STI Racers Stand on the Podium after Tonopah 250
High speeds and dust – those were the themes of the Tonopah 250 – the penultimate race in the 2017 Best In The Desert series. Matt Burroughs took on both with a masterful touch, showing his continued development of the Can-Am Maverick X3 platform, equipped with STI Chicane RX tires. He started eighth in the race and moved up quickly in the dust; the only thing that really held him back was a competitor in another class. Matt Burroughs scored a second-place finish in the UTV Turbo Class, his best finish of the 2017 Best in the Desert season.
“We got stuck behind a truck between pit two and pit four and he would not move over,” said Burroughs. “We did everything we could, but he really slowed us down. It was a good day, though. The car was excellent and we had no issues with it. We’re definitely getting better. We feel like we’re are where we were two seasons ago and we’re pretty pumped about it.”
With speeds approaching triple digits in some of the track’s wide-open sections, high-speed impacts became a reality. Burroughs said his Chicane RX held up strong despite taking a beating during the race. “We didn’t have a single tire issue today,” said Burroughs. “We hit some really hard rocks and they held up great.”
While desert racing is usually about survival and packs of cars regularly string out during the race, Burroughs observed that the competition is getting closer every race. Early this season gaps were measured in minutes. Now they’re measured in seconds. “There are so many guys now that can do well on any given day,” said Burroughs. “It’s down to minutes or seconds. It’s so exciting for the sport. The cars are getting pretty darn good…that’s for sure.”
Burroughs will bring his winning Chicane-clad X3 to the front as the BITD Series finishes up its season on December 2 at the Pahrump Nugget 250.
Matt Burroughs said:
It was a very quick turn-around on the car as the SS150 was a few short weeks ago, however the guys in the shop worked extra hard to get us ready. We started 8th off the line and pushed hard early until it seemed like we were all stacked-up in the dust. We were able to slip by a car that started ahead of us when he pulled in for gas in pit #2, however within about 2 miles we caught a 7200 truck. We pushed the pass button, made eye-contact on the switchbacks but he just kept rabbiting. We just couldn’t get up to his bumper, not that we would have bumped him because I am sure that would not have worked out good for us. We pulled into pit #3 for gas and were able to get in and out without being passed. But within a mile, we were back on the 7200 truck again. Same story, push the pass button, make eye contact at the switchbacks with no luck. Finally, at pit #4 he pulled in and we were able to get by. But by this time Guthrie was long gone. We pushed the rest of the way to the finish and ended up 2nd overall Pro Turbo UTV. Our first podium of 2017 feels great after coming up just short at both the Baja 500 and Vegas to Reno. Our Can-Am Maverick X3 is getting better with every race.
Gunner Savage, Savage Racing said:
We made a change in our gear box not knowing it was going to be such a fast race, max speed was only 72mph, had to make up some time in the tighter areas, under the circumstances were happy with our podium finish. Savage Racing, #1862, 3rd in UTV Production. Chicane RX tires on HD5 Beadlocks
Troy Vanscourt said:
I soloed this 250-mile race and, after running in second place, I missed a hairpin U-turn at about mile 80 which led me chasing the dust of what I thought was @jacobargubright911 but ended up being the dust of a hunting vehicle when I caught it. This cost me a great deal of time and two positions. Finished 4th on the day and had fun pushing the limits on a fast course through the Nevada desert. Congrats to Jake on his effort this year. A bit sore today, reminding me of the season endured. Thanking all that stood behind me and make it all come together! #N1, 4th in Open P motorcycle. Tech 2 MX tires.
Ryan Parszik
Good race at the @bestinthedesert Tonopah 250 coming away with 1st in the Ironman expert class and winning the championship by 1 point! Thank you to everyone that has helped me out this year! #014, 1st and class champ in Ironman E., Tech 2 MX tires.
