Best In The Desert and Unlimited Off-Road Racing Unify to Form the American Off-Road Racing Championship
2025 Season to Conclude with Unified Finale at Laughlin Desert Classic, October 15–19
Best In The Desert and Unlimited Off-Road Racing Unify to Form the American Off-Road Racing Championship
2025 Season to Conclude with Unified Finale at Laughlin Desert Classic, October 15–19
LAS VEGAS, NV — In a landmark moment for American desert racing, Best In The Desert (BITD) and Unlimited Off-Road Racing (UNLTD) announced today the formation of a new national points series: the American Off-Road Racing Championship, launching in 2026. This bold collaboration between the two leading desert racing organizations is designed to unify the sport, streamline competition, and deliver greater value to racers and sponsors across the off-road industry.
As a powerful first step, the two organizations will close out the 2025 season together with a combined championship finale at the iconic Laughlin Desert Classic, October 15–19. This move eliminates calendar conflicts and brings the community together for a single, high-impact year-end event.
“Matt, Josh, and I have shared a mutual respect for many years,” said Bryan Folks, CEO of
Best In The Desert. “We’ve each worked hard to grow the sport in our own ways, always with the racers in mind. Both of our organizations have received extensive feedback from racers and sponsors over the past few years. This is the right time to come together to unify our strengths, align our visions, and ensure the long-term health and stability of desert off-road racing in America.”
“This isn’t just about combining races. It’s about shaping the future of off-road racing in America,” said Matt Martelli, co-founder of UNLTD. “For years, we’ve poured our energy into building flagship events like The Mint 400 and The California 300—not just for the spectacle, but to honor the legacy of this sport. By joining forces with BITD, we’re creating a unified championship that reflects our shared values and elevates the bar for everyone in desert racing. This is how we grow together.”
A Unified 2025 Finale at the Laughlin Desert Classic
Rather than split the community with competing finales this fall, BITD and UNLTD will unite for a single championship-ending weekend at the Laughlin Desert Classic, October 15–19, 2025. By consolidating both races, the organizations eliminate scheduling conflicts, reduce logistical strain on teams, and concentrate sponsor exposure, delivering a stronger and more efficient close to the season.
“Every decision we make now is shaping what comes next,” said Joshua Martelli, COO of UNLTD. “We’ve built The California 300 into something special, and it will return in 2026 as a key stop on the American Off-Road Racing Championship calendar. This season, our focus is on delivering value and momentum, while setting the foundation for what’s around the corner.”
A staple of the sport, the Laughlin Desert Classic is known for its high-speed loop format, tight competition, and high energy racing, hosted in partnership with Las Vegas Events and the Laughlin Tourism Commission.
“We’re honored to host the UNLTD Championship finale this year,” said Bryan Folks. “This is exactly the kind of smart, respectful move our sport needs. It simplifies planning for teams, boosts value for sponsors, and exemplifies what real unification looks like.”
The 2026 American Off-Road Racing Championship will feature the most iconic desert races in North America, with events drawn from both the BITD and UNLTD calendars. The season will kick off with The Parker 400 in January, with additional dates and locations to be announced in the coming weeks.
To deliver a seamless experience for racers, teams, and sponsors, the two organizations are actively co-developing a standardized competition framework that prioritizes clarity, fairness, and long-term growth:
- Master Schedule: A unified calendar to eliminate date conflicts, streamline logistics, and maximize racer participation.
- Unified Rulebook: A single rulebook, class structure, and numbering system to ensure consistency and transparency across all events.
- Standardized Tech Inspection: Unified procedures across all events to simplify prep and reduce friction at race sites.
- Consistent Points System: A shared championship structure that rewards performance across the full season.
“We know everyone is going to have questions right out of the gate, and rightfully so,” added Kilian Hamlin, UNLTD Event Director. “We’ve already begun working with Best in the Desert to review and streamline key systems and procedures, such as race registration and a reimagined contingency program, in order to create consistency, clarity, and efficiency across both organizations. This means one unified rulebook, one numbering system, and one championship structure. We invite racers, sponsors, and teams from across North America to join us in building the future of desert racing, together.”
By consolidating schedules, standardizing systems, and focusing on long-term value, the American Off-Road Racing Championship sets a new bar for desert racing in the U.S.—and creates the clearest path yet for racers, teams, and sponsors to build success.
What Comes Next
The full 2026 American Off-Road Racing Championship schedule will be announced in the coming weeks, along with updated registration details and event information for the 2025 season finale at the Laughlin Desert Classic. For the latest updates, visit: unlimitedoffroadracing.com and bitd.com
About Best in the Desert
Best In The Desert is the longest-running and most respected off-road racing series in North America. Founded in 1984 by legendary racer Casey Folks, BITD began as a grassroots motorcycle organization and expanded in 1996 to include four-wheel vehicles. Over the past four decades, it has grown into a pillar of the off-road community—producing iconic events like Vegas to Reno, The Silver State 300, The Parker 425, and the Laughlin Desert Classic.
In 2025, BITD joined forces with Unlimited Off-Road Racing to launch the American Off-Road Racing Championship, a unified national series designed to preserve the legacy of desert racing while building its future.
About Unlimited Off-Road Racing
Unlimited Off-Road Racing was founded by The Martelli Brothers in 2023, following more than a decade of leadership in desert off-road race promotion. Today, the league includes The Mint 400, The California 300, and The Parker 400, with a focus on innovation, storytelling, and large-scale racer participation.
In 2025, UNLTD partnered with Best In The Desert to form the American Off-Road Racing Championship - a national series created to unify the sport, elevate competition standards, and deliver more value for racers, sponsors, and fans. UNLTD events are known for their high car counts, challenging courses, racer pre-running, and family-friendly spectating - all located near major markets that fuel the off-road industry.