Serves as first round of inaugural UNLTD Off-Road Racing Series championship
One of America’s premier off-road races makes its triumphant return on January 10-14, as the 2024 Parker 400 sees top off-road racers return to action in the Arizona desert. This year’s Parker 400 is monumental not only for its new promoters at UNLTD Off-Road Racing, who will organize the historic event for the first time as part of their inaugural 2024 championship but also for the Town of Parker itself, which will host the race for its 50th anniversary.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the return of the mighty Parker 400!” said UNLTD Off-Road Racing CEO Matt Martelli. “The entire community has been incredibly supportive as we’ve worked to bring off-road racing back to Parker where it belongs. We’re excited to bring UNLTD’s approach to off-road events here with a focus on community building and sustainability, from our Desert Clean-Up the week before the race to the Parker 400 Downtown Experience, before offering racers a true challenge in the desert. We look forward to seeing everyone here as we kick off a terrific 2024 season!”
This year’s event began with Saturday’s Parker 400 Desert Clean-Up and Legends Rally Poker Run, as volunteers removed tons of trash from the Arizona desert and racers and enthusiasts alike took their pre-runners and other off-road vehicles out for a lap of the race course. Pre-running continues Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Thursday, the Parker 400 Downtown Experience takes over downtown Parker from 8AM to 5PM, with hundreds of racers and dozens of vendors on hand for tech and contingency events. The Start/Finish Line opens for qualifying at noon, with eligible UTV classes taking their runs at 2PM and car and truck classes following at 3PM.
Racing commences on Friday and Saturday with the opening of the Start/Finish Line at 7AM each day. Youth 1000 racers will kick off the action on Friday at 8AM, followed by the Parker 400 Limited Race at 9AM. On Saturday, the future stars of the sport will kick things off once again with Youth 170 competition at 8AM and Youth 250 racing at 8:35AM, before the Parker 400 Unlimited Race goes green at 9:30AM. The top classes in both the Unlimited and Limited races will do three laps of a challenging 143-mile course. Festivities will conclude with the Parker 400 Awards Ceremony at the BlueWater Resort on Sunday at 9AM.
The Parker 400 marks the first of three races on the 2024 UNLTD Off-Road Racing Series calendar. It will be followed by the BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 on March 6-10 in Las Vegas and the California 300 on October 2-6 in Barstow, California. The series is supported by a robust lineup of full-season partners including Magnaflow, Camburg, Vision Wheel, Cage WRX, and Rigid Industries.
Details regarding racer registration, sponsorship packages, exhibitor vending, spectator tickets, camping, and parking passes for UNLTD Off-Road Racing are live on Unlimitedoffroadracing.com.
About UNLTD Off-Road Racing
The Unlimited Off-Road Racing league was formed by The Martelli Brothers in 2023 after more than a decade of successful desert off-road race promotion, including The Mint 400, The UTV World Championship and The California 300. The league was formed to promote the sport of desert off-road racing, the off-road industry, and to expand the reach of off-road companies beyond the industry and into the homes of every off-road race fan, globally. Key attributes of the newly formed league include large racer car counts, competitive and challenging race courses, safe and family-friendly spectating areas, multiple days of racing and off-road festivities all located near major cities and markets that positively affect the off-road industry. The Martelli Brothers, owners of the motorsports powerhouse production group Mad Media have made it their mission to grow the league into a four race series that showcases the best off-road racers on the best courses in North America.
About The Parker 400
The Parker 400 is a celebrated titan in off-road racing, known for its demanding Arizona landscape and storied tradition. Hosting over 40,000 fans and more than 300 competing teams from around the globe each January, it’s a highlight of the off-road racing calendar. This historic event, which is part of the Unlimited Off-Road Racing schedule, begins with a captivating vehicle showcase in downtown Parker, setting the stage for two days of high-octane racing over a challenging 400-mile course. The Parker 400 is more than a race; it’s a festival that embodies the off-road spirit, featuring live entertainment and fan activities. With live streaming that reaches over half a million viewers worldwide, the event offers an unparalleled spectacle of endurance and skill, cementing its status as a must-attend event for off-road aficionados. Under the guidance of the Martelli Brothers, the Parker 400 continues to honor the legacy of off-road racing, celebrating the rugged beauty of the Arizona desert and the tenacity of racers who tackle its terrain.
