2015 GBC Heartland Challenge SxS / UTV Endurance Racing Carlisle, Iowa August 21, 2015

GBC Heartland Challenge Open UTV Class Podium (left to right) rOtation Motorsports (2nd), Jack’s CanAm (1st), Miller CanAm (3rd)

The GBC Heartland Challenge is a unique endurance race held just outside Des Moines, Iowa. With wet weather leading up the event, the track became rough quickly, giving racers ruts and difficult terrain to contend with for much of the race. The unique course also included The RacerTech Challenge Section, which comprised a mixture of tires, logs, concrete, and a huge hump. The section acted as a short-cut on the course, which saved a bunch of time for those that made it through without issues. With the race not starting till after 7PM, the majority of the four hour long race was run in the dark, so lights were a necessity.

GBC Heartland Challenge UTV race continues to grow each year with a 10% growth in attendance for 2015 with 62 total UTV teams

GBC Heartland Challenge is also one of the highest paying SXS / UTV Racing events in the country with GBC putting up $3,000 for the winner of the UTV 1000 class, and Racer Tech added a $1,000 overall winner bonus. Can-Am also had a $2,000 win contingency, and the Pratt Brothers qualified for them all, so they duo took home $6,000 for the win

Mouse & Marcus Pratt took home a combined $6,000 in contingency money from GBC Motorsports, Racer Tech, and Can-Am alone

With the largest field in the event’s eight-year history, the regular single row start was modified for the 1000 Class, allowing them to start in two rows. Even with 32 1000 Class UTVs taking the start, the first lap was run without incident.

Bikeman Peformance's Ryan Springer grabbed the holeshot on the front row of the UTV 1000 class followed by the two Team Miller / Can-Am Racers Hunter & Cody Miller

Racer Tech’s Marcus Pratt started the race and got off to a mid-pack start, but he utilized a conservative strategy and just focused on staying the top ten for the first half of the race while others were racing at a sprint, which ended their day before the checkered flag. Marcus kept a steady speed, and handed the Can-Am Maverick over to his brother, Mouse, after an hour and half, and Mouse quickly began moving his way up the line, and he took over the lead in lap 15, which he held to the checkered flag for the win.

Can-Am / Jack's Team Marcus Pratt ran in the top ten before handing the wheel over to his brother Mouse for the final stretch of the race

“I just had to play it smart at the start and try not to get hit,” said Marcus Pratt. “We came out mid pack and plugged along. We saved the car. A lot of guys tried playing this like it was a one-hour sprint. We knew this was an endurance race. It’s like racing a China doll. They’re easy to break. But we had not issues at all during the race.”

Racer Tech's Mouse Pratt charged into the lead late in the race, but he quickly built a large lead to secure their 2nd straight UTV win

Mouse Pratt said the event is always fun, but he definitely enjoyed it more on the top step of the podium. “It’s Iowa. What can I say? This is a great event they put on here,” said Mouse Pratt. “This track was rough and brutal. There were some deep ruts out there. It wasn’t for these RacerTech A-arms were wouldn’t have made it. I couldn’t ask for anything else. It took us 15 hours to get out here. Winning in the end makes it all worthwhile.”