BITD Silver State 300 to mark desert racing's return from lockdown
Well, at least in off-road racing terms, one answer to its collective future arrived in the form of news from the Best In The Desert (BITD) series.
Thanks to the solid backing from its group of racers, BITD today announced it is moving forward with the VT Construction Silver State 300 Presented by Polaris RZR on June 25-27, 2020 in Alamo, Nevada. It will be the first desert off-road race since the Yokohama Sonora Rally ended in March. However, the first professional off-road race will be held a weekend earlier as the new Championship Off Road (COR) and Ultra4 series teams will kick off short-course racing at Crandon International Raceway in Wisconsin.
According to the Las Vegas-based series, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has approved the race to take place near Alamo, Nevada as previously planned, but with no pre-run in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
“We are super excited to get back to racing and want to thank everyone for taking time to fill out the survey,” said BITD’s CMO Bryan Folks. “We couldn’t have made this decision without the support of the racing community and it’s just another indication of why off-road racers, and in particular our racers, who are the most dedicated racers on the planet.”
As stated at the beginning of the 2020 season, the race will be a double-point race for all classes. However, the current points system will be updated. Due to the recent events, BITD is allowing one throw-away race this season. This throw-away race can be used for previous races that have already taken place in 2020 or used for the remainder of the series.
“We feel that adding a throw-away race is necessary to adapt to the current conditions and not penalize any team that may still be affected due to travel restrictions,” said Race Operations Manager Donald Jackson. “Racers and teams began the 2020 season expecting to be able to compete for a class championship. With travel restrictions potentially still in place, we need to be fair to all competitors and give them a chance to still go for that class championship regardless of their geographic location.”
According to the press release, “the decision to hold the VT Construction Silver State 300 amidst COVID-19 anxieties is not one that Best In The Desert staff, volunteers, and race sponsors take lightly. There will be heightened sanitation precautions and recommendations in place to ensure the safety and sense of security for staff, racers, sponsors, and fans. Best In The Desert will be communicating additional safety measures as the event gets closer.”
Marty Fiolka
A lifelong enthusiast of off road motorsports, Marty Fiolka raced his first Baja 1000 in 1992 and still enjoys getting behind the wheel via his annual BFG Team Rennsport NORRA Mexican 1000 effort. A graduate of University California at Long Beach, he founded The Rennsport Group in 1995 to execute motorsports public relations programs for Nissan, Infinity, Exxon, Mitsubishi, SCORE International and later became the editorial and marketing director for Dirtsports Magazine. Marty is a current contributor to RACER Magazine and RACER.com as well as operating the promotional agency for Crandon International Raceway and annual Red Bull Crandon World Cup. Fiolka was a 2014 Inductee to the Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF) and was instrumental in founding the Wide Open Baja adventure business and Ensenada's Horsepower Ranch. He also served as the associate producer of the original Dust to Glory documentary film and author of two books; 1000 Miles to Glory: The Baja 1000 Story and The Big Blue M: The History of McMillin Racing.
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