Tuesday, August 14, 2007

TSCO “Vegas to Reno” – Full of History and Challenges

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The Longest Off-Road Race in the United States


August, 2007, Las Vegas, NV

TSCO “Vegas to Reno” – Full of History and Challenges

While this is the eleventh running of the famed Best In The Desert’s “Vegas to Reno” off-road race, its roots go well beyond that. The race actually came to life as the “Frontier 500” and then the “Nevada 500” put on by the late Walt Lott and his High Desert Racing Association (HDRA) in 1982, 1983 and 1984. Having raced them all on a motorcycle, Best In The Desert’s Casey Folks had many fond, and no doubt sore, memories of this extremely challenging journey across Nevada’s historical bad lands. Nearly 13 years went by without the race when Casey decided it was time to resurrect this grand event.

In 1996, Casey and his Best In The Desert Racing Association mapped out a new course and put on what is now recognized as “The Longest Off-Road Race in the United States”. Know for their excellence in putting on great long distance off-road races, Best In The Desert has also been responsible for running the 2000 Millenium Nevada “2000”, the 2002 Ford Nevada “1000” and the 2005 McMillin “1000”.

The TSCO “Vegas to Reno” starts in Johnnie, just north of Pahrump, NV, and finishes in Dayton, south of Reno. The course features 570 miles of deep sand washes, open dry lake beds, tight technical trails and super fast maintained roads. The starting line sits at 2500 ft. above sea level with the finish at 5000 ft. In between, the race course reaches above the tree line to 9000 ft. in elevation. Racers will also pass through many old rural Nevada towns including Beatty, Goldfield, Tonopah and Fallon.

It’s estimated that there will be well over 300 teams to show up for the race with over 5000 support crews and spectators. There will also be approximately 400 very dedicated Best In The Desert volunteers all along the course to help make sure the entire event runs as smoothly as possible.

Past winners of the “Vegas to Reno” reads like a who’s-who of off-road racing. Ed, Tim & Troy Herbst, Rob MacCachren, Brian Collins, Larry Ragland, Larry Roeseler, Curt LeDuc, Rod & Josh Hall, Steve Olliges, Danny & Dale Ebberts and Bud Feldkamp Sr. are just some of the names in the Car and Truck classes. Johnny Campbell, Steve Hengeveld, Chris Blais, Mike Childress, Tim Staab, Doug Eichner and Marc Spaeth are some of the headliners among the Motorcycle and Quad ranks.

For a complete list of the defending “Vegas to Reno” class winners, please go to:

www.fallads.com/bitd and click on the “V2R CLASS WINNERS” button.

Off-Road Racing’s Best-Run Series … Best In The Desert!

Further information available from:

www.bitd.com

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