Amid challenging circumstances all efforts have been made to get the green light for this emblematic desert race. With safety protocols in place, we can now look forward to the 550-mile race over the Nevada sands from Las Vegas to Reno on Friday, August 14.
The Vegas to Reno Off-Road Race sees the return to competitive action for the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team. Mitch Guthrie Jr. and Seth Quintero both impressed at the Silver State 300 earlier in the summer and will be looking to win their respective categories in Nevada this time around.
“Vegas to Reno is a huge race and it always brings out the big dogs. Every desert racer wants to show up at this one.” – Mitch Guthrie Jr.
The 550-mile Vegas to Reno race is an overdue opportunity for the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team to build on the remarkable progress they made at the start of this year. While racing the specially designed OT3 side-by-side machine, Mitch and his team-mates set the fastest time on half of the 12 stages at the 2020 Dakar Rally. The OT3 will not be present at Vegas to Reno due to the current strict Europe to United States travel restrictions.
Mitch is now in search of his first win at Vegas to Reno as he defends last season’s Best in the Desert overall series victory in the Pro Turbo Class.
“Vegas to Reno is the longest off-road race in the United States and it brings with it a little bit of everything. The course is over 500 miles long every year and it’s such a mix of terrain. There’s forests, there’s high elevation and you go down on lake beds and silt. I absolutely love the distance.” – Mitch Guthrie Jr.
Meanwhile, Seth demonstrated his speed by retaining his title with a dominant drive at the Silver State 300 in July. Among Seth’s goals for the year is retaining his Best in the Desert series Pro N/A Class crown.
“This year’s Vegas to Reno is definitely going to be a little wild. It’s over 500 miles and due to be around 110 degrees Fahrenheit on the start line… Hopefully Mitch and myself can win our respective classes and put the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team on top.” – Seth Quintero
In the prestigious “Trophy Truck Unlimited” category there’s a full entry list of big names from the world of Baja racing. 2019 Vegas to Reno Champion Bryce Menzies has thrown his hat into the ring alongside four-time Baja 1000 champion Andy McMillin.
Bryce and Andy continue to provide huge inspiration to the members of the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team, with plenty of expertise to share with the next generation of driving talent.
“I haven’t raced since February and to say I’m antsy is an understatement. The drop of the green flag can’t come soon enough!“ – Andy McMillin
For either Bryce or Andy to claim the top prize they will not only have to beat each other, but also a top class Trophy Truck field of competitors, including four-time Vegas to Reno Champ Jason Voss and Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Famer Rob MacCachren.
“This year’s course is going to be different than years past, so looking forward to some new terrain and wide open roads.” – Bryce Menzies
The 2020 Vegas to Reno Off-Road Race is part of the current Best in the Desert season, which is just past its halfway point. Expect close racing in temperatures in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit as competitors challenge for championship points and an outright win at this legendary off-road event.
Source: redbullmotorsports.com