Parker 425
Best in the Desert
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 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.
Directly following the Time Trials, participants will parade their vehicles to the center of town for the “Downtown Parker Experience”. The “Downtown Parker Experience” will feature all the high tech race vehicles from qualifying on display for race fans and local residents to check out up close along with live entertainment all afternoon long.
At 5:00 PM, in conjunction with the “Downtown Parker Experience”, the Parker Pit Crew Challenge presented by the MINT 400 & the Down & Dirty Radio Show will take place. This exciting competition will feature 16 Trick Truck teams competing two at a time in an elimination bracket for a shot at a minimum of $2,000 in prize money. The Parker Pit Crew Challenge will also be streamed live on Race-Dezert.com.
Contingency and technical inspection take place in the parking lot of the Blue Water Resort & Casino this Friday, February 1st. Race fans will have the chance to see hundreds of race vehicles first hand as they weave their way through contingency row. They’ll also have the opportunity to check out the latest off-road and racing accessories from the industry’s top manufacturers.
The 2013 edition of the Blue Water Resort & Casino Parker “425” officially gets underway on Saturday morning, February 2nd, as the green flag drops just past 7:00 AM for the first car or truck on California Ave., right in the middle of downtown Parker. The huge race field will be off to take on the first 425-mile leg of the desert racing season as they chase their dreams of a 2013 class championship.
The Parker “425” also marks the first race in the $138,000 Best In The Desert 2013 Trick Truck Challenge. This is the third year of the Best In The Desert Trick Truck Challenge where each participating team kicks in a $6,000 fee towards bonus prize money to be paid out to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Trick Truck finishers in each of the six Best In The Desert races, plus a year-end bonus. Steve Sourapas was the big winner in 2012, taking home $54,500 in bonus money over the course of the year. After having been the top Trick Truck Challenge recipient as well as the 2012 Trick Truck champion, Sourapas will be handing over the driver of record duties to Rob MacCachren for 2013 in the #6 Corona Ford F-150.
The American Off-Road Racing Series…Best In The Desert!
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Steve Sourapas Takes Top Share of the $120,000 Best In The Desert Trick Truck Challenge Bonus Money
When the 2012 Best In The Desert race season got underway at the Parker “425”, twenty of the world’s top Trick Truck drivers had signed up for the second annual Trick Truck Challenge. Each participating team kicked in a $6,000 fee towards bonus prize money to be paid out to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Trick Truck finishers in each of the six Best In The Desert races, plus a year-end bonus.
For 2012, Steve Sourapas walked away with the lion’s share of Trick Truck Challenge bonus money along with the beautiful trophy that goes to the overall winner. Going into the last race of the year, the Sourapas entry, driven by Rob MacCachren, sat eleven points behind the truck of Mark Weyhrich. In order to win the Trick Truck Championship and claim the top spot among the participating Trick Truck Challenge drivers, MacCachren had to finish first and have Weyhrich come in no higher than third place. When the checker flag fell at the end of the Henderson “250”, that’s exactly how they finished; Rob MacCachren first, Mark Weyhrich third. So when the total bonus money was added up, Steve Sourapas ended up the big winner, taking home $54,500 over the course of the year. Mark Weyhrich was second with $32,000. Other drivers that took home Trick Truck Challenge bonus money over the year included BJ Baldwin with $16,000, Juan Carlos Lopez with $7,000, and Adam Householder, Jason Voss, Rick D Johnson, and Steve Olliges each with $6,000.
Casey Folks, director of Best in the Desert, said, “This was our second running of the very popular Trick Truck Challenge, and I congratulate all the drivers for stepping up to the plate and knocking it out of the park.” He went on to say that he expects 2013 to be a banner year for Best In The Desert and the Trick Truck Challenge to get even bigger. The 2013 season is just around the corner, beginning with the legendary Blue Water Resort & Casino Parker “425” in Parker, AZ, February 1st thru 3rd along the beautiful Colorado River.
Participating teams for the 2012 Trick Truck Challenge:
Adam Ashcraft, #78
Adam Householder, #24
BJ Baldwin, #1
Cameron Steele, #16
Greg Nunley, #10
Gary Weyhrich, #98
Jason Voss, #35
Jerry Zaiden, #75
Jesse Jones, #76
Jimmy Nuckles, #48
Juan Carlos Lopez, #18
Kevin McGillivray & Chad Ragland, #56
Mark Weyhrich, #9
Rich Voss, #36
Rick D. Johnson, #71
Ron Whitton, #39
Scott Whipple, #95
Steve Olliges & John Swift, # 28
Steve Sourapas & Rob MacCachren, # 6
Will Staats, # 42
2012 Trick Truck Challenge Winners:
Parker “425” 1st Place Mark Weyhrich $10,000
2nd Place Juan Carlos Lopez $6,000
3rd Place Olliges/Swift $3,000
Mint “400” 1st Place Sourapas/MacCachren $10,000
2nd Place Adam Householder $6,000
3rd Place Mark Weyhrich $3,000
Silver State “300” 1st Place BJ Baldwin $10,000
2nd Place Sourapas/MacCachren $6,000
3rd Place Jason Voss $3,000
Vegas to Reno 1st Place Mark Weyhrich $10,000
2nd Place Rick D Johnson $6,000
3rd Place Jason Voss $3,000
Blue Water 1st Place Sourapas/MacCachren $10,000
Desert Challenge 2nd Place BJ Baldwin $6,000
3rd Place Mark Weyhrich $3,000
Henderson “250” 1st Place Sourapas/MacCachren $10,000
2nd Place Mark Weyhrich $6,000
3rd Place Olliges/Swift $3,000
Year-End Bonus (based on final Trick Truck points standings):
1st Place Steve Sourapas $3,500
2nd Place Mark Weyhrich $1,500
3rd Place Juan Carlos Lopez $1,000
Year-End Contributing Sponsor Bonus Money Awarded for 1st Place:
Steve Sourapas $10,000 from TSCO
Steve Sourapas $5,000 from Geiser Bros.
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, Beta – official motorcycle, FabTech – Official Suspension, Fall Advertising, Prerunner Maniac, McKenzies, PCI Race Radios, Sportsman Cycle Sales, KarTek, and Rockwell Watches.
The American Off-Road Racing Series…Best In The Desert!
Further information available from: www.bitd.com
email: bitd@bitd.com, phone: (702) 457-5775
MEDIA CONTACT: www.fallads.com/bitd, email: mediabitd@fallads.com
Steve Sourapas photo by: MikesRacePhoto.com
Mark Weyhrich photo by: DirtFocus.com
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