Segway Factory Racing is returning to one of America’s most demanding desert races as the 30th-anniversary Casey Folks Vegas to Reno prepares for a historic change of direction. As previously announced, the 2026 Vegas to Reno will run from Reno to Las Vegas for the first time, reversing the route traditionally used by the long-running Best in the Desert event.
Driver Jacob Zuccone and co-driver Samantha Rode will take on approximately 500 miles of Nevada desert in the 235-horsepower Segway Super Villain SX20T. The race gets underway Friday, August 14, with free live coverage available through Best in the Desert and several streaming platforms.
Vegas to Reno Runs “The Other Way”
Vegas to Reno has traditionally sent competitors north across Nevada, but its 30th-anniversary edition will start in Reno and finish near Las Vegas. Running the course in the opposite direction changes how racers encounter the terrain, potentially altering speeds, navigation, pit strategy and the timing of the course’s most difficult sections.
The reverse route also places Reno at the center of race-week activities. Segway Powersports has partnered with Grand Sierra Resort to promote the event and welcome racers, teams and fans arriving in Northern Nevada.
Segway has installed digital displays throughout the resort featuring the Super Villain SX20T and the Segway Factory Racing team. While that promotion gives the company a visible presence around the starting city, the more important test will take place once Zuccone and Rode leave Reno and head into the desert.
Super Villain Returns to Vegas to Reno
This will not be the team’s first encounter with the long-distance race. Zuccone and Rode entered the Super Villain in the traditional Reno-bound edition last year and finished the 2025 Vegas to Reno after overcoming a broken tie rod around race mile 296.
The team spent several hours trying to repair the vehicle before receiving the tools and assistance needed to continue. Zuccone and Rode eventually returned to the course and crossed the finish line at approximately 4:45 a.m. That experience should provide valuable preparation for another 500-mile run, even though the reversed route will present the terrain in an unfamiliar sequence.
Segway Arrives With Mint 400 Momentum
Segway Factory Racing enters Vegas to Reno following a strong performance earlier in the season. Zuccone and Rode earned a P3 podium finish during the Super Villain’s 2026 Mint 400 debut, adding another significant result to the developing race program.
The team previously won the Super 10 class at the 2025 Silver State 300, the first desert race for the Super Villain SX20T. Vegas to Reno now provides another opportunity to measure the platform’s development across a longer and more punishing course.
“With Reno becoming the starting line, we wanted to make sure the off-road community knew Segway was here to welcome them—and here to compete,” said Gabriel Cruz, Marketing Director for Segway Powersports.
235-HP Segway Super Villain SX20T
The race vehicle is based on Segway’s flagship performance side-by-side, powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 235 horsepower. Unlike most high-performance UTVs, the production Super Villain uses a multi-speed automatic transmission rather than a continuously variable transmission.
The production platform also features 20 inches of front suspension travel, 21 inches of rear travel, 32-inch tires and a 10.4-inch touchscreen. Desert racing allows Segway and its technical partners to test the platform’s performance, cooling, suspension and durability under sustained high-speed conditions that cannot be replicated by specifications alone.
For Zuccone and Rode, the 2026 race represents both a new challenge and a continuation of their work with the Super Villain. After surviving Vegas to Reno in 2025 and reaching the Mint 400 podium in 2026, the team will now see how the race-developed machine handles the event’s historic reverse route.
How to Watch the 2026 Vegas to Reno
The 30th Anniversary Casey Folks Vegas to Reno begins Friday, August 14. Free live coverage is scheduled through Best in the Desert, YouTube and Facebook, with additional simulcasts planned through FOX Sports YouTube, RACER Network and SPEED SPORT 1 Network.
