Gmz UTV Winter Nationals/ Bitd Parker 250

Getting the Year Started Off Right
 

- Matt Emery

The 2017 racing year got off to a great start, and it all happened in Parker, Arizona. Newly named, the GMZ UTV Winter Nationals – Best in the Desert Parker 250 Presented by Polaris, took place on January 6-7, 2017, in the desert areas surrounding Parker and the Blue Water Resort and Casino.

There were technically two separate events as GMZ was sponsoring the UTV Winter Nationals, which was two grand prix–type races that had a dead-engine start with the participants lined up next to each other. When the flag dropped, everybody hit the switch and gas and hustled to the first corner, hopefully ahead of the guys next to them. And each race lasted an hour. Once the time was up, the leader was given the checkers and everybody else behind was waved off, no matter how many laps they had done. The first race consisted of Production 1000 racers, while the second was formed by the Turbo, Prod 900 and 700 cars.

The other big event was the Parker 250, and the big news is that it’s only for UTVs. The course was nearly 80 miles long, and all of the big teams were there. Drivers ranged from champions like Polaris stalwarts Justin Lambert and Branden Sims, to Trophy Truck specialist/Arctic Cat designer Robby Gordon, to LOORRS short-course racer Corry Weller in her Yamaha YXZ. There was also the son of a multi-time King of Hammers champion who was looking to make a name for himself in his own right, one Mitch Guthrie Jr.