Polaris RZR Factory Racing Triumphs At Laughlin Desert Classic, With Guthrie Jr. & Quintero Capturing Overall Series Championships
RZR Factory Drivers Mitch Guthrie Jr. and Branden Sims Win UTV Turbo; RZR Sponsored Athlete Adrian Orellana Steals Pro UTV NA Class Win
Minneapolis (Oct. 14, 2019) – This weekend, Polaris RZR® Factory Racing prevailed at the Best In The Desert Fourth Annual Method Race Wheels Laughlin Desert Classic with two wins and three podiums, and Mitch Guthrie Jr. and Seth Quintero clinching the overall Best In The Desert series championships in their respective classes.
Guthrie Jr. and fellow RZR Factory Driver Branden Sims completed the short-course in a neck-and-neck battle resulting in Guthrie Jr. securing his second win of the season. The victory allowed him to overtake three drivers in the overall points standings and bring home the series championship.
As the UTV Turbo race settled in, Guthrie Jr. sat at 10th place, but he charged the course in dramatic fashion, running a pace nobody could keep up with and ultimately stealing first. Polaris RZR Factory Driver Branden Sims finished in second place in only his second race behind the wheel of his RZR. Polaris RZRs claimed six of the top 10 spots with Polaris Supported Athlete Randy Romo coming home fifth and Factory Racers Justin Lambert and Ryan Piplic finishing sixth and eight respectively. Fellow Polaris Supported Athlete Sierra Romo celebrated her belated 19th birthday with a ninth-place finish.
RZR Factory Driver Seth Quintero fell short on a UTV Pro Production perfect season but still brought home the Best In The Desert series championship. After pulling the hole shot and keeping the lead for six laps, Quintero got stuck behind a lapper on the second-to-last lap costing him the lead. Quintero battled back in a fast whoops section regaining the lead until an arm pin bolt backed out, causing a long repair and relegating Quintero to an 11th place finish.
Polaris Sponsored Athlete Adrian Orellana battled for first place after a stop for quick repairs and still crossed the finish line minutes ahead of second place. Polaris Supported Athlete Madeline Wedeking took second and 62-year-old Joe Bolton finished third for a Polaris podium sweep. Polaris Supported Athletes Corbin and Kaden Wells brought their Risq Racing Polaris RZRs home fourth and sixth respectively, helping to fill eight of the top 10 spots with Polaris RZRs.
“Without a doubt, the Polaris RZR Factory Racing Team completely dominated the field over the course of this year’s Best in the Desert Series, and Mitch Guthrie Jr. and Seth Quintero capturing the coveted series championships makes it all that much sweeter,” said Kyle Duea, vice president of ORV Marketing for Polaris Off Road. “With plenty more racing to go this season, there’s still more success to be had as our drivers and crews look ahead to the next challenge.”
Polaris RZR Factory Racing will look to continue its winning ways October 26 at the LOORS Off Road Championship in Chandler, Ariz.
More information about Polaris Off-Road Vehicles and Polaris Engineered Accessories can be found at RZR.Polaris.com. Also, join the conversation and follow RZR on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Polaris
As the global leader in powersports, Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) pioneers product breakthroughs and enriching experiences and services that have invited people to discover the joy of being outdoors since our founding in 1954. With annual 2018 sales of $6.1 billion, Polaris’ high-quality product line-up includes the Polaris RANGER, RZR and GENERAL side-by-side off-road vehicles; Sportsman all-terrain off-road vehicles; Indian Motorcycle mid-size and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot moto-roadsters; snowmobiles; and deck, cruiser and pontoon boats, including industry-leading Bennington pontoons. Polaris enhances the riding experience with parts, garments and accessories, along with a growing aftermarket portfolio, including Transamerican Auto Parts. Polaris’ presence in adjacent markets includes military and commercial off-road vehicles, quadricycles, and electric vehicles. Proudly headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100 countries across the globe. www.polaris.com.
