At over 550 miles in length, Best In The Desert’s TSCO “Vegas to Reno” race is certifiably “The Longest Off-Road Race in the United States.” It marks the midway point for the five-race 2011 Best In The Desert season featuring the car and truck classes and is one of the most popular events on the schedule. The challenge and adventure of competing in such a long distance “point to point” race always brings out the top off-road race teams. Not only is this going to be a big event but it’s also the 14th running of TSCO "Vegas to Reno." This race is open to all Best In The Desert classes - cars, trucks, UTVs, quads and motorcycles and over 300 entries are expected from all across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, and even South Africa. The entry list reads like a “who’s who” of the world’s foremost off-road racers.

Casey Folks, director of Best In The Desert, has worked closely with the BLM to obtain the required permits and set up a course that avoids endangered species, and does not harm the environment. The race starts near the town of Beatty, Nevada, with all classes starting

Best in the Desert.Off-Road, BitD, Casey Folks, Vegas to Reno

Mopar Answers Call for Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited Pickup Truck. Jeep® enthusiasts now have the opportunity to transform their four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited into a two-door pickup truck.
The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for the Mopar® JK-8 kit is $5,499. The kit, which comes with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty, is now available for ordering through Mopar at Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram dealerships. The warranty covers kit materials and workmanship performed at a Chrysler Group dealership. “Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited are some of our most accessorized vehicles,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO, Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “New Jeep Wrangler owners typically spend more than $500 on Mopar accessories. For Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

Jeep, Mopar

Building on its rich history of street machines and wheel-standing drag cars, Chrysler’s Mopar group is now entering the mud-spattered off-roading arena with this, its answer to Ford’s F-150 SVT Raptor. True to the brand’s character, the Mopar Ram Runner package for the Ram 1500 is to the unpaved realm what the Dodge Challenger Drag Pak is to the quarter-mile.

Unlike the Raptor ($42,930 base price), the Ram Runner is a not a regular-production vehicle. Instead, it is a collection of  bits available from Mopar that can be fitted to any current-gen Ram 1500 4x4 with a six-foot-four-inch bed. Co-developed with Kroeker Off-Road Engineering, the Ram Runner’s Stage 2 package ($13,270) leverages the latest Ram’s all-coil-spring suspension for maximum off-road potency.

Chrysler, Dodge, RAM Runner

Valley Off Road Racing Association (VORRA) today released a schedule and map of the new USA 500 off-road race for 2011. The event debuts in Sparks, Nevada at John Ascuaga’s Nugget Hotel and Casino. The 529-mile race, which includes a 155-mile loop, starts and finishes in Fernley, NV and takes racers Northeast near Lovelock, NV over a mix of BLM and private land, including sections VORRA has used over its 36-year history.
“We’ve put together a course that includes pipeline & power-line roads, technical sections and good amounts of wide open terrain that allows racers to peg their top gear,” said VORRA Race Director Wes Harbor. “We’ve also tailored the course to require fewer chase crews to manage race support for a race of this length.”

#USA500, VORRA