Race Report: 2015 BITD Round 2 | Laughlin

Team Riders: Ricky Brabec / Robby Bell

In a departure from the traditional bike-only Laughlin Hare Scramble, Best in the Desert combined the event with UTV and quad entries to create the first annual Laughlin UTV World Championship. The format for the bike/atv race would be eight laps around a sixteen mile, high-speed grand prix course with a green flag mass start according to class. Robby started the race for the team as they would each ride two laps at a time. Said Bell, “We started with quads on the first (pro/expert) row, so I absolutely wanted a good start and not get stuck in the dust.”

Brabec had a great ride at Laughlin as he and Bell took the win and extended their points lead. | photo credit: Harlen Foley

Start procedure was dead-engine, straddling the front fender and as the green flag wove Robby got off to a third place start, but wasted little time getting into the lead. “I got a multiple-kick start and was surprised to see just two racers ahead of me as I accelerated down the start line: the Beta of Nick Burson and a farm quad! Fortunately I was able to get by both of them quickly and have a clear course.” Bell and Brabec never looked back as they continued to pull time and take the win by a comfortable margin. Said Brabec afterward, “The new Laughlin was pretty fast and dusty, but it was actually a good course. It had a bit of everything which is always fun, and it was kind of sad the race was over so quickly.”

Click image to view Robby’s GoPro footage from the event.