• Mikey Childress places third in class and sixth overall.
• Macrae Glass captures first 2012 class win for General Tire.

Fort Mill, SC – February 7, 2012. The Best In The Desert (BITD) Series kicked off at the “Parker 425″ over the weekend in Parker, Arizona and Team GT started the 2012 season off on the right foot. Following a 12^th-place qualifying effort, Mikey Childress fought through a course that over time; became rougher and tougher to navigate. The California-native worked his way through traffic to finish third in class 1 and sixth overall with a time of 7:37:51. A solid start to the season for the Team GT veteran.

On the heels of his class 8 BITD championship, Macrae Glass started his 2012 season on top of the podium. Glass posted a first-place finish in class 8 as he begins his bid for back-to-back championships.

“General Tire is excited to start the 2012 BITD season with two podiums,” said Travis Roffler, director of marketing, General Tire. “There’s still a lot of racing this season and we think Team GT has an excellent chance for more podiums and championships.”

Fans can join in the conversation on Twitter (@teamGT), Facebook (facebook.com/generaltire) and YouTube (youtube.com/teamgeneraltire).

Parker, AZ (February 7, 2012) – With the 2012 Off-Road racing season kicking off with a successful Dakar Rally for Robby Gordon and the SPEED Energy/Toyo Tires Team, Gordon didn’t let up as he headed to Parker, Arizona for the Best in the Desert Parker 425.  It would be new challenge for him as he drove a new truggy (a hybrid between a trophy truck and a Class 1 buggy).   Built by the Geiser Brothers and owned by SPEED Energy/RPM Off-Road Racing teammate Clyde Stacey, it would be the first time Gordon would enter in the 1500 class instead of the BITD’s Trick Truck class.

With qualifying on Thursday, Robby Gordon attempted to out run a field of 88 vehicles complied of class 1550s and trick trucks.  “The truggy drives a lot different than my trophy truck, but it handles the bumps pretty well.  I think we’ll be pretty close to win the SPEED Energy Pole Award,” said Gordon after his practice run right before his qualifying attempt.  Gordon would come close, qualifying third for the 2012 Parker 425 and first in the Class 1500 category.  “I honestly don’t know how we could have gone any faster.  I was on the rev limiter the whole time it felt like,” said Gordon after his qualifying run.

The race started early on Saturday morning, and Robby was focused on victory.  Pacing himself off the line, Gordon would remain strong and hold onto third place as he finished the first of 3 laps of the 141-mile loop in the Arizona desert.  By the time he reached the main pit on the second lap, BJ Baldwin who was running second was directly in front of him.  Notably two of the best off-road racers were now fighting side-by-side as they exited the pit area.  Gordon let Baldwin know he was behind him with a few bumps on the back of his truck.  After Baldwin gave way to Gordon, he was ready to chase down leader Rob MacCachren.  Half way through the second lap, MacCachren had a motor issue and Gordon cruised by him to take the lead.

On the third lap, the team received reports that fellow SPEED Energy/RPM Off-Road teammate Juan Carlos Lopez in the No. 18 trophy truck was closing in on time to catch Gordon in his truggy.  Gordon would then picked up the pace and finish an impressive 14 minutes faster than last year’s, Jesse Jones.  Gordon would beat the next competitor by nearly 5 minutes.  A trouble free day and open-road lead boosted Gordon to another victory for the 2012 Off-Road season.

“I can’t thank RPM Off-Road and Clyde Stacey enough for the opportunity to race his truck.  The Geiser Brothers built a good truck that all we really had to do was put some Toyo Tires on it and go racing.  I’m happy to give Toyo Tires another victory after the Dakar Rally, and I look forward to carrying the momentum into the rest of the year,”  Gordon said after winning the overall in the Parker 425, his first in the event since 2006.

Robby Gordon’s next challenge is set for February 10th in Johnson Valley, California where he looks to tackle the world of rock crawling in the 2012 King of the Hammers race.  Be sure to check for updates on the KoH on SPEED Energy’s facebook and twitter pages which can be found on speedenergy.com.

The Monster Energy Landshark Trick Truck  is Back; Herbst Takes First in Class! 

The Monster Energy Off Road Team kicked off the 2012 Best in the Desert series with an impressive showing at the Parker 425 in Arizona this past weekend.  On the banks of the Colorado River lies a racecourse known for its sandy whoops, rocky washes, high-speed graded roads, and signature “Parker Python” which is always a crowd pleaser.  In past years, rain has been a present on race day, helping the racers stay clear of the dust.  This year, race conditions were ideal and it was the wind that helped clear the dust and silt from the record 227 entries in the field.

Thursday marked the beginning of the event, where trucks lined up for a practice lap then headed right back out for a qualifying lap that would decide their start position for Saturday’s race.  This 5-mile loop started and ended at each end of the Parker Python.  Along Shea Road, which parallels a stretch of the racecourse, spectators got to witness high-speed whoops and sandy turns.  BJ Baldwin knows the importance of starting upfront on race day and was a man on mission, claiming a 2^nd place spot four seconds off the lead qualifier, Rob MacCachren.  Tim Herbst, driving the #19 Trophy Truck, took 8^th and brother Troy Herbst in the #49 “LandShark” took 18^th.  Monster Energy’s Class 1 presence, Mikey Childress, started 12^th on race day.

Another trademark of the Parker 425 race is the start begins right in the streets of Parker, just like in Baja.  Racers headed off the line directly into the beautiful Arizona sunrise. With only Rob MacCachren ahead of him, BJ kept up and setting a good pace for the rest of the pack.  Midway through the first lap however, something in the engine wiring harness malfunctioned, causing the engine to cut out intermittently.  BJ pulled off to the side, causing him to fall 12 minutes behind MacCachren and falling several spots in the process.  Electrical issues would continue to haunt BJ all day, but didn’t stop him from placing in the top 10.  “As many demons as this truck had today with electrical issues, alternator failing, batteries failing, I think finishing third across the line is impressive, considering having had an hour of down time,” said Baldwin at the finish line.  The official results bumped him down to 5^th on time in Trophy Truck and 8^th overall.

With BJ in and out of trouble, teammate Ryan Arciero and Troy Herbst in the #49 Trophy Truck picked up the slack for the Monster Energy Off Road Team.  Ryan started out the race with an aggressive strategy – Get through the pack. “We did everything we could in that first lap to pick off as many guys as we could and get Troy the truck in a position that he could take it to the finish,” said Arciero.  And they did just that.  After the team switched drivers, Troy Herbst would take the checkered flag and finish 1^st in class and 2^nd overall.  “The team has been doing a lot of homework and it’s been a long time since a Herbst as been in the winners circle and this is long overdue.  There’s going to be more to come I can tell you that right now.”

Tim Herbst in the #19 was also barreling through the desert at a podium pace.  After starting 8^th, he made his way all the way to a couple hundred yards behind BJ and Rob Mac.  With them in sight, Tim pushed harder to catch them and in doing so, blew his engine and ending their day.  Jerry Welchell, in the #75 Monster Energy Camburg Trick Truck, had a similar story as his engine let go in the second lap.  The overall attrition of vehicles was staggering.

