Parker, Arizona — The weather was beautiful but the course was punishing for this year's BITD opener. 37 Trick Trucks, 37 Class 1500’s and 19 Class 6100’s converged in Parker on February 5 for qualifying. Casey Folks and the BITD crew laid out a five and half mile loop where the competitors battled it out for starting positions on race day. It was one of the toughest qualifying courses in recent memory. 

Fresh from Dakar, Robby Gordon was back in Parker with his bright orange, number 77 Speed Energy Trick Truck. Robby finished the loop in his Albins ST6-i equipped Trick Truck a mere second and a half behind Dale Dondel to qualify in the number two start position on race day.

Class 1500 saw Scott Bailey in Albins AGB equipped car 1529 qualify at the the top of the class. CJ Hutchins was close behind in AGB equipped car 1527 to start second in class.

While most teams had a fairly worry-free qualifying, in typical Parker 425 fashion the course took its toll on race day. Though the racers enjoyed a fairly comfortable first lap, the perpetual race traffic made the course a rutted mess by lap two. Class 1500 driver Cody Parkhouse in AGB equipped car 1532 made the most of the brutal conditions. Even though Cody started 30th off the line, he managed to power his way to a 3rd place spot on the 1500 podium. 

Class 7200 also saw some great action. Gary Messer in PBS equipped truck 7247 grabbed the top spot. Steve Kovach’s truck 7207 complete with a new Albins ST6-i  sequential gearbox snagged the second spot on the 7200 podium.

The damage the brutal course inflicted on cars was most evident in Class 10. Nearly three quarters of the 44 original Class 10 starters failed to finish. For the Class 10 cars that managed to complete the race, no one could understate the grit and determination of the drivers. Steve Melton in Albins AGB equipped car 1023 grabbed the top spot on the Class 10 podium, edging out Brad Wilson by a mere 18 seconds. Chip Prescott in Mendeola LQ6 equipped car 1032 finished 3rd in class.

In other Class 10 news, the much anticipated Weddle HV25 gearbox made its debut in Weddle/Longo Racing car 1089. After 9:43:43 of brutal abuse, the Weddle/Longo car crossed the finish line and the HV25 chalked up a finish in it’s first major race.

Congrats to all of the finishers of this year’s Parker 425. We’re looking forward to a great season!

Top Finishers featuring Weddle Gearboxes

Class 1500 Unlimited Buggy
3rd 1532 Cody Parkhouse - Albins AGB
4th 1599 Todd Tuls - Albins AGB
5th 1501 Corey Keysar - Albins AGB
6th 1542 Baldi Brothers - Albins AGB
9th 1575 Pat Dean  - Albins AGB
10th 1503 Ryan Hancock  - Albins AGB
11th 1527 CJ Hutchins  - Albins AGB

Class 7200 Unlimited Mini Truck
1st 7247 Gary Messer - PBS 5-speed
2nd 7207 Steve Kovach - Albins ST6-i

Class 10
1st 1023 Steve Melton - Albins AGB
3rd 1032 Chip Prescott - Mendeola LQ6

Kovach photo courtesy of Kovach Racing