2023 Laughlin Desert Classic Results

| October 18, 2023

Desert racers converged in the riverside city of Laughlin, Nevada, October 13-15, for the King Shocks Laughlin Desert Classic, the penultimate round for Best In The Desert’s American Off-Road Racing Series Championship. Rising talents Carter Klein and Mason Klein scored 1-1 results over the two days of racing, besting the field both days.

**The Klein brothers, Carter and Mason, shared riding duties aboard their KTM 450 XC-F to win Best In The Desert’s Laughlin Desert Classic in the Nevada desert.**

Photos by Harlen Foley

Typically reserved for cars and trucks, this event introduced motorcycles, quads and UTVs to the schedule last year and has proven to offer exciting racing over the two-day event. Per usual for the series, the motorcycles made first tracks bright and early each morning, setting the tone for the rest of the day on the five-lap 17-mile loop. Defending series champions Hayden Hintz/Trevor Hunter squared off against Dakar phenom Mason Klein, who paired with younger brother and National Hare & Hound Champion Carter on a DT Racing/3Bros/Acerbis-backed KTM 450 XC-F.

Off the start, the two Open Pro entries got the jump on the rest of the field, drag racing down start straight with the Hintz/Hunter duo’s Dirt Bike Test/1-800-Dent-Doc-backed Honda CRF450X gaining a slight advantage as they rushed into the second corner. Being a group start, setting the pace out front and making first dust could very well dictate how the race would play out for the leaders.

Austin Farley and Jack Miller at 2023 Laughlin Desert Classic. Photo by Harlen Foley — **Austin Farley and Jack Miller teamed up to win the Expert division in third overall.**

Over the first three laps, the N1 team on the Honda held the lead over the hard-charging number-N98 KTM. Riding tight and struggling to get through the dust from lapped ATVs and three-wheelers, the N1 team relinquished much of their early lead, and, just past the halfway point, the two were neck and neck. Due to fuel restraints, the Honda team had to pull in for gas and a rider change at the end of the third lap; the KTM duo, however, put their larger gas tank to use and set out for an extra lap, hoping to make up ground with clean air. Fifteen minutes later, Klein came into the pits, dumped fuel, and handed the bike over to older brother Mason before pulling back onto the racecourse ahead of the N1 team. With lappers and dust becoming more prevalent, the running order stayed the same on the final lap and the Klein brothers stretched their lead out to nearly 90 seconds at the finish.

Behind the leaders, two Expert teams found themselves battling for top Expert overall. Jack Miller and Austin Farley, both teenagers, passed through several Pro entries to move up their Taco Moto/City Paving/AHM Husqvarna TX 300 into third overall on the day. Just seconds behind them sat the 30+ Expert team of Robby Brockman and Josh Row on their Synthetic Lawn Solutions/Duncan-backed team.

Maxwell Claunch at 2023 Laughlin Desert Classic. Photo by Harlen Foley — **Maxwell Claunch was the Ironman and overall Amateur winner.**

Day two started off much the same, with the N98 bike rounding the first turn in front, but the N1 Honda quickly powered past and was into the desert first. The N1 team utilized dust and a quicker pace to their advantage, building out a lead by the end of the first lap. By the end of lap two, Hintz/Hunter held a steady lead, but the Klein duo played it smart and switched riders and poured fuel early, getting enough of a gap ahead to stay out of the dust and make up time in the long run.

Running strong in the lead, the N1 team started experiencing some issues which saw their lead diminish to mere seconds on the third lap. After a quick pit, the defending champions tried to push the pace again, but problems persisted, and the two played it safe and brought it into the finish behind the winning Klein brothers, who finished 1-1 on the weekend overall.

Behind the Open Pro bikes, the young Expert team of Farley/Miller brought their TX 300 into the finish for third overall on the weekend, with Travis Dillon/Nick Burton/Josh Row moving up to first Open Expert on their Rowley White RV Honda. Rounding out the top five overall was Steven Wheeler/Aiden Poulson, winning the 399 Pro class aboard a Frontline Suspension-backed Beta.

Mason Klein and Carter Klein at 2023 Laughlin Desert Classic. Photo by Harlen Foley — **The Mason Klein and Carter Klein duo took the overall motorcycle win at the BITD Laughlin Desert Classic.**

Other notable finishers include top Ironman and overall Amateur rider Maxwell Claunch, top Ironman Expert Chris Garnett, and 16-year-old Robert Lock who placed second in Ironman Amateur.