BITD Vegas To Reno: On the Podium

BITD Vegas To Reno On the Podium

Prior to the 2017 Best In The Desert, Vegas 2 Reno race, we put together predictions in our odds article. In the Turbo UTV class, we had eventual race winners Phil Blurton favored at 2:1. Kristen Matlock had the same odds in the non turbo class. Once again, these two dominated the competition during the 530 mile race with Kristen getting her first win in a Polaris RZR 4 and Phil competing in a showroom stock looking Can-Am Maverick X3. The rest of the Turbo podium, was filled by Sven Ellstrom in a trick Holz Racing RZR-4 and Logan Gastel in a 2-seat Maverick X3. UTV Driver editors took drove Monster Matt Burroughs' Can-Am Maverick X3 in from the halfway point and finished the fun, fast course fourth in the Pro Turbo class. Round 1 and two winner Mitch Guthrie Jr rounds out the top five. With his second win, Phil Blurton will take over the points lead from Brandon Schueler.

In 59th overall, Kristen Matlock finished one spot in front of her husband Wayne. She shared the non turbo class podium with Russel Griffin in another RZR and Gunner Savage in the highest placing Yamaha YXZ1000R. Not far off the N/A pace was the unlimited class wining team of Tony Riggs and Kyle Melville in a Cognito built Polaris RZR XPT-4.

In the ATV classes, the competition was just as stacked but by some unusual suspects. Favorites David Scott and Cody Mitchell fought to victory on their CT Racing powered Honda 450R. The team completed the course in just over ten and half hours which is over an hour faster than any UTV.

Incredibly, it was a four wheel drive, Can-Am Outlander 1000 taking the second spot out of 14 entries. The big ride was piloted by veteran racers Don Higbee, Bryan Buckhannon and Rick Cecco. Another name familiar with GNCC racing, Adam McGill piloted a Kymco 700 at the event with Alex Kollitz but their race ended early with a DNF after a crash. Taking the third spot on the Quad podium was the Expert class team headed up by Christopher Peatross aboard a Kawasaki KFX450.