EVP Claims First in Laughlin Desert Classic and Pro Stock Championship

Phoenix, AZ (10/21/2024)

John Bray and I scored our fourth victory of the season and third win in the 2024 Best In The Desert season securing the Pro Stock class championship at the Laughlin Desert Classic in Laughlin, NV in our Can-Am X3. Going into the final race of the season, John and I had a decent points lead over 2nd place, but the championship was not yet secured.

Photo Credit: Harlen Foley

John and I went into the final race of the season like we always do. We run our own race/pace and change our strategy depending on where we stand in the field as the race progresses. We knew that if we didn’t get out front at the start, we would have to battle in the dust. We also knew that if we didn’t finish the race, we could lose the championship.
The race starting order was setup so 4 cars go off the line together and every 30 seconds another group of 4 cars start. We were on the 9th row and started thirty two cars behind the lead car. We started on the inside row and when the flag dropped, the race to the first left turn was on and we were four wide to the corner. We got there alongside the other cars but had to let off to make the sharp left turn. We came out 2nd and we battled through the infield to try to overtake the lead car but had to settle for 2nd as we headed out into the desert. The dust was bad, so I gave us some distance in order to not take any unnecessary risks with a long race ahead of us. After the first five miles of battling the cars in our starting group we settled 3rd back behind my son, Jacob.

Photo Credit: Harlen Foley

For the first few 17-mile laps we took it easy to get into a rhythm. John made flawless calls and the car was performing great. John and I were staying within 30 seconds of the lead cars knowing that at any time we could battle back to the front when we needed to. We hung back and ran a solid pace for the first half of the 170-mile race. As we got further into the race, we saw that the lead car had tipped over and was going to be stopped for a few minutes. Another lap went by, and we were sitting in 2nd place when we came up on the lead car (my son Jacob) who had obviously slowed his pace so we made a pass on him. We maintained a conservative pace for the final few laps and took no unnecessary risks knowing we had the lead. We carefully monitored the cars behind us on the infield course and made sure we stayed out front. We crossed the finish physically in 1st and when the dust settled and all of the car’s times were in, we took the class win and clinched the series championship.

Photo Credit: Harlen Foley

 

This race was bittersweet.

I know how hard my son Jacob worked this season and I thought he had this race in the bag. When I came up on him towards the end of the race, I knew he had fallen off pace and something must have broken on his car. In the end he broke his front differential and only had 2wd. Jacob is very fast and most of the time he is faster than me and I’m proud to say that. Unfortunately, car preservation is big in offroad desert racing and being able to finish the race with a completely working car is half the battle. If you have one minor mistake or one part failure, it doesn’t matter how fast you were, it only matters at the end and getting to the finish first.
Photo Credit: Harlen Foley

 

Thank you!

I want to thank all our sponsors and partners who helped us get here. Without them, this championship wouldn’t have been possible. The companies listed below are incredible and I am proud to be affiliated with them all. We are already making our plans for the 2025 season and we will be building a new Can-Am to be debuted in February at the first race of the season, King of the Hammers!
Photo Credit: Harlen Foley

 

2024 Sponsors:

Soul Seekers Podcast, Evolution Powersports, Shock Therapy, Maxxis Tires, Can-Am Off-Road, EVP.MOde, S3 Powersports, Alsup Racing, KMC Wheels, Rugged Radios/HPR, Triple R Lights, PWR Cooling, EVOSpec, Star Stream, Ardent Performance, Rancho Bella Foundation, LG Creative, JP, Desert Performance, EVOMSit, CT Race Worx, Sparco

 

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