| BEST
IN THE DESERT
Parker 250 UTV Race
January 6, 2018
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Best in the Desert - Parker
250 - UTV Race Report
Brandon Schueler
Wins BITD Parker250 UTV Opener
| BEST
IN THE DESERT
Parker 250 ATV & SxS Links |
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Parker, AZ (1/15/2018) - Brandon
Schueler is on a roll in desert racing. His latest
win came in the season opening Best in the Desert
Series GMZ Winter Nationals Casey Folks Parker 250
and marks his third desert race victory in a row
going back to the 2017 Baja 1000. Marc Burnett finished
second, followed by Logan Gastel, Branden Sims,
and Jason Murray. Dustin Jones was sixth in his
brand new Can-Am MAX. Kaden Wells won the UTV Pro
Production race.
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| Brandon
Schueler Kicked off 2018 with the BITD Pro
Turbo UTV Desert Win at the Parker 250 |
A huge turnout of 56 Pro Turbo UTVs turned out
for the event held in the desert surrounding Parker,
AZ. The race started an hour later to allow for
all the ATVs to be off the course when the UTVs
took off. The leader finished just after sunset
and the balance of the field finished in the dark.
With temperatures in the 80s and little wind,
visibility, especially at the end of the race
after sunset, was definitely at a premium. Competitors
ran three laps on the 80-mile loop of sand wash,
whoops, rocks and canyons.
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It
was a picture perfect weekend in Parker,
Arizona along the Colorado River for the
Best in the Desert season opening GMZ UTV
Winter Nationals Casey Folks Parker “250”
Presented By Polaris |
For Schueler, the race was the continuation of
a dominant run started last season with his victory
in the Baja 1000. He backed that up with another
win in the 2017 BITD season finale.
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| The
2017 Pro Turbo UTV Champion, Phil Blurton,
grabbed the early lead & held it till
the last lap before suffering a mechanical
issue |
Schueler started second and battled with defending
BITD Pro Turbo champion Phil Blurton for most
of the race. As the two fought it out, they began
gapping the field. About halfway through the final
lap, Blurton limped into the pits with a mechanical
issue, handing the lead and the victory to Schueler.
Blurton finished 21st.
“We’re ringing in the new year with an awesome
start,” said Schueler. “We have three in a row
right now and we’re going into the Mint 400 with
a brand new fresh car. It’s cloud nine for us.”
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| Brandon
Schueler started on the front row along
side 2017 Pro Turbo Champion, Phil Blurton,
& the pair battled for nearly the entire
race before Schueler took over the lead
halfway through the last lap when Blurton
suffered a mechanical issue, which dropped
him back 21st |
Schueler struggled with his Polaris RZR turbo
for most of the season in 2017. To say he has
it dialed in is an understatement.
“Our car is finally dialed in and this car is
ridiculously fast right now,” said Schueler. “We
caught up to Phil in the main pit area on lap
three. We kept up the pressure on him and then
midway through the lap he ended up limping in.
We got around him in the pits and had a little
bit of fresh air to finish the race.”
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