THE LEGEND RETURNS.

VEGAS TO RENO - A LOOK BACKK

in front of you is going to be changing. Long distance racing is unique. The preparation to the bike is very serious and there are many trick things that I’ve learned over the years (mostly by failure). The term “don’t step over dollars to pick up pennies” rings the loudest. Think new tires, new mousses (foam inserts), clean and well-oiled air filters, new grips, seals, bearings, fresh oil in the bike and suspension, the

Bryce Menzies getting every bit out of his new Huseman built AWD Trick Truck during qualifying in 2018. The following year he took the truck to the overall win.

VEGAS TO RENO - A LOOK BACK list goes on. Then there are specific areas of the bike that you need to protect, or safety wire, just to ensure that when you are so far from any pit, the bike stays together.”

“We keep our truck set-up the same, but we are running the Fox Live Valve shocks so we can make changes on the fly,” says Ryan Arciero. “We see triple-digit temps, and there are a lot of long pulls, so it puts a strain on the equipment and the driver. Vegas to Reno challenges the entire team. You have to wait and see what the pace needs to be and then make the adjustments necessary to stay up front.”

Vegas to Reno takes a lot of planning, and there is a lot to think about. It’s not always clear what the deciding factor was in a win or a loss. Some racers develop superstitions that they hold on to because they’ve been successful. For instance, Bryce Menzies says he puts his left shoe on first every time. Somewhere along the way he developed that habit and he has stuck with it. For Vito Ranuio, it’s the right shoe first. “I’m not superstitious, but we’ll take every bit of luck we can get,” says Vito.

Ryan Arciero has a favorite pair of nomex underwear he likes, but doesn’t always wear them. He also has a lucky hat. The one thing he never fails to do is say a prayer before the race. Remember, their truck burned to the ground in 2020. In 2021 they came back and won the race overall. In 2022, they backed that win up. This year they are going for three in a row. He’ll probably be wearing both the hat and the underwear this year.

“I have had good things happen with no prep and a lack of sleep, and I’ve had bad things happen when everything was done perfectly,” says Skyler Howes. “Sometimes you zig when you should have zagged. Other times you’re on rails and everything goes according to plan. I guess that’s what makes this race and desert racing in general so great; you’re at the mercy of the desert. It doesn’t matter what superstition you have, how much you prepared, or how much money you spent; at the end of the day it’s you against the desert.”

Many racers reached incredible milestones at Vegas to Reno that they will never forget. “In 2014, it was the first time I prepped my father’s car from the ground up,” says James Dean. “I was only 17 years old. I rode the entire race, and we had zero issues. That was a huge accomplishment for me. I’m also proud of the first Vegas to Reno race my brother and I did together. We had a great day and finished top five overall.”

Mitch Guthrie, Jr. got incredible news while leaving the finish line six years ago. “Joey D handed me his phone and it was Craig Scanlon on the other end. He was offering me a full contract to race for Polaris. The part I will never forget is that he was calling me from a porta potty at a

Pearl Jam concert. For me it depends on what position I’m in. If I’m leading, I can be a bit nervous. You have to make sure you hit your marks. If you’re down on time, it’s a lot of fun pushing hard and doing what you can to make up time. The worst thing is if you have had issues and you’re just trying to bring the car home.”

Nobody has more memories of Vegas to Reno than Sam Berri; he’s raced every