As night fell on the Parker 250, Mitch Guthrie Jr. stood alone as number 1 | Mitch Guthrie Jr. sure knows how to start a UTV racing season. Mitch is a rising star in the UTV world, and the 20-year-old prodigy is proof that talent doesn’t fall far from the tree. He is the son of multiple-time champion desert racer and rock crawler, Mitch Guthrie Sr. In the Best in the Desert (BITD) series opener in Parker, Arizona, Junior did the family name proud. The Parker 250 was staged in January on a challenging 80-mile course in the western Arizona desert alongside the Colorado River. Okay, enough of our rambling, let’s ride along as Mitch tells us how the race went down in his own words.“With the dust just settling from the 2016 season, and with just one month (off), it was game on for the first race of the 2017 season, the Parker 250. A lot of hard work went into stripping down the car to the chassis and fully rebuilding it within less than a month, and going testing to make sure everything was perfect. We were excited for a fresh season, new sponsors, and what would be our 2nd season racing BITD. 
Mitch Guthrie Jr. roosted his way to a convincing win in Parker | “We rolled into tech and contingency Friday morning in beautiful Parker, Arizona, with two cars; one bone stock 2017 RZR for the new GMZ UTV Winter Nationals short-course race as well as our BITD desert car. Walking through tech and contingency there were many new teams, drivers, and cars. I knew we needed a solid showing on Saturday to show everyone we weren't messing around this season. We rolled back to camp, put the final touches on the cars, and got some rest for what would be a busy day of racing in the morning.“We woke up to cloudy skies and perfect racing conditions to start off the new season. The first race of the day was the short-course race where I was looking to have some fun and possibly see some of the track. We had a land rush start with at least 20-plus cars all barreling into the first corner. I was able to come out of the first corner in second, and the race was on. Unfortunately, this didn't last too long, as a few miles in on a very fast section of the course, I lost control and went for a wild ride. Thankfully I was okay. We pulled the car back to the pits, and it was time to focus on the big desert race coming up. 
Mitch Guthrie Jr.trusts K&N to protect his Polaris from the dust and dirt | “Starting the race side by side, I was tenth off the line, which I was fine with knowing there wouldn't be too much dust to deal with. I got a good start, and shortly after settled into a good pace. Not long after starting, we came across a couple of cars which had succumbed to mechanical issues early on. We kept pushing on, gaining on the leaders in front of us. Coming into midway pit, we got past a couple more cars and I knew we were settling into a great position. Past the first pits we were getting into a good groove and could see that we were gaining on the leaders just ahead of us. We got by one more car towards the end of lap one which put us second on course coming into the pits to finish out our first lap. We came into the main pits just behind the leader and thanks to my awesome crew, we were able to make the pass in the pits which made us the race leaders.“Going into lap two it was game on. Knowing we had a stacked field chasing us down, it was time to hammer down. We pulled out of main pits and now that my co-driver Kurtis and I had the track down, we knew we could form a cushion between us and the rest of the pack. Without having to deal with dust, or many lappers, I focused on hitting our marks and getting a good gap. After a nearly flawless 80 mile lap we came into the pits once more to fuel up for our third and final lap. After fuel and a quick look-over we were out of the pits and on to the home stretch. 
Mitch Guthrie Jr. thanked his sponsors for their continued support | “Our crew notified us that we had a few minute lead once we left the pits, and I breathed a sigh of relief. After 60-plus cars had been on the course lap after lap, the track was getting brutal. Knowing we had a large gap, it was now time to keep the car together and bring it home. As we were nearing the end of the race, nighttime was setting in and it was nice to finally get to use our Baja Designs lights. Those last 20 miles were almost surreal and I was just focused on making sure I got that car to the finish line. After a long but nearly flawless race we crossed the line to start off the 2017 season with an overall win by more than 5 minutes!”K&N congratulates Mitch Guthrie Jr. on his Parker 250 win. We are excited to continue to support the Guthrie Racing Team. Demanding conditions require the ultimate in engine protection. To find the right K&N filter for your UTV, ATV, or almost anything else with an engine, consult our online application search tool. |
