The inaugural American Off-Road Racing Championship kicks off this weekend with a return to Parker, Arizona for the historic Parker 400. The first of five rounds on the 2026 calendar that unifies the UNLTD Off-Road Racing and Best in the Desert calendars, this year’s Parker 400 features nearly 200 of the top teams in the sport set to do battle, as well as an exciting new location for the Off-Road Festival.

The week begins with open pre-running for all vehicles on this year’s 126-mile course on Tuesday and Wednesday, and motorcycles only on Thursday. Thursday features a full program of activities in Lake Havasu City, starting with the Parker 400 Off-Road Festival from 9AM-5PM. Designed to mirror the iconic Mint 400 Off-Road Festival, the all-new experience will see top off-road vendors, plus racer tech and contingency, relocate to an all-new venue.

Qualifying will also take place in Lake Havasu’s Standard Wash Area on Thursday morning, with Class 10 and UTV Pro racers set to take times at 9AM and Unlimited Truck 2WD, 4WD, and SPEC rolling out at 10:30AM. Last year’s top qualifiers, Brody Aikins in Class 10 and Nic Whetstone in Unlimited Truck 2WD, will each look to make it two years in a row at the top of the standings. Thursday will conclude with a driver and rider’s meeting at Iron Wolf Resort at 6PM.

Racing begins in Parker on Friday, with Youth classes set to kick off the action at 8AM. Following the future stars of the sport, the Limited Race takes the green flag at 10AM, with the first finisher estimated at 4:30PM and racers having until 8:15PM to make it to the finish line. 17-year-old Carib Potts will look to score his second straight Limited Race overall victory in his Class 10 car, but with more than 15 entries in his class and well over 25 in UTV Pro, competition will be as fierce as ever for this year’s crown.

Saturday morning kicks off with the Motorcycle Race, which drops the green flag at 7:30AM. Motorcycle racers will take on a unique 62.6 mile course. Preston Campbell and Justin Morgan dominated last year’s race, winning by more than 11 minutes, but 2025 runner-up and UNLTD Open Pro Motorcycle champion Jarett Megla will look to do one spot better against a stacked field this year that includes former Mint 400 winner Danny Cooper.

Saturday afternoon sees the Parker 400 Unlimited Race go green at 12:30PM, with an estimated first finisher at 6PM. The Unlimited Race has seen its share of stories in the past few years, including Conner McMullen’s upset overall victory in a Class 1 car two years ago. McMullen will return to Unlimited Truck SPEC to chase his third straight class win against names like Kyle Jergensen, Dustin Grabowski, and Nick Isenhouer. Top honors in Unlimited Truck 2WD will be up for grabs between veterans like Eric Hardin, Steve Olliges, and Alexander Wacker, while the father-son duo of Robby and Max Gordon will headline the Unlimited Truck 4WD class.

Thanks to a collaboration with La Paz County, all spectating for this year’s Parker 400 is free of charge. The Upper Shea Road spectator area in Parker will not require tickets, parking passes, or camping passes! The Parker 400 kindly requests that attendees “Don’t Trash The Desert”—please clean up after yourselves after watching the racers compete.

Details regarding racer registration, sponsorship packages, exhibitor vending, spectator tickets, camping, and parking passes for the American Off-Road Racing Championship are live on americanoffroadracingchampionship.com

About American Off-Road Racing Championship


About the American Off-Road Racing Championship:

The American Off-Road Racing Championship (AORC) is the premier desert off-road racing league in North America, created through the unification of Best in the Desert (BITD) and Unlimited Off-Road Racing (UNLTD).  

Best in the Desert, founded in 1984 by legendary racer Casey Folks, is the longest-running and most respected off-road racing series in the U.S., with a legacy that includes iconic events like Vegas to Reno, the Silver State 300, the Parker 425, and the Laughlin Desert Classic.

Unlimited Off-Road Racing, established by the Martelli Brothers in 2023, produces world-class events such as The Mint 400, The California 300, and The Parker 400. UNLTD is recognized for its focus on innovation, storytelling, and large-scale racer participation, with events known for high car counts, challenging courses, pre-running, and family-friendly fan experiences near major markets.

Together under the AORC banner, BITD and UNLTD preserve the heritage of desert racing while building its future—offering racers, sponsors, and fans a unified championship built on clarity, consistency, and world-class competition.