Jagged X earned its fifth consecutive UTV victory at Best in the Desert’s Vegas to Reno race in August 2011. Brandon Schueler and co-driver Mike West drove the No. 1919 Polaris RZR XP 900 to the win, while Matt Parks’ Holz Racing RZR 4 800 finished second. Polaris RZRs ultimately swept the UTV podium.
Polaris RZRs Take On the Longest Off-Road Race in America
The 2011 edition of Vegas to Reno covered approximately 553 miles of Nevada desert. Fourteen side-by-sides started the demanding point-to-point race, but only five reached the finish.
Among the leading entries were the four-time defending UTV champions from Jagged X in the No. 1919 Polaris RZR XP 900 and Polaris regional sales manager Matt Parks in the Holz Racing No. 1932 Polaris RZR 4 800.
The race was an important early test for the RZR XP 900. Jagged X had debuted its new race vehicle at the Silver State 300 in April and spent the summer refining the machine in preparation for Vegas to Reno. Chad Riccio of CR Designs also helped the team improve its race-support operation, which included two fully equipped chase vehicles.
Jagged X Charges From Seventh to the Lead
Schueler and West started seventh in the UTV field but quickly worked their way toward the front. By the fourth pit, they were pursuing Parks and his RZR 4 800, which had benefited from drawing the first starting position and running in clean air.
The two Polaris teams exchanged the lead several times during the first 350 miles. Both encountered minor problems, but neither surrendered its position at the front of the UTV race.
Parks and co-driver Jason Spiess built a strong lead during the opening half of the course before Mark Holz and co-driver Rob Utendorfer took over driving duties. Holz remained in contention despite noticing that the RZR’s battery voltage was dropping. At the next pit, the team removed the hood to direct more cooling air toward the rectifier, but the stop allowed Jagged X to regain the lead.
A Close Battle Deep Into the Nevada Desert
The No. 1919 and No. 1932 RZRs continued swapping positions as the race moved north. Approximately 425 miles into the event, the two UTVs were reportedly running nose-to-tail and had yet to be overtaken by the faster Trick Trucks and unlimited buggies that started behind them.
Parks’ chance at the victory ended when a rear A-arm bolt broke. The crew made a temporary trail repair that allowed the RZR to reach a pit, where the necessary replacement parts were installed. The delay cost the team more than three hours, but Holz was able to continue and bring the vehicle to the finish.
“We came into Vegas to Reno with the points lead and knew that we had to finish this 553-mile race in order to stay in the hunt for the championship,” Parks said. “We had a blast racing out front and dicing with the Jagged X guys. Without the more than three hours of downtime, we might have had a shot for the win, but honestly I am super stoked to finish this race and to get second.”
Fifth Consecutive Vegas to Reno Victory
Schueler and West completed the course in 13 hours, 27 minutes and 42 seconds. Their RZR XP 900 placed 52nd overall among the 99 cars and trucks that finished the race while earning the UTV-class victory.
The result gave Jagged X its fifth consecutive Vegas to Reno UTV win and moved Schueler into the lead of the 2011 Best in the Desert championship standings with two races remaining.
Parks, Spiess, Holz and Utendorfer secured second despite their lengthy repair. Another RZR XP 900 finished third, completing a Polaris sweep of the UTV podium. With only five of the 14 starters reaching the finish, the results highlighted both the severity of the course and the importance of simply surviving Vegas to Reno.
More Than a Race Through Nevada
The 2011 Vegas to Reno course crossed more than 500 miles of Bureau of Land Management property and passed through 16 rural Nevada communities. The event began near Beatty, with the route positioned to avoid Mojave desert tortoise habitat. According to the BLM’s post-race report, more than 1,000 participants and support personnel traveled through the region, producing noticeable activity at restaurants, fuel stations and other businesses. The agency reported no major accidents and only a few minor medical incidents during the event.
An Important Chapter in RZR Racing History
The victory arrived during the first season of the original RZR XP 900. Its 88-horsepower ProStar twin-cylinder engine and trailing-arm rear suspension represented a major step forward from earlier sport side-by-sides, and desert racing gave Polaris and Jagged X an unforgiving environment in which to prove the platform.
Jagged X had already demonstrated the XP 900’s potential earlier in 2011, including a strong performance at the Best in the Desert BlueWater Grand Prix. The team also won the UTV class at the 2011 King of the Hammers with a nearly stock RZR XP 900.
Vegas to Reno was another milestone in the transformation of UTV racing. What had begun as a field dominated by modified recreational machines was rapidly developing into a serious professional racing category—and the battle between the No. 1919 Jagged X XP 900 and Parks’ No. 1932 RZR 4 was an early example of that transition.
This article has been refreshed from UTV Guide’s original August 23, 2011 race report. Historical race details and quotations have been preserved while the structure and context have been updated.
