BITD Announces 2016 Schedule

Casey Folks announced the 2016 Best in the Desert schedule which includes a special two-day running for the 20th anniversary of Vegas to Reno. There will be four races that include motorcycles next year, plus the invitational trail ride.Photo by Mark Kariya

In one of the biggest announcements of the pre-race press conference at the General Tire Vegas to Reno, Presented by Fox, Best in the Desert’s Casey Folks released BITD’s schedule for 2016, a combination of new and established events.

It starts with the traditional THR Motorsports Parker 250, Presented by Polaris, in Parker, Arizona, on January 8-9 with round two of BITD’s American Off-road Racing Series the Polaris RZR UTV World Championship in Laughlin, Nevada, on February 18-20. (Yes, this second-year race includes motorcycles despite the name.)

The invitational (and non-competitive, non-points-paying) Motion Pro Nevada 200 Trail Ride in April 1-3 in Caliente, Nevada, with the next race on the calendar the General Tire Vegas to Reno, Presented by Fox. Being the 20th anniversary of the longest off-road race in the U.S., Folks wanted to do something special so this will be a two-day event, earning its tag line “the long way!” The 2016 race will start in Alamo, Nevada, on August 19 with the day’s finish in Tonopah, Nevada. There will be no impound so competitors can completely rebuild their bikes if necessary. The second day gets underway before the sun comes up, of course, and will finish in its usual Dayton, Nevada, spot.

It should still be on the toasty side in Parker for the fourth and final round, the Bluewater Desert Challenge, Presented by Polaris, on October 6-9. There will be two days of racing.

Those vying for class championships must start all four races on the schedule.