#Henderson250

Fresh off its SCORE Championship win, Jagged X took on Best in the Desert’s Henderson 250 for the chance to take home their second title for the year. When the dust settled, the No. 1919 proved victorious, winning the race and sealing the championship for the year. Coastal Racing took second in the race and finish third for the year.

The No. 1919 started in the second row so they had to be within 30 seconds of Coastal to win on corrected time. Brandon Schueler was right on the bumper of Coastal but late in the race, Coastal had to pull off for a short mechanical and the No. 1919 went by and was able to solidify the win. In the end, Team Jagged X edged out the season championship by just two points.

Can-Am off-road racing teams posted class victories in two different desert racing events. Derek Murray piloted the Murray Motorsports’ Can-Am Commander 1000 to victory at the Henderson 250 in the Best in the Desert series in Nevada. The four-man team of Carl Vella, Mike Penland, Rick Matteson and Ryan Robey teamed to ride a Can-Am Outlander 800R ATV to a class win at the 44th Annual 2011 SCORE Baja 1000 desert race in Ensenada, Mexico.

At the BITD event in Henderson, Nev., Derek Murray drove and Bill Kugel co-piloted the Can-Am due to Jason Murray, the driver of record, being ill. Even without his brother by his side, Derek Murray was determined to win. The Commander 1000, prepped by Desert Toyz, started in seventh place, but slowly worked its way to the front of the side-by-side vehicle pack. Three miles into the third lap, the team took over the lead and drove a clean, fast race from there to the finish line to record its first overall win of 2011. The Murray Commander team ended the BITD season ranked third in the final Pro UTV class standings.

“We are extremely happy to have won the Henderson 250 as it is the final race of the season and determines the outcome for the season due to it being a double points race,” says Derek Murray. “We knew all season the Commander had what it takes to be a top competitor in the most competitive desert racing series in the USA. We’re excited that what we knew finally came to fruition in Henderson. It shows that the Commander is a great, reliable and fast machine that’s able to be modified to any rider’s needs.”

The Henderson 250 was the last race of the six-race Best in the Desert series, and the Pro UTV title was on the line. Four-time championship winner Jagged X led the series by a few points with Matt Parks right on its tail. The Transwest Ford Henderson 250 would be the deciding factor.

The race started before dawn with freezing temperatures and howling winds in Jean, Nev. The Jagged X crew was confident with the No. 1919, but in racing, nothing is ever a sure thing. By mile 14, they realized how something as small as a clogged fuel injector could change an entire season. Brandon Schueler managed to limp the No. 1919 into the second pit and after some diagnosis and a quick repair the car was back on the course at 100 percent. Even a few minutes lost in a short race like this is detrimental. Schueler was able to make up some time but in the end, was short of the finish the team had hoped for. When the dust cleared the Jagged X No. 1919 team ended the incredibly great season in the second overall position.

GBC Motorsports enjoyed a busy but exciting weekend with plenty of action from all around southern California and Nevada, including another round of FNL Fall ATV MX Series, the Pro Armor Fall Fun Ride, and the Best in the Desert Henderson 250.

As part of the FNL Fall ATV MX Series at Milestone MX Park in Riverside, Calif., GBC Motorsports is raffling off a set of their Bomb Squad MX tires at each round of the series. On Saturday, Dec. 3 at Round 3 of the series, Nick Walker became the most recent tire raffle winner. Victor of the 450 Intermediate class, Nick walked away with a brand new set of Bomb Squad MX tires from GBC Motorsports. The next and final round of the FNL Fall ATV MX Series at Milestone MX is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 17.