Class 1 driver, Mikey Childress, had a great race day leading to the final lap, where he ran in to one issue that possibly cost in an overall win.  “Flawless throughout the entire race, my vehicle ran the best it has ever,” Childress explained at the finish line.  At mile marker 50 of his final lap, he was 57 seconds off the overall pace.  After hearing some vibration on the fast roads, he decided to pull off and assess the situation.  Turns out he had only been running on one loose lugnut and two broken studs.  After robbing some studs from the other wheels and changing out the wheel, Childress nursed it in to the finish to claim 6^th overall and 3^rd in class.

The Monster Energy Off Road Team opened the BITD season with a bang, putting 3 racers in the overall top 10 out of a field of 227.  You won’t want to miss the next race in the BITD series, the legendary Mint 400 in Las Vegas, NV over March 23^rd-26^th – BJ will be eager to defend his title.

Photos by Vincent Knakal of Mad Media

[Show as slideshow]

Riot Racing’s driver Marc Ewing returns to the ring to battle at the Best in the Desert championship race, the Henderson 250. Facing fire and ice in the winter mountains of Nevada, Josh Daniel’s #1598 car fails with one lap remaining. Riot’s hopes fall on Ewing’s #68 trophy truck to race for a podium finish.

Watch how the 2011 season culminates for Riot Racing.

RiotRacing.com
BITD.com
VitaBrevisFilms.com

Robby Gordon took the overall win today at the 2012 BITD Parker 425, winning over Troy Herbst and Ryan Arciero by 4 minutes. Gordon’s overall time was 14 minutes faster then Jesse Jones time last year, which was attributed to a fast first lap on a smooth course. As time went on the course got more chewed up and vehicles starting falling to what Parker does best, cause DNF’s. TSCO Racing and the Weyrich brothers put up a good showing with Mark finishing 3rd overall and 2nd in Trick Truck, while brother Gary battled from starting 70th to finish 15th overall. Coming in second place in Class 1500 was Ray Griffith, after qualifying 4th on Thursday he kept a fast pace to put him in the same spot overall.

Of the top 20 overall vehicles, only 6 of them qualified in the top 20. While qualifying towards the top is typically an advantage, in a race like Parker where attrition takes it toll, just finishing the race is a battle.

Unofficial Overall Leaders
Place Name # Time Starting Position
1 ROBBY GORDON 1537 7:18.50 3
2 TROY HERBST 49 7:23.01 18
3 MARK WEYHRICH 9 7:26.12 16
4 RAY GRIFFITH 1553 7:34.12 4
5 JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ f18 7:36.35 19
6 MIKE CHILDRESS 1565 7:37.51 12
7 JIMMY NUCKLES 48 7:45.21 11
8 ADAM HOUSEHOLDER 24 7:46.28 22
9 OLLIGES/SWIFT 28 7:49.08 29
10 BJ BALDWIN 1 7:50.13 2
11 JUSTIN DAVIS 1513 7:50.53 41
12 RICHARD BOYLE 1563 7:50.59 36
13 JON WALKER 1589 7:58.49 50
14 SHELBY REID 1568 8:01.35 31
15 GARY WEYHRICH 98 8:03.14 70
16 TRAVIS CHASE 1595 8:04.08 28
17 RICKY BRABEC 1582 8:07.53 59
18 BRAD ETTER 1560 8:12.38 51
19 TODD JERGENSEN 1551 8:14.28 32
20 GARRICK FREITAS 1572 8:16.19 27

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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Race-dezert.com will be providing live race coverage from the BITD Parker 425.

There will be:

• Live corrected time leader board
• Live finish line video stream
• Live official 2-way communication stream
• IRC Tracking map
• Cover it live messaging
• Same day photos, videos and story

CLICK HERE TO GO LIVE

Rob MacCachren put a hurting on the field of 88 Trick Trucks and Class 1500 cars taking the top spot in qualifying, putting 4 seconds on BJ Baldwin and another 9 seconds on Robby Gordon. Rob Mac used smart lane choices to start first for Saturday’s grueling 425 mile course that Parker is known for. While qualifying at the top is definitely an advantage over the field, this race is about attrition so you can’t count any team out until the results come out.

Stay tuned on RDC as on race day we’ll have our usual live coverage with radio coverage and live video, along with stories and photos after the race. Good luck to all the racers!

Also be sure to check out a quick video by Scott Smith at Paradigm Productions from todays qualifying!

Parker Qualifying Video

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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Las Vegas, Nevada, January 31, 2012

The 2012 Blue Water Resort & Casino Parker “425”, February 3^rd thru 5^th, gets off to a fast start this Thursday when the Trick Trucks and Class 1500 unlimited buggies line up for a shot to see who is the fastest qualifier for the number one starting position and win the coveted $1,000 “Team Ford Pole Award”. Best In The Desert is the only desert racing organization that utilizes this type of qualifying format between the two fastest classes for an equal chance at who will be first off the line. The Time Trials are held prior to each race on an approximately 5-mile secret course. Each competitor is given one practice lap and then one lap to go for the money.

To date, 34 of the marquee Trick Trucks and 54 Class 1500 buggies have entered the race. The list of entries for the Blue Water Resort & Casino Parker “425” features the sport’s top off-road racers. Trick Truck drivers include B.J. Baldwin, Robby Gordon, Cameron Steele, Tim & Troy Herbst, Larry Roeseler, Steve Olliges, John Swift, Ryan Arciero, Chad Ragland, Steve Sourapas, Rob MacCachren, Jesse Jones, Bryce Menzies, Mark & Gary Weyhrich, Scott Whipple, and the list goes on and on. Unlimited Class 1500 competitors include Steve Appleton, Chuck Hovey, Dale Dondel, Randy Wilson, Sam Berri, Todd Jergensen, Ray Griffith, Mike Childress, Garrick Freitas, Pat Dean, T.J. Flores, Justin Lofton, Todd Tuls, and a host of others.

Since 2006, Steve Olliges, owner of Team Ford Lincoln in Las Vegas, NV, has sponsored and presented the “Team Ford Pole Award”. Steve has been a great supporter of Best In The Desert and off-road desert racing. He is constantly thinking of ways to make the sport better and more exciting for everyone involved. The Time Trials qualifying format is just one more reason why racers love racing Best In The Desert; just one more thing that sets Best In The Desert apart.

No one racer had won the Team Ford Pole Award twice, until the 2008 Bilek Racing Silver State “300”, where Sam Berri won for the second time. Now it looks like Sam is the man to beat with eight “Team Ford Pole Awards”.

