Parks Wins Bluewater Desert Challenge UTV Race in RZR 4

Matt Parks started the weekend seven points out of the lead in the Best In The Desert race series. He needed a win at the Bluewater Desert Challenge to remain in contention with only one more race on the schedule. The Challenge is a two-day event – three laps of the 25-mile desert course both Saturday and Sunday. Driving his “Baja Bobsled,” a custom 2-seat Polaris RZR 4 built by Holz Racing Products, Matt and his co-pilots, Jason Spiess (Saturday) and Mike Carr (Sunday), raced aggressively through the dust.

“The Kroyer built RZR 800 engine ran flawlessly both days,” says Matt. “It was really put to the test in the deep sand and silt.”

Parks finished second on Saturday, 1:35 behind the first-place UTV Pro – the Jagged X Ranger RZR XP 900. Like Saturday, the 15-UTV field started behind Jeep Speed and Baja Bug Classes. Jagged X had a strong start off the line and Parks chased him through the pack of Jeeps and Bugs that started ahead.

“Our Holz Racing-built RZR 4 handled the course better than most,” says Parks. “The course on day two was really torn up after 175 race vehicles each did three laps on the 25-mile course. The whoops were massive, the silt blinding and the ruts so deeps that we dragged the skid plate.”

With 37 miles left to race, the Bobsled overtook the Jagged X RZR XP 900 and the team focused on the gap.

“We had a minute and a half to make up in a lap and a half in order to take the overall win. Mike and I waited at the finish line and, after a while, celebrated knowing we had won on corrected time having made up our deficit from day one. I don’t know where we are in the points, but we have to be really close going into the season’s final race.”

Parks will race the Transwest Ford Henderson 250 in Henderson, Nev. on December 3.