Off-roaders roar through Parker 250

The desert around Parker was filled with the sounds of off-road racing during the running of the Epic Racing Products/Best in the Desert Parker 250 Saturday. Motorcycles, quads and utility terrain vehicles raced around a course that began in Parker and ended at the BlueWater Resort & Casino.

At the awards ceremony later that evening, Best of Desert president Casey Folks thanked the participants. Folks said things went smoothly, but there were five injuries. Four of these were minor, while the fifth was serious. Folks said the racer, who was not identified, was flown to Las Vegas with a broken hip. Upon arrival at the hospital, Folks said it was determined the racer also had internal injuries.

The accident occurred off Shea Road approximately one hour after the race began.

The only racer listed from Lake Havasu City, Lance Michael Cramer, placed third in the Quad Ironman Amateur class and 34th overall among the two-lap classes. Cramer rode a Polaris.

The overall winners in the three-lap classes were David Pearson and David Campbell, of Panaca, Calif. The winners brought their KTM motorcycle in with a time of 4:45:34. Pearson and Campbell also won the Open Professional class. This was Pearson’s first race following a leg injury last year.

In the two-lap classes, Parker’s Kyle Hucklebridge placed first overall and also took the Ironman Expert motorcycle class.

Other Parker racers won their classes. Bobby Joe Guthrie and Jason Weatherford won the 125 Amateur motorcycle class. James Rosnagle and Anthony Grossman took the 4-Stroke Expert motorcycle class. Josh Gory won the Quad Ironman Amateur class.

While he did not win his class, the top overall racer from La Paz County in the three-lap classes was Jeff Hancock, of Salome. His Honda placed third in the Quad Professional class and 18th overall.

Folks thanked the BITD staff for their work on the race. He asked for the attendees at the awards ceremony to give a big round of applause for all the volunteers on the race staff.

The BlueWater was the host and a major local sponsor for the race.

Off-road racing returns to Parker on the weekend of Feb. 6-8 for the BlueWater Resort & Casino/Best in the Desert Parker 425 for cars, trucks and buggies.