Past “Team Ford Pole Award” Winners:

2006 – Henderson’s Terrible “400” – Rob MacCachren

2007 – Parker “425” – Garron Cadiente

2007 – Terrible’s “250” – Mark Post

2007 – TSCO “Vegas to Reno” – Todd Wyllie

2007 – Las Vegas “300” – Mark Weyhrich

2007 – Henderson’s Terrible “400” – Sam Berri

2008 – Parker “425” – Chet Huffman

2008 – Terrible’s “250” at Primm – Billy Gasper

2008 – TSCO “Vegas to Reno” – BJ Baldwin

2008 – Bilek Racing Silver State “300” – Sam Berri

2008 – Henderson Fabtech Desert Classic – Andy McMillin

2009 – Parker “425” – Steve Sourapas

2009 – Terrible’s “250” at Primm – Chet Huffman

2009 – TSCO “Vegas to Reno” – Andy McMillin

2009 – Bilek Racing Silver State “300” – Chuck Hovey

2009 – Henderson Fabtech Desert Classic – Sam Berri

2010 – BlueWater Parker “425” – Sam Berri

2010 – Bilek Racing Silver State “300” – Kyle Jergensen

2010 – TSCO “Vegas to Reno” – Sam Berri

2010 – BlueWater Desert Challenge – Sam Berri

2010 – TransWest Ford Henderson “250” – Sam Berri

2011 – BlueWater Parker “425” – Sam Berri

2011 – Bilek Racing Silver State “300” – Chuck Hovey

2011 – TSCO “Vegas to Reno” – Kyle Conlon

2011 – BlueWater Desert Challenge – BJ Baldwin (Class 1400)

2011 – BlueWater Desert Challenge – Ray Griffith (Class 1500)

2011 – TransWest Ford Henderson “250” – Justin Lofton

Best In the Desert Blue Water Resort & Casino Parker “425” schedule of events:

Thursday, February 2, 2012

11:30 AM  ––

Practice Run for the Time Trials, Time Trials Immediately follows practice run

3:00 PM to 5:00 PM  ––

Show & Shine – Downtown Experience / Downtown Parker – Display of Time Trial Vehicles, Street Fair

6:00 PM to 7:00 PM  ––

Results & Time Trials Party

Reception hosted by McKenzies Performance Products, Dig Lounge – Blue Water Resort & Casino

Friday, February 3, 2012

9:30 PM to 6:00 PM  ––

Car & Truck Contingency & Technical Inspection, North Parking Lot – Blue Water Resort & Casino

Saturday, February 4, 2012

7:15 AM  ––

1st Car/Truck Starts – California Avenue – Downtown Parker

Sunday, February 5, 2012

9:00 AM to 10:30 AM  ––

Awards Presentation – Bingo Room – Blue Water Resort & Casino

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.

The American Off-Road Racing Series…Best In The Desert!

Further information available from: www.bitd.com

Las Vegas, Nevada, January 30, 2012

20 of the 33 Trick Trucks entered in the 2012 Blue Water Resort & Casino Parker “425”, February 3^rd thru 5^th, have signed up to take part in this year’s Trick Truck Challenge. This will be the second year for the Trick Truck Challenge that saw over $134,000 in bonus money paid out in 2011. To be eligible for the year-long Challenge, Trick Truck teams must be signed up by the Parker “425” race.

Casey Folks, Director of Best In The Desert, announced, “As of January 25^th, 20 of the top Trick Truck teams in the world have signed up for the second year of the exciting Best in the Desert $120,000 Trick Truck Challenge. That’s right – one hundred and twenty thousand dollars paid back 100% to the racers. A special bonus purse will be paid out to the top three participating Trick Truck finishers at each of the six Best In The Desert races as well as the year-end bonus. The special Trick Truck Challenge Cup Trophy will also be awarded at the end of the year to the overall winning team.” Folks continued, “No other off-road racing organization has a program like the Best in the Desert Trick Truck Challenge. I’ve always said, either lead, follow or get out of our way and Best in the Desert is in the lead!”

$10,000 will be paid to 1^st, $6,000 to 2^nd and $3,000 to 3^rd for each of six races for a total of $19,000 per race. An additional $10,000 will go to 1^st place, $4,000 for 2^nd and $2,000 for 3^rd in the final year-end standings. Plus another $44,000 in year-end bonus has been posted from sponsors TSCO, Camburg Engineering, Jimco Racing, Geiser Bros., MasterCraft and Racer Engineering.

The 20 trucks entered to date in the 2012 Best In The Desert Trick Truck Challenge are:

Adam Ashcraft, # 78

Adam Householder, # 4

BJ Baldwin, # 1

Cameron Steele, # 16

Clyde Stacy, # 58

Greg Nunley, # 10

Jason Voss, # 35

Jerry Zaiden, # 75

Jesse Jones, # 76

Jimmy Nuckles, # 48

Kevin McGillivray, # 56

Gary Weyhrich, # 98

Mark Weyhrich, # 9

Rich Voss, # 36

Rick D. Johnson, # 71

Ron Whitton, # 39

Scott Whipple, # 95

Steve Olliges / John Swift, # 28

Steve Sourapas, # 6

Will Staats, # 42

2011 was the first year for the Trick Truck Challenge that saw many different winners throughout the course of the season. The enthusiasm over the success of last year’s Challenge by the Trick Truck teams was the driving force behind bringing it back for 2012.

2011 Trick Truck Challenge results:

Blue Water Resort & Casino Parker “425”

1st Place             Jesse Jones

2nd Place            Tim Herbst

3rd Place             Steve Sourapas

Bilek Racing Silver State “300”

1st Place             Adam Householder

2nd Place             BJ Baldwin

3rd Place             Rick D. Johnson

TSCO “Vegas to Reno”

1st Place             Steve Strobel

2nd Place             BJ Baldwin

3rd Place             John Swift / Steve Olliges

Blue Water Desert Challenge

1st Place             Steve Sourapas

2nd Place             John Swift / Steve Olliges

3rd Place             Steve Strobel

TransWest Ford Henderson “250”

1st Place             Adam Householder

2nd Place             Marc Ewing

3rd Place             Jerry Zaiden

Year-End Trick Truck Challenge Trophy

1st Place             B.J. Baldwin

2nd Place             Steve Strobel

3rd Place             John Swift / Steve Olliges

The Trick Truck Challenge only adds to the ever growing excitement for the upcoming Blue Water Resort & Casino Parker “425” that has already seen 33 Trick Trucks, 48 Class 1500 cars, 32 Class 1000 cars, and 22 Class 7200 trucks entered into the race. It all gets underway Thursday, February 2^nd as the Trick Trucks and Class 1500 cars shoot it out head-to-head at the time trials for the $1,000 “Team Ford Pole Award” and the first overall starting position.

Best In the Desert Blue Water Resort & Casino Parker “425” schedule of events:

Thursday, February 2, 2012

11:30 AM  ––

Practice Run for the Time Trials, Time Trials Immediately follows practice run

3:00 PM to 5:00 PM  ––

Show & Shine – Downtown Experience / Downtown Parker – Display of Time Trial Vehicles, Street Fair

6:00 PM to 7:00 PM  ––

Results & Time Trials Party

Reception hosted by McKenzies Performance Products, Dig Lounge – Blue Water Resort & Casino

Friday, February 3, 2012

9:30 PM to 6:00 PM  ––

Car & Truck Contingency & Technical Inspection, North Parking Lot – Blue Water Resort & Casino

Saturday, February 4, 2012

7:15 AM  ––

1st Car/Truck Starts – California Avenue – Downtown Parker

Sunday, February 5, 2012

9:00 AM to 10:30 AM  ––

Awards Presentation – Bingo Room – Blue Water Resort & Casino

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.

