Franklin, Tenn. -- ITP racers Jacob Carver and Dustin Jones each secured a spot on the highly coveted UTV Pro Turbo class podium at the 2018 Best In The Desert Vegas-To-Reno race in Nevada. The two veteran ITP desert racers—both of whom have won BITD races in their careers—earned second and third place finishes, respectively, against a field of 272 other drivers that was comprised of cars, trucks and side-by-side vehicles.
"Anytime you can outlast the competition and finish a 10-hour race on the podium, you have to come away satisfied with the results, especially when more than 100 others don't finish," said Rhett Turpin, Head of ITP Sales. "We are very pleased to have both Jacob Carver and Dustin Jones put ITP UltraCross R Spec tires on the Pro UTV podium."
ITP racers had their work cut out for them from the start, as 110 side-by-side vehicles entered V2R, all hoping for podium glory. The day-night course required the drivers to travel one lap of more than 500 miles in thick dust and over some of the most challenging terrain imaginable. In the end, the most competitive SxS racers would complete the course in less than 11 hours to have a chance at victory. Carver was just off that pace, finishing less than 2 minutes behind the overall class winner with a time of 10:25:51, while Jones was a bit further back at 10:42:30. Regardless, a podium finish is still a reward in and of itself in long-distance desert racing.
Carver, who started 10th in the UTV Pro class, actually challenged the front runners early on and then took the lead at the midpoint of the race. Near the latter portion of the race, however, as Carver tried to get around a Class 10 (non-UTV) competitor, he ended up with enough damage from a rock that had to stop to make repairs. The delay caused him to drop to second in the live standings, but quick repairs and savvy driving allowed him to earn a hard-fought runner-up finish.
For Jones, who also ran 8-ply, 32-inch ITP Ultra Cross R Spec Race tires on his side-by-side, this race was about making up as much ground as possible and avoiding mishaps in order to have a shot at the box. The Louisiana racer started in 48th, but put in one of the best desert races he's ever had to take third place at the end of the race. While he physically was the fifth vehicle in the class to finish, after time adjustments, he ended up on the podium.
"What a crazy 10.5 hours in a race car," Jones said on his Facebook page. "Taking it from 48th starting position to finish third. [It's] truly a testimony of our teams' hard work. Our S3 Racing guys did an amazing job pitting and getting us to finish! We really appreciate everyone that showed up to help and support!"
