Las Vegas, Nevada January 31, 2011
More than 200 of the worlds best off-road racers have signed up for the 2011 running of the Blue Water Resort & Casino Parker 425. This marks the 40th year that the city of Parker has hosted an off-road race along the great Colorado River. A record breaking field of 34 Trick Trucks are entered that reads like a whos who of the most renowned truck racers in the country. Some of the competitors who will blast off the starting line in the middle of downtown Parker, Arizona for the first real long distance desert race of the 2011 season include defending champion B.J. Baldwin, Robby Gordon, Andy McMillin, Rob MacCachren, Jesse Jones, Steve Sourapas, Steve Olliges, John Swift, Rick D. Johnson, Mark Weyhrich, Jason Voss, Jesse James, Tim and Troy Herbst, Jerry Zaiden, Steve Strobel, Greg Nunley, Marc Ewing, Jimmy Nuckles, Ed Stout, Shawn and Steve Croll, Rick Thomas, Scott Whipple and Cameron Steele. Many of these same truck racers are some of the 23 that have already signed up to compete in Best In The Deserts $131,000 Trick Truck Challenge Cup which gets under way with this event.

The weekend gets started off on Thursday with the high speed action of the traditional Best in the Desert Time Trials, where the starting order is determined for the two fastest classes, Trick Trucks and Class 1500. The drivers of 34 Trick Trucks and 39 Class 1500 cars will try to put the best lap time down and claim the Team Ford Pole Award. The winner will also take home $1,000 in cash from Steve Olliges, owner of Team Ford Lincoln in Las Vegas.

Following Time Trials, the race trucks and cars will be escorted to the center of town for the 2nd annual Parker Downtown Experience. Last year thousands of Parker area residents, racers and fans gathered for the afternoon with live bands and a collection of the worlds fastest and most technologically advanced off-road race vehicles on display.

Contingency gets underway Friday morning in the north parking lot of the Blue Water Resort & Casino. Thousands of spectators and race fans are expected and will have the chance all day long to get up close to the race vehicles and drivers as they weave their way through the hundreds of manufacturers and vendors set up on display.

At 7:15 AM Saturday, the real business of the weekend gets underway when the first race vehicle blasts off the starting line on California Ave. in the middle of downtown Parker. Every racer will be on equal ground, including returning champions, as their quest for the season class championships begins. Back this year is the fan favorite and hugely popular Parker Python, a special 9-mile infield section of exciting jumps and switch-backs that weave through the middle of the main pits.

Also this year, the overall race winner will again be presented with the Manny Esquerra Valor Award. This is a very special honor and a tribute to Mannys legendary contribution to the sport of off-road desert racing.

The 2011 Blue Water Resort & Casino PARKER 425...If youre a racer, you dont want to miss being part of the battle of the best. If youre a race fan, you dont want to miss the exciting adventure. The Parker 425 is very spectator friendly with 3 designated viewing areas.

But if you cant make it to the race, tune in to the Lucas Oil broadcast of the race a week later, February 12th on the Versus network.

Casey Folks, Director of Best in the Desert stated, 2011 will be a great year for Best in the Desert competitors with our recently announced $131,000 Trick Truck Challenge Cup, multiple contingency dollars up for grabs and our new national TV broadcast package produced and sponsored by Lucas Oil. Folks continued, No other off-road race organization has a program like Best in the Desert. I've always said, either lead or get out of our way, and we intend to keep Best in the Desert in the lead!

Best In The Desert Official Sponsors: Ford Motor Company official truck, General Tire official tire, Lucas Oil official oil, VP Racing Fuels official fuel, KC HiLiTES official light, John Deere official UTV, KTM official motorcycle, FabTech - Official Suspension, Fall Advertising, Prerunner Maniac, McKenzies, PCI Race Radios, Azunia Tequila, and Sportsman Cycle Sales.