Best In The Desert, the premier American Off-Road Racing Series, is excited to present next month’s Blue Water Resort & Casino “PARKER 425”, February 3^rd thru 5^th in Parker, Arizona. “The Legend Lives On” at this opening round for Best In The Desert’s car and truck classes. This race has a great and storied history including attracting huge race entries, and if the 700 people that showed up January 8^th to take part in the “pre fun run” is any indication, the 2012 edition could very well turn out to be one of the biggest yet.

The festive weekend gets underway on Thursday, February 3^rd with the Time Trials for the combined field of Class 1500 open class buggies and Trick Trucks to see who will walk away with the coveted Team Ford “Pole Award” and the $1,000 cash that goes along with it. Best In The Desert is the only long distance desert racing organization that runs this kind of qualifying format for every race as it pits the two fastest classes heads up to compete for an equal shot at the “overall” race victory.

Also back this year is the popular Parker Downtown Experience. After the completion of the Time Trials, competitors will parade their race vehicles down the streets of Parker to the center of town for a grand celebration kicking off the exciting weekend. With an open invitation to all of the citizens of Parker along with racers and fans, this is sure to be another huge and fun event. Last year, more than 3,000 people toured the area, spoke with the drivers and teams, and enjoyed the beautiful Parker, Arizona weather. After the downtown festivities, the racers will return to the Blue Water Casino for a party sponsored by McKenzies Performance Products to announce the official results of the Time Trials and the presentation of the $1,000 “Team Ford Pole Award” by Steve Olliges, president of Team Ford Lincoln Las Vegas.

Contingency kicks off Friday morning in the Blue Water Casino parking lot. Thousands of spectators and race fans will have the chance all day long to get up close to the race vehicles and teams as well as check out all the awesome products on display as they weave their way through the hundreds of contingency donors and racing vendors.

At daybreak Saturday, the real business of the weekend gets underway when the first race vehicle blasts off the starting line on California Ave. in the middle of Parker. Every racer will be on equal ground, including returning champions, as their quest for the 2012 season class championships begins. The 142-mile long multi-loop course will again include the hugely popular “Parker Python”; a special two-mile infield section of thrilling jumps and switch-backs in the middle of the main pits.

Casey Folks has also announced that the “Trick Truck Challenge” is back for the 2012 season. $134,000 in bonus money was paid out last year in this special racing challenge for participating Trick Truck drivers. To date, over 20 of the top Trick Truck teams from all over the world have already signed up to participate in this exciting program that begins with the Blue Water Resort & Casino “PARKER 425”. Folks continued to say; “No other off-road race organization has a program like the Best in the Desert Trick Truck Challenge. I’ve always said, either lead, follow, or get out of the way and Best In The Desert is in the lead again!”

The TV production crew from Lucas Oil will also be on hand at Parker to record all the thrilling action of this great race that will air on the NBC Sports Network at a later date. Please check the Best In The Desert website for TV broadcast schedule updates.

There really is no better way to start the season than with a living legend and “The Legend Lives On” this February with the Blue Water Resort & Casino “PARKER 425”. For racers, this has to be on their bucket list and for racing enthusiasts; this has become an annual pilgrimage to mark the start of the season. See you in Parker.

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.

The American Off-Road Racing Series…Best In The Desert! 

Further information available from: www.bitd.com

Parker, Arizona - In what is to unofficially serve as the opening to the Best in the Desert Parker 425 Off-Road Race, being held February 2^nd-5^th in Parker, Arizona, The Down & Dirty Off-Road Show will be hosting live from the beautiful Blue Water Resort and Casino’s River’s Edge Cantina on the footsteps of the Colorado River. The event will have off-road racing’s premier radio show, The Down & Dirty Off-Road Show, hosting live from 5:00 to 7:00 PM on Wednesday February 1st, and interviewing some of the top drivers and personalities in the sport off off-road racing. Azunia Tequila is stepping in and offering drink specials that feature their premium brand of Tequila.

This event will kick off an entire weekends worth of off-road racing festivities, culminating in the Blue Water Resort and Casino Best in the Desert Parker 425 race being held on February 4^th. This family friendly pre-race party will be a chance for fans both young and old to meet some of the best off-road drivers in the sport, get autographs, have some of the great food and drinks available at the River’s Edge Cantina, and get a chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery the Blue Water Resort and Casino has to offer.

About The Down & Dirty Off-Road Show - The Down & Dirty Off-Road Show is quickly becoming the weekly voice of Off-Road Racing. The show is a weekly glimpse into what is happening in the world of off-road desert racing, short-course, rally, and rock racing. It’s pillar are the weekly interviews of some of the biggest names in the sport, but also prides itself in its event coverage, news, results, rumors, product spotlights, and it’s off-road trivia segment. Additional partners include Izri Optics, NTenseTees, and Parker Motor Company. More information can be found at www.downanddirtyshow.com

About The Blue Water Resort and Casino – The entertainment capital of western Arizona – the magnificent Blue Water Resort & Casino, on the shores of the Colorado River in Parker, Arizona. Blue Water provides exciting nonstop casino action, a 164-slip marina for boating fun, 200 deluxe rooms and suites (all with incredible river and mountain views), a variety of dining options to suit the most discerning tastes, and over 17,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. More information can be found at www.bluewaterfun.com

About Azunia Tequila – Owned by Intersect Beverage, located in San Clemente, CA, imports premium tequilas. Executives, Jim Riley and Alex Baca, have more than twenty years experience in the spirits industry. Intersect Beverage is committed to delivering the highest quality brands and products to every client, employing the best management and sales team in the industry involving each individual in the success of the company and its partners. Azunia is dedicated to redefining the spirits industry and having fun while delivering only the finest quality products to the market. More information can be found atwww.azuniatequila.com

About Best in the Desert - Best in the Desert Racing is owned and operated entirely by Casey Folks, with offices in Las Vegas, Nevada. The entire remaining staff consists largely of volunteer off-road racing enthusiasts dedicated to the sport of racing. The Philosophy of the organization is to provide top quality, World class Off-Road Racing events, and more importantly to make those events exciting, spectacular, fun, different, well paying, and most of all, affordable. More information can be found at www.bitd.com

Mad Media just got their 2011 production of the General Tire Mint 400 in from the copiers and they’re giving them away – for free.  Head to Mad Media, Mint 400  and General Tire’s facebook page, click like (must like ‘em all!) and send an email with your address to facebookfan@madmedia.com to receive a free copy.  

This years Mint 400 race will be held March 23rd – March 25th.  Check in with their page to get updates on details of The Great America Off-Road Race.

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

December, 2011 – Las Vegas, NV

Best In The Desert’s 2011 season wrapped up in grand style as 180 entries took on the challenging 80-mile multi-loop course located near Jean, Nevada. For many racers, this was their final shot at a chance to capture several class championships still up for grabs.

The first race of the day for motorcycles, quads and UTVs got underway just as the sun was beginning to rise on an extremely cold morning. They ran three laps on a special 45-mile loop for a total of 135 miles with a gran prix style finish. At the end, Shane Esposito and Robby Bell took the number one motorcycle and overall win on their THR backed Kawasaki. Greg Stuart and Nicholas Granlund got the top spot for the quads while Jason Murray, Derek Murray, and William Kugel scored the UTV win.

