Best In The Desert Youth UTV Racing Develops The Champions Of The Future

By Mike Ingalsbee

Many racers toil for years before they win a race. Championships are even more elusive. When a racer comes along who captures both a championship and rookie of the year award in the same season, you know he has something special.

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Cash Martinez is one of those racers. He took both honors in the youth 170 Pure Stock Youth UTV class racing against other 9 to 13 year olds. Cash had stiff competition from Cole Warner, Dexter Warren, and Evan Atkins who were all within striking distance. Cash accumulated more wins than anyone which earned him the points needed for the championship. Cash is just one of the latest racers to make his mark in the Best In The Desert (BITD), Youth UTV series. He follows in the footsteps of several racers who travelled a similar path and now race professionally on the International stage. One example is Seth Quintero. Seth is a professional racer who holds the record for most stage wins in a single event at the Dakar Rally. In 2018, Seth finished second place at Vegas to Reno. The following year he won a UTV championship in the Best In The Desert series, winning six events along the way. He started racing side by sides at age 10.

BITD provides a stepping stone for kids as young as 5 years old to compete. By the time some of these kids get their driver’s license on the street, they will have been racing for a decade. Since

UTVs are used, it’s easy for a parent to purchase a standard, safe and reliable vehicle instead of having to build one from scratch or hire a professional fabricator. In the stock classes the rules are simple. Most have to do with safety regulations like seat belts, helmets and window nets to keep the drivers safe. The 170 UTVs are rather tame when it comes to horsepower. As the kids gain skill and confidence, they can move up to faster cars. The key is to get them comfortable first, and then they can learn how to go fast. Many of the best racers in off-road history learned to drive in small, limited race cars. They learned the basics long before they started going fast. Those basic skills became the building blocks that turned them into champions.

Usually the entire family gets involved. During the week they are just a typical family, but on the weekends they are transformed into a race team. Many excellent life lessons can be learned in racing like teamwork, sportsmanship, and that hard work pays off. The race series brings like-minded families together that can lead to life-long friendships.

The kids compete on the track, but play together when the helmets come off.

“My father passed away when I was young, but luckily I had a mentor who taught me about racing,” says Danny Martinez, Cash’s father. “Eddie Kirk instilled that passion for racing in me. I raced a 250R in the desert. My older kids raced too, but Cash really took to it. He plays football and baseball, but he loves racing the most. We make sacrifices as a family to race. One day it’s bologna, the next day it may be Red Lobster. That’s how it goes. It’s all worth it to see the kids smiling. Cash has to keep his grades up; that’s part of the bargain. I work on his car during the week and Pete Corwin from GSP has really helped out our family with the rest. He’s one of the best fabricators in the country. When we head out on the weekends it’s a long drive for us, but worth it. Cash will hit the track during practice to figure out his lines and we might make a couple adjustments, but then it’s go time. If you need a part, someone that has one will help you out. I’ve loaned out lots of stuff myself. Everyone just wants the kids to have a great time. The kids don’t hold back on the course, but they leave it on the track.”

I asked Cash if the other kids got intimidated by his number one plate. Danny chimed in that mostly it was the other dads who took notice. “I think racing has taught me that you have to be humble,” said Cash. “I want to race a Trick Truck, but I’ll have to be patient and wait for my turn. When it comes to racing, you have to hit the switch. You have no friends on the racetrack, but once it’s over, you go right back again to being friends with everyone.”

“Cash will be moving up into an RS1 around the middle of next season,” says Danny. “He wants me to put graphics on his car, but those things are a little top heavy and I’m not made of money. If he can keep it on all four tires, maybe he can have his graphics then. His younger sister Lydalis is going to be racing in the 170 Pure Stock class next year. I’m not sure how that’s going to go. With my boys it was easy. When they had trouble, I just said to suck it up. I’m not sure how my daughter will feel about that. You can have the best car, the best mechanic, but I’ve learned that if the wife is not on board, it’s not going to happen. We couldn’t do it without my wife Heather.” Cash says if he sees his sister doing something wrong he won’t be afraid to say something. He plans on mentoring his little sister. If she has the same talent as her older brother, look out. You could have a couple of number one plates in the Martinez family.

Cash Martinez has shown what can be done when the opportunity is out there. He’s already a champion. One day he may be racing against one of the sport’s icons or a fellow competitor who came up with him through the ranks for a Trick Truck championship. As long as the Best In The Desert Youth UTV series keeps turning out fast racers, the sport of off-road racing will continue to prosper. I recommend everyone watch these kids race. You’ll be able to brag one day that you saw Cash Martinez race, or any of the other future champions, when they were just kids.