Mark Kariya | January 10, 2022
As a long-distance specialist, Justin Morgan doesn’t race that many events a year. When he does, though, he usually does very well.
For example, though he’s never raced Best in the Desert’s (BITD) American Off-road Racing Series kickoff—the Shock Therapy Parker 250, Presented by BlueWater Resort Hotel & Casino in Parker, Arizona, January 8—he qualified fastest and followed that with a runaway win at the revamped event, becoming the latest overall BITD winner to tackle the entire race by himself. In fact, runner-up Jeremy Newton and third-place Joe Wasson also soloed.
Justin Morgan romped to a runaway win solo in Parker after taking the top spot in qualifying as well.
Photography by Mark Kariya
In a departure from the norm, Parker featured some new additions to the normal dirt roads and sand washes, making for a significantly longer loop of 125 miles run clockwise twice instead of the usual 80-mile loop done three times counter-clockwise.
Being new to this race, however, none of it mattered to the Slam Life Racing (SLR) Honda rider and his Monster Energy/Skechers/Fly racing-sponsored CRF450X. Having earned the first starting position, he was out front from the green flag and only ran into dust when he began lapping people.
“I was actually just trying to ride smooth,” he explained at the finish along Shea Road. “I didn’t want to make any mistakes on the first lap and just wanted to have fun.” And, of course, winning is always fun. (Incidentally, San Diego Powerhouse owner Bobby Youngs who built Morgan’s bike jumped in and raced Parker with Mike Fermoile, the two winning Over 30 Expert and placing 12th overall on Youngs’ CRF450L that Morgan rode at the Sonora Rally last year.)
With partner Jeff Trulove unable to get time off from his new job, Jeremy Newton did a good job in claiming second overall despite a high-speed crash late in the race.
He continued, “It’s not very close to my house [in El Cajon, California] mileage-wise, but it’s almost like a local race, terrain-wise. I always wanted to do this race.” Morgan completed it in three hours, 55 minutes and 46.9 seconds, unofficially.
For Newton and partner Jeff Trulove, last year’s BITD vice-champs, a new job prevented Trulove from participating so Newton also pulled solo duty, handling it well on their DT Racing/3 Bros./FMF KTM 450 SX-F.
Third off the line after qualifying, Newton had only defending champs Hayden Hintz/Trevor Hunter and Morgan ahead of him. However, the Hintz/Hunter duo miscalculated the fuel mileage from their Costa Rica Unlimited/1-800-DENT-DOC/Kenda KTM 450 SX-F and ran out around mile 65.
Newton gladly took over second place at that point and pinned it as he tried to close the gap on Morgan while enjoying the revised course. “Even me, living here—I’ve raced this 13, 14 times—that was like a whole new course for me,” he said. “I have absolutely no complaints [except] I wish I wouldn’t have crashed. I was 10 seconds behind Justin for the overall; he started two minutes ahead [of me] so I knew I just needed to ride smooth and [not crash].”
Joe Wasson fought through the issues to claim third. Afterward, he did his interview with CBS Sports which will air a BITD race recap in a couple weeks.
But overshooting one turn resulted in a back-jarring crash about halfway through lap two, causing him to accept finishing second in 3:57:54.5.
For LiquiMoly Beta’s Wasson, the day was somewhat frustrating after misadjusting the suspension on his FMF/Kenda/Fly Racing 480 RR. “I went the wrong way with it and it just kind of beat me up today. I struggled most of the day in the chop and rough stuff so it was kind of frustrating,” he admitted after finishing in 4:06:01.6. “You live, you learn.”
The Skaggs Racing duo of Jarett Megla and Cory Skaggs did well in their first big outing aboard their new TAS Insurance/JCR Speed Shop/Fast House Honda CRF450X, finishing fourth overall in 4:14:34.5.
About six minutes behind was the first Expert team—Open Expert winners David Broderick and Luke Reynolds on their Desert Ready Mix/AEO Powersports/Flo Motorsports Husqvarna FX 450 in 4:20:49.3.
Luke Reynolds (pictured) and Dave Broderick topped the Open Expert division and finished fifth overall.
Team 51Fifty Honda-mounted Jarrett Curley got his Ironman Pro title defense off to a great start, winning the class and finishing sixth overall ahead of class runner-up Zach Myers on his Myers Family Racing KTM.
Hintz/Hunter lost about 30 minutes due to their unplanned gas stop and finished eighth overall, fifth Open Pro, followed by Open Expert runners-up Travis Dillon/Robert Glines/Jeffrey Row. Over 30 Pro winner Chris Brown/Jesse Canepa rounded out the top 10 overall, unofficially.
Yes, Team Mom’s Kimberly Loppnow (pictured) and Krista Conway were the only Women Expert team and won the class by default, but they finished 14th overall and fifth Experts.
- Justin Morgan (Hon)
- Jeremy Newton (KTM)
- Joe Wasson (Bet)
- Cory Skaggs/Jarett Megla (Hus)
- David Broderick/Luke Reynolds (Hus)