Race two featured Classes 1100, 1700, 1800, 2000, 3000, 3700, 4400, 6000, 7100, and 8100. Class 1100 was a great battle for not only the race but also the season championship. Going into the race Bryan Folks held the points lead, closely followed by Brent Parkhouse, Lee Banning Sr., and Gregg Ryan. At the special time trials for Class 1100, Parkhouse stepped up his challenge to Folks by capturing the pole starting position. Brent Parkhouse made the most from his first starting spot as he sailed to the Class win and because of Bryan Folks’ fourth place finish, also took the Class 1100 championship. In another tight battle, just over two minutes separated the top three TrophyLites with Troy Messer claiming the top spot. In Class 7100, Blake Henn took first place along with the Class Championship. Tim Casey drove his Ford F-250 to the Class 8100 victory and by doing so, repeated his 2010 Class Championship with the title for 2011.

The third and final race of the day featured Classes 1000, 1200, 1400, 1500, 7200 and 8000. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Justin Lofton, having won the “Team Ford” Pole Award at qualifying, was first off the line. Justin quickly stretched out his lead and never looked back as he coasted to the overall and Class 1500 victory. One thing that may have helped his lap times was his great pit support, as he had brought many members of his NASCAR pit crew along with him to the Nevada desert. After witnessing one of his pit stops, a BLM ranger monitoring the event stated he had never seen one performed that fast at any desert race. Steve Appleton held a 13-point lead over Garrick Freitas in Class 1500 coming into Henderson and while Freitas finished second, Appleton’s fourth place finish was good enough to earn him the 2011 Class Championship. Appleton also edged out Freitas for the $4000 Camburg “Best in the Desert” award along with a beautiful trophy by posting the fastest average speed over the combined 1,675 race course miles for the season.

Jason Voss was the first Trick Truck off the line followed by B.J. Baldwin. Voss set a hot pace and held the lead after the first lap, but suffered driveline problems heading into the third lap and had to settle for an eighth-place class finish. The lead changed several times throughout the course of the race as many of the frontrunners also experience driveline and other mechanical issues. In the end it was Adam Householder coming in for the Trick Truck win and third overall, only one and a half minutes ahead of the second place truck of Marc Ewing. Jerry Zaiden and Jerry Whelchel held on to take third in the Trick Truck ranks. By piloting his Ford Trick Truck to the victory, Householder also walked away with a $10,000 bonus from Ford. When the dust settled, after the points were added up and penalties assessed, it was B.J. Baldwin taking the Trick Truck Championship for 2011. This was Baldwin’s second consecutive Best In The Desert Trick Truck Championship.

Dr. Macrae Glass made it back into the win column at Henderson for the Class 8000 victory and along with it, the Class Championship. In Class 7200, Al Hogan managed to take the win and overtake Steve Kovach for the Class Championship.

$134,000 Trick Truck Challenge

Adam Householder took home an extra $12,000 for his Henderson win, Marc Ewing earned $6,300 for second place, and Jerry Zaiden received $3,300 for third. For the year-end bonus, B.J. Baldwin scored $10,000 and the Trick Truck Challenge trophy. Steve Strobel got $5,000 and the #28 truck of Steve Olliges and John Swift received $3,000.

The TransWest Ford Henderson 250 saw $25,300 paid out in prize money. An additional $40,420 was also paid out in Best In The Desert year-end bonus money.

2011 was a banner year for Best In The Desert. Race entries were up and the competition was tighter than ever. The Lucas Oil television broadcasts of the races added a lot of exposure for the racers and sponsors by bringing Best In The Desert into millions of households nationwide. With 2012 on the horizon, look for even more from Best In The Desert, especially with the addition of the famous General Tire Mint 400 being added to the schedule.

TransWest Henderson “250” Car & Truck Class Winners:

Class 1000 – Todd Elam

Class 1100 – Brent Parkhouse

Class 1200 – Justin Blower

Class 1400 – Adam Householder

Class 1500 – Justin Lofton

Class 1700 – Eric Helgeson

Class 1800 – Jason Voss

Class 2000 – Patrick Nirschl

Class 3000 – Keith Waibel

Class 3700 – Bill Bunch

Class 6000 – Troy Messer

Class 7100 – Blake Henn

Class 7200 – Al Hogan

Class 8000 – Macrae Glass

Class 8100 – Tim Casey

2011 Best In The Desert Car & Truck Class Champions:

Class 1000 – Todd Elam

Class 1100 – Brent Parkhouse

Class 1200 – Troy Vest

Class 1400 – B.J. Baldwin

Class 1500 – Steve Appleton

Class 1700 – John Helton

Class 1800 – Jason Voss

Class 2000 – Patrick Nirschl

Class 3000 – Keith Waibel

Class 3700 – Bill Bunch

Class 4400 – J.T. Stephens

Class 7100 – Blake Henn

Class 7200 – Al Hogan

Class 8000 – Macrae Glass

Class 8100 – Tim Casey

2011 Best In The Desert Grand Champions:

Car/Truck – Steve Appleton

UTV – Matt Parks

Motorcycle – Mark Davidge

Quad – Gerald Nunes

Camburg “Best in the Desert” Award:

Steve Appleton

Best In The Desert 2012 Race Schedule:

THR MOTORSPORTS PARKER “250”

“A DUEL IN THE DESERT”

January 6-7 – Parker, AZ

MOTORCYCLE, QUAD & UTV POINTS ONLY

BLUEWATER RESORT & CASINO PARKER “425”

“THE LEGEND LIVES ON”

February 3-5 – Parker, AZ

CAR & TRUCK POINTS ONLY

GPR STABILIZERS LAUGHLIN U.S. HARE SCRAMBLES

“THE MOST TECHNICAL DESERT RACE IN THE U.S.”

March 2-3 – Laughlin, NV

MOTORCYCLE POINTS ONLY

GENERAL TIRE MINT 400

“THE GREAT AMERICAN OFF-ROAD RACE”

March 23-25

CAR, TRUCK & UTV POINTS ONLY

CANIDAE TAP IT SILVER STATE “300”

“THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE CONTINUES”

May 4-6

POINTS FOR ALL CLASSES

GENERAL TIRE “VEGAS to RENO”

“THE LONGEST OFF-ROAD RACE IN THE UNITED STATES”

August 16-18

POINTS FOR ALL CLASSES

BLUE WATER DESERT CHALLENGE

“THE AMERICAN CHALLENGE CONTINUES”

October 12-14 – Parker, AZ

CAR, TRUCK & UTV POINTS ONLY

TRANSWEST FORD HENDERSON “250”

“A CLASSIC OFF-ROAD RACE”

November 30-December 2 – Henderson, NV

POINTS FOR ALL CLASSES

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, Husqvarna – official motorcycle, Fabtech – Official Suspension, Fall Advertising, Prerunner Maniac, McKenzies, PCI Race Radios, and Sportsman Cycle Sales.

The American Off-Road Racing Series…Best In The Desert!

