Originally published September 9, 2010. This firsthand race report has been updated and combined with UTVGuide.net’s original event coverage and photographs.
Jon Crowley drove the Monster Energy Kawasaki Teryx to victory in the UTV class at the 2010 VORRA Hawthorne 225 desert race in Hawthorne, Nevada. It was Crowley’s second consecutive VORRA desert-race win in the Kawasaki and another important victory for UTVs during the early years of side-by-side desert racing.
The Labor Day weekend event attracted more than 40 entries across VORRA’s car, truck and UTV classes. Racers faced four laps around a demanding 55-mile course filled with deep sand, rocks, ditches, silt beds and substantial elevation changes.
A Race of Survival
Pre-running revealed that outright speed would be only part of the challenge. Completing 220 miles across the rough Nevada terrain without damaging the vehicle would be critical.
“After pre-running the course on Saturday, I knew the race was going to be about surviving. My strategy was to drive smart and minimize damage, and that is just what we did. We started second and kept the leader in our sight until they stopped for fuel after the first lap. We passed them in the pits and never looked back.”
Jon Crowley
The course began and ended with some of its most difficult terrain. Deep sand, rough rocks and heavy silt tested the racers and their equipment, while a faster section near the midpoint became known as the Hawthorne roller coaster.
Each team had nine hours to complete four laps. Despite the difficulty of the terrain, more than half of the field reached the finish.
The Kawasaki Teryx Takes the Lead
Crowley started second in the UTV class and stayed close to Dennis Jean’s No. 1959 Polaris RZR during the opening lap. When Jean stopped for fuel after that lap, Crowley moved the Kawasaki into the lead.
The Teryx completed the rest of the race without suffering a flat tire. Aside from one minor issue, the car ran cleanly and remained at the front of the UTV field.
“The car ran great with no flat tires. We only had one minor issue, but we kept our Kawasaki out front for most of the race.”
Jon Crowley
The winning machine was Crowley’s extensively prepared No. 1965 Kawasaki Teryx. You can see more details about this early UTV race car in our Kawasaki Teryx race build.
2010 VORRA Hawthorne 225 UTV Results
| Position | Driver | Vehicle | Race Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jon Crowley | Kawasaki Teryx | 1965 |
| 2 | Dennis Jean | Polaris RZR | 1959 |
Overall Hawthorne 225 Results
Sam Berri won the race overall in a Class 1 car, completing the four-lap course in 4 hours and 18 minutes. Sam Cothrun placed second overall and won Group T, while Mike Viola finished third overall and second in Class 1.
Tom Wood recorded the fastest lap of the event at 1 hour, 2 minutes and 8 seconds. Other class winners included Terry Shelton in Sportsman, Red Team Racing in Class 10, Jay Schroeder in Class 9 and Gary Herrod in Class 11.
The weekend extended beyond the competition itself. Hawthorne hosted a parade of desert race vehicles through downtown, along with a premiere of Dezert People 8 at the El Capitan Lodge and Casino.
Returning to the Short Course
The Hawthorne 225 completed the desert-racing portion of VORRA’s 2010 season. Two short-course rounds at Prairie City OHV Area remained on the schedule, including the season-ending Halloween weekend race.
Crowley entered those final rounds with victories in both desert and short-course competition, continuing a strong season for the Monster Energy Kawasaki team.
About VORRA
The Valley Off Road Racing Association was established in 1975 and combined Nevada desert races with short-course events in Northern California. Its 2010 series provided classes for cars, trucks, UTVs, ATVs and Trophy Karts, giving early UTV racers an opportunity to compete across two very different racing formats.
Team Sponsors
Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing, Muzzys Performance Products, Roggy Enterprises, FOX, Pit Bull Tires, Unisteer, Motorsports Fabrication Services, Funco, DragonFire Racing, Factory UTV, OMF, MSD Ignition, Dalton Industries, Rugged Race Products, Simpson Racing, Beard, Rigid Industries, Baja Designs, iTi Performance Motorsports, Billet King, UTV Inc., Tire Balls and Crowley Offroad.
Photography by Bower Motorsports Media.
