Garrick Lastra Captures Turbo Class Win at 4WP Desert Showdown
Competitors Battle 232-Mile Course at Legacy Racing Association’s Season Opener
Words: Heather Wilson
Photos: Logan Gallagher
Established in 2021, Legacy Racing Association has served up a variety of tough, rugged courses to drivers at the start of each new race season. And this particular event is the ultimate shakedown for most teams, having just finished building out their race machines and mapping out a plan for the upcoming competition season.
Legacy’s opening race of the year, the 4WP Desert Showdown, challenged more than 25 UTV teams to 232 miles of dry, dusty, and rocky desert terrain. Starting and ending in Pahrump, Nevada, competitors pre-ran the course on January 26 and the UTV Turbo class qualified the next day.
Randy Romo of Henderson, Nevada, won qualification in the Turbo class, with an average speed of 70 mph. Michael McFayden of Redlands, California, snatched the runner-up spot. Coming in Third in qualifying was Arizona’s Garrick Lastra.
Just before Noon on Saturday, drivers began the 42-mile trek from the starting line to Pit #1 in Amargosa Valley. With lows in the 20s to kick-off the day, the temperature only rose to the mid 50s by the afternoon. From the initial checkpoint, teams made their way towards Pit #2 at Omni Station, 82 miles into the race. The battle was already heating up in all of the side-by-side categories. Becker Chase was priming for his first series win. While Ryan Piplic was driving blind in a thick cloud of roost before a nearly game-ending encounter.
“Dust was crazy coming from the rear, [and it led to] an issue early on, just before Pit Two. Not being able to see from whiteout conditions, we rear-ended a Turbo [class] car chasing him down at about 60 or 70 miles per hour. He was slowing for the Speed Zone, and we had no idea it was coming up. We became a bit tangled but were both able to keep going. Thankfully, we avoided what could have been a really big accident! Afterwards, we made a strong push until the end and landed a First Place finish.” – Ryan Piplic [2815]
Drivers tackled more vast desert terrain before arriving at Pit #3. Now 110 miles into the physically demanding race, parts like tires and suspension were really taking a beating. Teams continued to roll into the fourth pit at Alamo Fireworks more battered than the last stop but also more determined. With 66 miles remaining from there, drivers continued to put the hammer down as they chased victory.
“[We] started off the race with a crazy pace trying to catch our friends Michael Mcfayden and Randy Romo, who were both putting in a blistering pace off the Start. I was driving in the dust for the first half of the race over basketball size rocks. Nerves were high, and [we were] racing on thin ice. We managed to [reach] the front and [keep] a good pace for the finish [putting] the Riverland Racing team on the podium!” – Garrick Lastra [T924], 1st Overall & Turbo Class
Throughout the day, drivers navigated more than 70 noted “dangers” out on the course. It was imperative for co-pilots to constantly alert their teammates at the helm of upcoming hazards with plenty of time to spare. Because to become complacent or miss a mark can spell the end for even the greatest contenders like Number 1957 in the Naturally Aspirated class, Joe Bolton, who found himself in the unusual position (for him at least) of disqualifying.
The last pit before the finish was at Specter. Leaving the pits with just 44 miles left to go, drivers had to balance their speed with the machine’s stamina. Would they be full-speed ahead and with higher risk of a mechanical, or would they take a more moderate and steady pace to the checkered flag?
The first UTV to cross the finish line, in 17th overall, was Garrick Lastra of the Turbo class. Can-Am drivers swept the podium in that class, with Lastra finishing in 3 hours and 55 minutes. He piloted his machine across the finish 10 minutes ahead of Michael McFayden. New Mexico’s James Moore took the final spot on the box.
Competitors of the UTV Unlimited class had close battles. Las Vegas resident Ryan Piplic put his Polaris out front, capturing the class win at just over four hours. Bret Ward followed close behind Piplic, just four minutes shy of the win. Travis Sallee of Carlsbad, California, was hot on the tail of Ward – finishing just over a minute behind him.
In the Stock Modified class, Arizona’s Michael Stackpoole drove across the finish line at 4 hours and 31 minutes. Bryan Houghton seized Second in his Can-Am, and Craig Macintosh took Third in his Polaris. Among the UTV Naturally Aspirated side-by-sides, Becker Chase of La Crescenta, California “is going to remember this one for a long time. First desert race turned into a first desert win” in his trusty Polaris RZR. Chase clocked in at 4:42:12 to nab the top spot on the podium, as fellow Californian, Ian Torfi, also piloting a Polaris, finished 39 minutes behind Becker. Angie Mitchell of Henderson, Nevada, rounded out the podium.
The fight in the UTV Stock category came all too close as the athletes created only a hairlight gap between the fastest finalists. It was a small group, yes, but the four teams made the most of it. Polaris driver Tim Unick finished in the lead just over the five-hour mark with fellow RZR pilot, Steve Buckley, less than a minute behind him. Sean Sante of Mesa, Arizona, claimed third seed in his Can-Am while Sarah Stewart lagged a little, completing the race in just a smidge over seven hours.
After several hours of intense competition, drivers rolled their machines into their rigs. Some celebrated class wins, while some celebrated the sheer fact that they (and their machines) crossed the finish line at the end of a grueling day in the desert. Five UTV teams were unable to see the checkered flag and had to endure the disappointment of a DNF.
Drivers now head home to regroup and rebuild their cars for Legacy Racing Association’s VT Construction Battleground event to be held March 23-26 in Caliente, Nevada. The event will be approximately 100 miles longer than the Desert Showdown.
TOP FINISHERS
All results posted are unofficial. To see the full current results, visit: https://legacyracing.net/race-schedule/desert-showdown/
UTV TURBO:
- Garrick Lastra (T924), 03:55:40.577
- Michael McFayden (T838), 04:05:40.656
- James Moore (T925), 04:15:16.401
- Nate Hale (T961), 04:19:32.750
- Joe Fitos (T893), 04:19:32.930
UTV UNLIMITED
- Ryan Piplic (2815), 04:06:45.259
- Bret Ward Scottsdale (2977), 04:11:01.910
- Travis Sallee (2999), 04:12:19.029
- Steve Allen (2943), 04:50:45.687
- Tyler Stewart (2973), 05:16:49.680
UTV STOCK
- Tim Unick (U913), 05:05:20.850
- Steve Buckley (U946), 05:06:14.959
- Sean Sante (U920), 05:18:26.505
- Sarah Stewart (U905), 07:00:32.719
UTV STOCK MODIFIED
- Michael Stackpoole (S974), 04:31:13.819
- Bryan Houghton (S923), 04:49:23.650
- Craig Macintosh (S915), 05:10:24.587
- Eric Hamann (S924), 06:15:08.158
UTV NATURALLY ASPIRATED
- Becker Chase (1950), 04:42:12.210
- Ian Torfi (1912), 05:21:23.144
- Angie Mitchell (1907), 06:03:30.352
Heather Wilson is a motorsports communications and marketing consultant. She’s ridden motorcycles since the age of 5 and loves teaching others to ride as well. Besides loving all things racing, she enjoys traveling and glamping (that’s right) with her fiancé and two golden retrievers. HighGearSuccess.com