Further information available from: www.bitd.com

Huntington Beach, CA – The 2011 Best in the Desert Transwest Ford Henderson 250 race was not only the last race of the season but was also a double point’s event. This event gives valuable points needed to move up in the rankings if you place well and can make or break teams if they have poor results. With the pressure on at the last race of the year, teams needed to be on their A game. Camburg Racing did just that, but in qualifying suffered a rollover that cost a valuable starting position. The practice lap went very well with a time around 3m 55s that if it counted would have had the #75 Camburg Racing General Tire Trick Truck starting in the Top 10. Obviously practice laps don’t count so #75 would be starting all the way in the back in the 36^th starting position.

Immediately after qualifying the crew headed to the hotel parking lot to assess the truck. The major damage was to most of the fiberglass body panels and the driver side front shocks. During the crash the front shocks were ripped apart during the violent roll. Loaded up, Jason Campbell and Scott Zindroski drove from Henderson, NV to Santee, CA that night where Fox is located. The entire race crew at Fox Racing Shox immediately started rebuilding them at 6am Friday morning and was able to turn them around in just over an hour. Now back underway Jason and Scott drove back to Henderson to finish the 600 mile road trip to get the shocks back on the truck to go through tech and contingency. Working all day fueled on Monster Energy, the team was able to have the truck body fixed by 3pm just as Jason and Scott pulled up with the shocks. It could have not been planned any better. Camburg passed tech inspection and had the #75 ready to do battle the following day.

Piloting the #75 Camburg TT on race day was long time racing veteran and 2008 Best in the Desert Trick Truck Champion Jerry Whelchel with Craig Hall as co-driver. Starting at the back, JW picked off the competition one by one and at the end of the 1^st lap was in the Top 10. Pulling into main pit on the start of the 2^nd lap, the Camburg Racing General Tire TT got a splash of VP race fuel and was back out on course quickly. On Lap 2 Jerry was able to catch and pass a few more trucks putting the #75 into the top 7 in class. With nightfall just around the corner, on the start of the 3^rd and last lap JW pulled into main pit for fuel and the light bar loaded up with KC HiLite’s Carbon Fiber HID lights. During the installation of the light bar the team ran into a problem from the rollover as the cannon plug was slightly damaged. The team worked their magic but unfortunately it took about 5 minutes to get back under way. Starting the last lap Camburg Racing was 8^th position on corrected time but with Jerry’s driving skills and how well the KINETIK Trick Truck was working, the #75 made up huge gaps and passed most of the competition.

The #75 Camburg Racing Trick Truck crossed the finish line 4^th physical in class and on corrected time took home the 3^rd place podium finish and was the first General Tire TT to finish the race. This finish helped move the team up from 9^th to a solid 6^th overall for the 2011 season in the Unlimited Trick Truck among near 50 competitors.

Camburg would like to thank all their sponsors, team members and fellow racers for the opportunity to be racing in this elite class.

Rolling the truck in qualifying and having to start at the back of the pack made our 3^rd place finish that much sweeter. Looking forward to the 2012 racing season”– Jerry Zaiden

The truck was working awesome. We charged hard till the very end and earned that 3^rd place finish.” – Jerry Whelchel

For more information on Camburg products and race team involvement, check out their websites www.camburg.com & www.camburgracing.com or contact them directly.

Team Sponsors

| BAER Brakes | Eibach Springs | FOX Racing Shox | General Tire | IRC Tracking | Ironclad Gloves |
| KC HiLiTES | KMC Wheels | Lucas Oil | Magnaflow Exhaust | Monster Energy Drink | Scosche |

| Sparco | SUREFIRE | Turn Key Engines | VP Fuels |

Photos by: Camburg Engineering, Mad Media & One Premiere

With an entire year of racing in the Best In The Desert series behind him, Monster Energy’s “Ballistic” BJ Baldwin went into the final race of the season only 1 point behind the leader. The Henderson 250 was an all or nothing battle to secure the points championship. In the end however, it wasn’t the fastest that won, but the most driven.  BJ ran in to some tough mechanical issues he had overcome to finish 5th in class and 10th overall and secured just enough points to take the overall Best in the Desert Points Championship for the second consecutive year. Congratulations, BJ!!

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

• “Ballistic” BJ Baldwin wins Best in The Desert Trick Truck championship.
• Macrae Glass wins Best In The Desert Class 8 championship on General Tires.

Fort Mill, SC – December 7, 2011. “Ballistic” BJ Baldwin entered the final race of the 2011 Best In The Desert (BITD) Series with one goal, to win the Trick Truck championship. And he did just that. Following a strenuous Henderson 250 full of ups and downs, Baldwin edged out Steve Strobel for the championship. The Trick Truck championship marks his second in as many years.

Dr. Macrae Glass walked away with the 2011 BITD Class 8 championship, marking back-to-back championships for this Team GT driver as well.

“Everyone at General Tire is excited about our second straight Trick Truck championship with Baldwin Motorsports,” said Travis Roffler, director of marketing, General Tire. “We were also fortunate enough to have Macrae Glass capture the Class 8 championship which is fantastic. We’re extremely proud to have General Tire on top of the podium for two straight years in two different classes.”

For more information on the Best In The Desert Series visit www.bitd.com.

If you can’t be there to see all the action first-hand, you can get up-to-the-minute information on all the races atwww.twitter.com/teamgt.

For media information, visit www.ctamedia.com.

About General Tire

For more than 90 years General Tire has offered a complete quality line of ultra-high performance, passenger, light truck, off-road and commercial tires to meet all your needs. General Tire is a proud supporter of Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing, Chili Bowl, Pro-Pulling, Late- Model Dirt Series, Drag Boat Series, Boost Mobile FreestyleMx.com Tour, Spec Tire of Trophylite and Pro Truck. Team GT supports off-road and short course teams including BJ Baldwin, Carl Renezeder, Rick D. Johnson, Jerry Zaiden/Jason Campbell, Jason/Rich Voss, Scott Steinberger, Ed “Clyde” Stout, Marc Burnett, Kent Kroeker, Mikey Childress, Jim Riley, Carey Hart, Josh Merrell, Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg, Jason Ellis, Robby Woods, Casey Currie, Ryan Hagy and

Jeff “Ox” Kargola.

General Tire is part of Continental Tire the Americas, LLC. (www.generaltire.com). CTA, based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, is a company of Germany-based Continental AG. With sales of approximately €20 billion in 2009 Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, Continental contributes enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has close to 160,000 employees in 45 countries.

Adam Householder just keeps getting faster and faster.  After starting 28^th off the line at Best In The Desert’s (BITD) Silver State 300 earlier this season, Householder shocked the competition and brought home his first Trick Truck win (BITD’s equivalent of SCORE Trophy Trucks).  Since that time Householder has consistently put the No. 24 Householder Motorsports Ford near the top of the standings in both BITD and SCORE International; the only driver to earn Top Five season standings in the most elite class of each of these series.

