Ontario, Calif. - Team ITP West Coast racers competed amongst 34 total side-by-side racers in the 2014 Best In The Desert Silver State 300, earning the overall win and two of the top-three finishing positions in the 1900P class. Cognito Motorsports/ITP racer Justin Lambert put his new No. 1918 Polaris in the winner's circle to earn his first BITD win of the year. Lonestar Racing/ITP pilot Branden Sims also tallied a third-place podium finish at the Nevada event.
"We couldn't be happier for Cognito Motorsports' Justin Lambert, competing in his new car outfitted with 30-inch Ultracross tires. He put in an impressive performance riding through the thick dust to capture the Silver State 300 race," said Ryan Edwards, ITP tech support representative/West Coast race coordinator. "Only 22 side-by-sides completed this race, so to have two of our racers earn a spot on the 1900P class podium is outstanding."
Although the entry numbers were down from the record number seen at the BITD Mint 400, the Canidae Tap It Silver State 300 round featured 34 total side-by-sides, with the vast majority competing in the "UTV Pro" ranks. Racers had to contend with hot, dusty conditions as well as silt, rocks and a rough desert course. Competitors started individually (single file) and left the starting grid roughly every 30 seconds. This race was about navigating at a controllable speed with limited visibility, taking full advantage of clean air (no dust) and remembering that the top finisher would ultimately be crowned based upon adjusted time not necessarily the finish line.
Despite not starting first and having to drive through thick clouds of dust, Cognito Motorsports/ITP racer Justin Lambert and co-pilot Jeremiah Staggs drove their way into the overall lead (on corrected time) after roughly the halfway point. From there, the team, riding on 30-inch ITP Ultracross tires, kept pushing to the very end to stay out front. Lambert eventually crossed the finish line with a time of 6:33:38.299 to take home the 1900P class overall. That time was also good for 18th overall in the motorcycle/quad/UTV division.
"We just won the Silver State 300 on the same set of tires we started the race on, and they are still holding air," said Lambert. "[The] Terrain was diverse, from graded roads to rock beds to twisty forest trails to sandy washes and silt, thanks to ITP Ultracross tires."
Capturing third in the 1900P ranks with a time of 6:42:38.526 was Lonestar Racing/Fox/ITP pilot Branden Sims and co-pilot Tim Krauss. The podium finish continued Sims' successful season of racing. He also reached the podium as runner-up in the Pro class at the 2014 King of the Hammers and took third at the Mint 400. He was also running the proven 30-inch Ultracross tire on his Polaris side-by-side vehicle.
"With the help of ITP tires I will continue to dominate,” Sims said. “For the third consecutive desert race, the ITP Ultracross tire has put me on the podium without a single tire failure. I wouldn't think twice about running a different tire, whether it was for racing, trail or rocks. This is the ultimate UTV/side-by-side tire on the market."
Several other ITP-supported racing teams competed in the BITD Silver State 300. Bush Racing's Brian Bush recorded a top-10 finish on ITP Ultracross tires. The No. 11 spot in the 1900P class went to the No. 1949 Cal Custom Trailers/ITP-backed car of Dennis Jean, Ricky Leard and Debbie Hudson. The No. 1917 of Murray Racing/Can-Am/ITP team of Derek and Jason Murray, coming off their recent SCORE series win, ended up 15th in the class.
