland, who had a great showing at Primm just a few weeks ago, finishing third overall and second in class. If McKenzies’ Jeff Quinn can keep up his early race-winning pace, he’ll be looking to contend for first overall as well as in class.

Be sure to catch up with all the action when come to you with live updates beginning tomorrow, September 27. In the meantime, take a look at what the bikes and quads are shaping up for this 500-odd mile race.

Tom Koch may be a long shot, but he's not one to be ruled out of contention for a V to R victory. He never gives up and will be there when others thought they had it made.

"B" Street

Johah Street happens to be one of them. Honda’s unaclaimed “B” Team lead by

Street, will leave the line second. Street, who currently leads the series
points battle, has always shadowed the efforts of Honda’s “A” Team led by Johnny Cambell. But after back-to-back wins at the Baja 500 this year, Street
is sending Johnny to the backseat.

Starting third, Shane Esposito of Reno, Nevada is looking for a victory ride
all the way home in an effort to break a tie for third, which he shares with
Kawasaki’s ace Destry Abbott, 28, of Irvine, California.

On All Fours

In the Quad race, Rob Niemela, El Cajon, Calif., who sits eitgth back in
points at 208, will take the line first. Doug Eichner, also of El Cajon,
leads the points chase at 435 and will leave the line sixth.

Ram Proline’s Russ Ramsey of Las Vegas, Nev. will leave the line on his XR’s
Only-backed 400 EX. Ramsey currently sits second in points at 346.

Mike Johnson, sitting third in points at 343, will finish off the Pro Quad
class, starting 10th. Tim Gillespie of San Bernardino, California sits fourth
in points at 331 and will start third.

Jimmy Stephensen is fifth in points at a grim 250 points, which resulted from a poor showing at Terrible’s Town and stunning come back at Tonopah where he finished first.