Householder Motorsports is sponsored by:

BFGoodrich Tires • Blitzkrieg MotorSports

MasterCraft Safety • Vision X • Currie Enterprises

King Shocks • McKenzie’s Performance Products • BTR Wheels

About Mad Media:

Mad Media ( www.madmedia.com) is San Diego based marketing and creative agency offering professional print, web, and film production. They specialize in producing culturally relevant brand messaging using professional athletes, musicians, and artists. Mad Media focuses on sports and cultures that they are passionate about, including skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, motocross, FMX, BMX, off-road racing, rally racing, Hip-Hop, Punk Rock and Mixed Martial Arts. Mad Media has produced over twenty major commercial and viral film projects this year for clients such as Subaru of America, DC Shoes, Monster Energy Drink, and Harley-Davidson. Mad Media has been executing immersive marketing campaigns since 1996.

Media Contact:

Mad Media

Matt Martelli

(760) 721-3600

Randy Merritt and Mongo Racing end the 2011 Best In The Desert Racing Association season with a bang. On Saturday December 3, 2011 Merritt started the Transwest Ford Henderson 250 in Jean NV with his son Randy Merritt Jr. riding in the Navigator seat. The side by side start was exciting as Merritt started the race knowing there was no pressure on him. Merritt entered the weekend securely in second for the 2011 BITD Class 8100 points championship.

Randy Merritt took the lead with the whole shot off the start, but electronic issues limited the Mongo Racing Ford F-150 to about 90 percent power for most of the first lap. After the first 80 mile lap Merritt was only 4 minutes behind the leader in second place. On the second lap Merritt was able to get full power back and make up time on the leader, but luck on this day was not with Merritt and Mongo Racing. Merritt had closed with in 1 minute of the leader when the Mongo Racing Ford F-150 came to a sudden stop from a broken drive shaft. Merritt and Merritt Jr. fixed the truck on the course and crossed the finish line of the Transwest Ford Henderson 250 in Jean NV in second place.

This marks the 9th season Merritt has finished the BITD Class 8100 season points in the top 3.

Randy Merritt and the Mongo Racing team are looking forward to the expanded 6 race 2012 Best In The Desert Racing Association schedule with excitement. Merritt and the Mongo Racing team will be making an exciting announcement for 2012 BITD season within the next few weeks.

The Mongo Racing Ford F-150 is sponsored by General Grabber Tires, KC Hilites, Knock Out Energy, TNC Machine, Sway-A-Way, Trail Ready Bead Lock Wheels, Yukon, EBC Brakes, Optima Batteries, Master Craft Safety Innovations, Lucas Oil, UMP, Camburg Engineering Products, MSD Ignition and Mongo Made Graphics.

As far as the 2011 Best In The Desert Off-Road Championships was concerned, ALL the chips on the table were up for grabs on Saturday at the season-ending Henderson 250. With Monster Energy’s “Ballistic” BJ Baldwin a tantalizing single point away from the ‘11 Championship (as well as backing up his 2010 BITD Championship), it was “All IN!” for the Las Vegas-based outfit. And despite a number of “busts” and setbacks – all looked lost on a number of occasions throughout the mechanically calamitous event – Ballistic BJ and crew never gave up, twirling spanners, changing out parts, rolling around in dust and oil and working in an orchestrated frenzy to keep the Championship cause alive. Thus, when the burly, angry white, sinister black and green electric glow Trophy Truck met the finished line, it was determined that Baldwin had, in fact, prevailed, winning his second BITD title in two years.

“We had a tough day today,” said Baldwin with a smiling, dusty face. “We lost a drive line and had some other issues. All together we had about an hour of down time. But we won the Championship not because we were the fastest today or because we were the most strategic. We won because in the last 2 miles we refused to give up. Even though I knew we had to finish 2 minutes ahead of antagonist Stroble I wanted to pass him before he crossed the finish line. I knew we had lost the Championship but I thought it might make me feel better if we passed him in the last hundred yards. We almost passed him but we didn’t. However we put so much pressure on him that he blew a checkpoint and got a penalty. Just goes to show no matter what hand you are dealt you should never give up!!”

“Impose your will”,” declared champion Baldwin. “Words to live by. If you refuse to lose you will always win.”

Words to Live By. Words to Win By!

Congratulations and a big Shout-Out to B.J. and crew!

There were more than just bragging rights on the line coming into the TransWest Ford Henderson 250.  This was the final Best In The Desert (BITD) race of the season, and with double points for the race it would be the deciding factor for the season championship.  As the defending champion, Monster Energy Off-Road Team’s “Ballistic” BJ Baldwin had a bull’s eye on his back all season.  While he has been blistering fast and dominated at the General Tire Mint 400, he has not won a BITD or SCORE race this season.  It was quite a change from when BJ won the SCORE season championship in 2006 and made it look easy in the process.

This season was a test of BJ’s character, and he rose to the challenge.  After qualifying fourth overall and second in Trick Truck (Class 1400) for Henderson, BJ left the line in his Monster Energy / General Tires truck like it was shot out of a cannon.  The points race was a close one, and BJ wanted to open up the gap on the competition.  Unfortunately a rogue rock on the course opened up Baldwin’s driveline instead, and he had to limp to the next pit in order to change the driveline.  Forty minutes were lost before BJ was back on course and the opportunity for victory looked slim.

Still, Baldwin never gave up.  His sixth place finish in the 1400 Class was enough to ensure that “Ballistic” BJ Baldwin’s Monster Energy / General Tires truck will wear the No. 1 plate next season.  It was the most closely contested Trick Truck championship in recent memory, with mere points separating Baldwin from the two nearest competitors when the dust settled.  “There was some controversy about the times, and sometimes decisions go your way and sometimes they don’t.” BJ shared on Saturday night.  “I know what it is like to be on the losing end of a decision and it sucks.  I don’t want to take anything away from Steve Strobel, he had a great season.”

Baldwin’s Monster Energy Off-Road Teammates Jerry Zaiden and Jerry Whelchel also had reason to celebrate.  Their weekend in Henderson was off to a rough start when Whelchel rolled the No. 75 Camburg Racing-built truck in qualifying.  Fortunately neither the truck nor the driver were injured, although the Monster Energy / General Tires truck was forced to start way back at 36^th in class, ruling out any opportunities for clean air.  Like Baldwin, “quit” is not in the vocabulary for Jerry and Jerry.  They pushed past the competition to finish eighth overall and third in Trick Truck, taking home the first podium finish for the Camburg Racing Trick Truck.  “When we finished fourth at Vegas to Reno it proved that we have what it takes to be competitive,” Zaiden commented after the race.  “Our Monster Energy / General Tires team did an outstanding job and showed what we are capable of when the chips are down.”

Photos by Vincent Knakal of Mad Media

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Race-dezert.com brings you race highlights from the 2011 BITD Henderson 250.  Congrats to Adam Householder for winning the Trick Truck class and to BJ Baldwin for winning the 2011 BITD Trick Truck Championship.

Justin Lofton started first off the line at the BITD Henderson 250 and never looked back, extending his lead after each lap, and eventually taking the overall win with a time of 3 hours, 51 minutes, and 55 seconds. The next closed competitor was Garrick Freitas who finished 13 minutes after Lofton, giving Jimco the 1-2 overall. Adam Householder took the win in Trick Truck, fighting his way through the field after starting 18th. After a rollover in time trials for the #75 truck of Camburg Racing, causing them to start 36th, Jerry Whelchel picked off the competition to finish 3rd in class and 8th overall.

