Legacy Racing Association Baja Nevada: Race Preview

One of the most popular events of the inaugural Legacy Racing Association season last year was the Baja Nevada, a more than 600-mile trek split across two days. This weekend, the Vision Wheel Baja Nevada returns as the centerpiece of the 2022 schedule, but as a 650-mile straight shot from Tonopah to Beatty that makes it one of the longest desert races of the year in North America. The change in format has certainly shuffled the roster, but many of Legacy's regulars remain on the entry list as they go for a championship. Defending Unlimited Truck champion Eric Hustead and Jonathan Brenthel will renew their battle for that class title, as will Blaine Conrad and Jake Johnson in Class 1, who will start first and second among the unlimited vehicles via random draw. The 6100 field is deepest of all at 22 trucks, with Reed Dodenbier scheduled to go first off the line; Adam Householder (18th draw), Conner McMullen (12th), and Travis Chase (19th) are the top three in points, but will all start towards the rear. The opposite is the case in the UTV Turbo class, where the top four drivers in points coming in—Jeremiah Scott, Kolton Hustead, Garrick Lastra, and Andrew Blood—are the top four on the start list. Fellow pro UTV points leaders Carson Wernimont in the NA class and Mike Lesle in Unlimited will also be first off the line. The four pro and stock UTV classes will combine for 24 entries, with the Turbo class contributing 12, making it the third-largest division behind only Class 6100 and Class 10. Last year's inaugural Baja Nevada saw the Concrete Motorsports duo of Kevin Thompson and Harley Letner take the overall win, with Eric Hustead and Johnson completing the podium. While Thompson and Letner aren't due to a return, many of last year's other top class winners are. Brent Fox will look to defend his 6100 class victory from the fifth starting spot, while Danny Cooper and Taylor Stevens, the top two overall motorcycle finishers and class winners last year, will do battle from the same Open Pro class this time around. Following the Vision Wheel Baja Nevada, the Legacy Racing Association takes a three-month break before returning on October 7-9 with UTVs, motorcycles, and quads for the Dirt Rebelution in Cedar City, Utah. The series wraps up on December 1-4 in Jean, Nevada with the VT Construction Battleground, which joins the Baja Nevada as the only other event on the calendar where every Legacy class will do battle.

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