Larry Heidler and Amplex Racing are the winners of the 2024 Parker 400 Limited Race, Friday’s segment of the first of three rounds in the inaugural UNLTD Off-Road Racing Series season. Teaming up with Ethan Groom, who drove the final lap, Heidler and the #PO986 Pro UTV Open team completed three laps of a grueling 142-mile course in the Arizona desert in 7:28:27, clearing runner-up Sierra Romo for the class and overall victories by nearly seven minutes. Class 5 winner Keith Waibel completed the overall podium.
Last year’s California 300 front-runners set the early pace for the event, as Barstow polesitter Bruce Binnquist qualified first in Thursday’s time trials and October winner Brayden Baker posted the fastest time through the first lap ahead of Heidler and UTV Pro class leader Austin Johnson. But many of the front-runners would shuffle throughout the event; Johnson wouldn’t complete his second lap, while Baker would fall out on the third while battling with Heidler for the overall lead.
The front-runners who made it to the finish, though, were in the mix all day. Besides Heidler, who spent all race in podium contention, Romo clawed her way from seventh overall at the end of the first lap into the top five on the second, and posted the fastest final lap of the race to settle into second. The UTV Pro battle came down to the evenly matched Christian Sourapas and Michael McFayden, who traded the top spot multiple times before Sourapas eventually secured the win by a minute and 22 seconds. Both racers would still land in the overall top five.
Riley Binnquist was the next class winner in sixth overall, conquering the UTV Pro Stock class by more than 20 minutes over Wes Miller as the final racer to finish in under eight hours. Just outside the overall top 10 were Class 10 winner Lance Webb and UTV Pro NA winner Doug MacLachlan. Open Sportsman winner Wade Porter was the fastest among the two-lap classes, with a time of 4:48:07.675 that was in fact faster than the overall winners through their first two laps.
Limited Race results from the 2024 Parker 400 were as follows:
- #PO986 Larry Heidler, 7:28:27.212
- #PO292 Sierra Romo, 7:35:07.252
- #527 Keith Waibel, 7:42:18.166
- #P909 Christian Sourapas, 7:47:13.300
- #P938 Michael McFayden, 7:48:35.649
- #PS950 Riley Binnquist, 7:55:56.149
- #PO946 Keith Schulz, 8:01:52.784
- #P943 Steve Allen, 8:11:07.030
- #PS970 Wes Miller, 8:16:03.919
- #522 Brandin Williams, 8:28:37.569
The Parker 400 continues on Saturday with Youth 170 and 250 races at 8AM, followed by the Unlimited Race at 9AM. To follow along with live timing and tracking from the 2024 Parker 400, visit www.unlimitedoffroadracing.com/live.
Details regarding racer registration, sponsorship packages, exhibitor vending, spectator tickets, camping, and parking passes for UNLTD Off-Road Racing are live on Unlimitedoffroadracing.com.
About UNLTD Off-Road Racing
The Unlimited Off-Road Racing league was formed by The Martelli Brothers in 2023 after more than a decade of successful desert off-road race promotion, including The Mint 400, The UTV World Championship and The California 300. The league was formed to promote the sport of desert off-road racing, the off-road industry, and to expand the reach of off-road companies beyond the industry and into the homes of every off-road race fan, globally. Key attributes of the newly formed league include large racer car counts, competitive and challenging race courses, safe and family-friendly spectating areas, multiple days of racing and off-road festivities all located near major cities and markets that positively affect the off-road industry. The Martelli Brothers, owners of the motorsports powerhouse production group Mad Media have made it their mission to grow the league into a four race series that showcases the best off-road racers on the best courses in North America.
About The Parker 400 (theparker400.com)
The Parker 400 is a celebrated titan in off-road racing, known for its demanding Arizona landscape and storied tradition. Hosting over 40,000 fans and more than 300 competing teams from around the globe each January, it’s a highlight of the off-road racing calendar. This historic event, which is part of the Unlimited Off-Road Racing schedule, begins with a captivating vehicle showcase in downtown Parker, setting the stage for two days of high-octane racing over a challenging 400-mile course. The Parker 400 is more than a race; it’s a festival that embodies the off-road spirit, featuring live entertainment and fan activities. With live streaming that reaches over half a million viewers worldwide, the event offers an unparalleled spectacle of endurance and skill, cementing its status as a must-attend event for off-road aficionados. Under the guidance of the Martelli Brothers, the Parker 400 continues to honor the legacy of off-road racing, celebrating the rugged beauty of the Arizona desert and the tenacity of racers who tackle its terrain.