After some controversy with Steve Strobel blowing a turn before the finish due to no power steering, the team was given a time penalty which gave BJ Baldwin the Trick Truck championship despite finishing physically behind Strobel. Steve Appleton took home the overall points championship along with the Class 1500 championship.

At roughly race mile 8 of lap 1 TT #82 suffered a rollover due to a mechanical problem, which then caused the truck to catch fire and ultimately burning to the ground. Both BITD officials and BLM were able to eventually put the fire out, and luckily both driver and co-driver were able to get out of the truck with only slight injuries.

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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Here’s how things shook out yesterday at Qualifying.  Looks like it’s going to be a great race!

1	1577	1	1500	3:48.420	42.55	Justin Lofton
2	1553	2	1500	3:49.476	42.36	Ray Griffith
3	35	1	1400	3:49.496	42.35	Jason Voss
4	1	2	1400	3:51.780	41.94	BJ Baldwin
5	33	3	1400	3:52.057	41.89	Steve Croll
6	1598	3	1500	3:52.871	41.74	Josh Daniel
7	32	4	1400	3:54.810	41.40	Shawn Croll
8	1554	4	1500	3:55.567	41.26	Shannon Campbell
9	94	5	1400	3:55.642	41.25	Steve Strobel
10	1516	5	1500	3:55.481	41.21	Derrick Sproule
11	1550	6	1500	3:56.609	41.08	Mike Mitchell
12	1572	7	1500	3:57.381	40.95	Garrick Freitas
13	28	6	1400	3:58.703	40.72	John Swift
14	1576	8	1500	3:58.806	40.70	TJ Flores
15	1568	9	1500	3:59.258	40.63	Shelby Reid

The final event of the Best in the Desert Off-Road series isn’t just another race, it’s become the tipping point for 2011′s overall point championship. With Monster Energy’s “Ballistic” BJ Baldwin a mere 1 point away from domination of this year’s Season Championship, he has nothing to lose this weekend! Can he take home the back-to-back BITD Overall Points Championship?

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

Justin Lofton took his Jimco class 1500 car and put it on top of the pole for the BITD Henderson 250. Using the same qualifying loop at the Silver State race, 36 Trick Truck and Class 1500 cars fought to be able to leave first off the line, but only Lofton won that bragging right. Close behind was the always fast Ray Ray Griffith, with Jason Voss, BJ Baldwin, and Steve Croll rounding out the top 5. Changing it up a bit, BITD also had the class 1100 cars qualifying with Brent Parkhouse grabbing first.

Mother nature threatened to bring rain for the qualifying session but the skies held up, only bringing wind and cold for the racers to battle through. Tomorrow contingency row will be in downtown Henderson, followed by a battle for the championship in the Trick Truck class this weekend. RDC will have live coverage of the event you’ve grown to love so stay tuned!

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• Seven General Tire supported drivers entered in the 2011 TransWest Ford Henderson 250 in Henderson, NV.
• General Tire’s Grabber tire to be featured on all seven Team GT entries during the event held, December 2-4.  

Ft. Mill, SC – December 1, 2011. In the last race of the 2011 Best In The Desert Series, the TransWest Ford Henderson 250, General Tire’s “Ballistic” BJ Baldwin will lead the way for Team GT in the Trick Truck class. Similar to the showdown at the OK Corral, this year’s championship point’s battle will leave a mark in the American off-road history books as Baldwin sits within striking distance of first place.

Facing the demon’s of the Henderson, NV desert December 2 – 4, Team GT will attempt to chalk up victories in 5 of classes. Baldwin will be joined by fellow Team GT members Rick D. Johnson, Mikey Childress (2006 champion BITD – Open Pro), Jim Riley (2011 BITD winner, Vegas to Reno), Randy Merritt, Jerry Zaiden, and Jason Voss (2008 BITD champion).

“General Tire has taken a very strategic approach to our involvement with the Best In The Desert Series,” said Travis Roffler, director of marketing, General Tire. “Casey Folks has created America’s premier open desert racing series and to be aligned with such a prestigious series is an honor. We’re proud to be involved as both a sponsor to some of the finest drivers, and as a partner with Lucas Oil Studios to produce captivating TV programming that captures all the action and drama that the desert has to offer. This series will continue to be a focus of ours moving forward.”

Beginning this year, General Tire and Lucas Oil joined forces to bring the ultimate package of desert racing to motorsports enthusiasts when they announced a partnership with Best In The Desert to showcase the entire five-event series on TV. The events have been broadcast on Versus and MavTV with the TransWest Ford Henderson 250 scheduled to air on DATE on NETWORK. Once again, the Lucas Oil Studios will capture all the high-intensity racing action and drama in HD for viewers to feel like they are sitting track-side for the final series showdown.

General Tire is “unleashing the fury” for a fifth season of off-road action with the Grabber competition tire. Designed with a tough, three-ply Duragen™-reinforced body construction to stand up to the rigors of off-road conditions, the Grabber also features a specially-engineered, competition-specific tread compound. In addition, the Grabber name and General Tire logo are prominently featured on the sidewall in red and white letters. The Grabber competition tires are designed in size 37×12.50R17 for Class 8 and Trophy Truck/Trick Truck and 35×12.50R17 for Class 1, 6, 7, 7 S, Stock Mini and Protruck.

General Tire also has a complete line of Grabber tires for the passenger and light truck market, including the new Grabber DOT-approved off-road tire; the Grabber HTS, which delivers the perfect synergy of comfort, durability and performance; the Grabber UHP, which sets a whole new standard in performance and ride quality for SUVs, light trucks and crossover vehicles; and Grabber AT2, designed for aggressive all-terrain traction in all weather conditions.

More information on Lucas Oil Products can be found at www.LucasOil.com.

For more information on the Best In The Desert Series visit www.bitd.com.

If you can’t be there to see all the action first-hand, you can get up-to-the-minute information on all the races atwww.twitter.com/teamgt.

For media information, visit www.ctamedia.com.

About General Tire

For more than 90 years General Tire has offered a complete quality line of ultra-high performance, passenger, light truck, off-road and commercial tires to meet all your needs. General Tire is a proud supporter of Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing, Chili Bowl, Pro-Pulling, Late- Model Dirt Series, Drag Boat Series, Boost Mobile FreestyleMx.com Tour, Spec Tire of Trophylite and Pro Truck. Team GT supports off-road and short course teams including BJ Baldwin, Carl Renezeder, Rick D. Johnson, Jerry Zaiden/Jason Campbell, Jason/Rich Voss, Scott Steinberger, Ed “Clyde” Stout, Marc Burnett, Kent Kroeker, Mikey Childress, Jim Riley, Carey Hart, Josh Merrell, Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg, Jason Ellis, Robby Woods, Casey Currie, Ryan Hagy and

Jeff “Ox” Kargola.

General Tire is part of Continental Tire the Americas, LLC. (www.generaltire.com). CTA, based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, is a company of Germany-based Continental AG. With sales of approximately €20 billion in 2009 Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, Continental contributes enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has close to 160,000 employees in 45 countries.