VIEW FROM THE RIDGE - Bryan Folks

Photo by Jason Zindroski - HighRev Photography

Why does Best In The Desert grade our race courses? I remember early in my car racing career, after racing the 1100 class at Henderson “250” I was in the first race of two races in the day. After the finish, I went and visited my dad at the finish line and told him I thought it was really cool that we got to race on a groomed race course. I didn’t care if the course was rough or smooth. I was just happy to be racing. He kindly responded by stating that he did not grade the course for our race. As it turns out, I was racing on the previous year’s course that he had to grade after the last race. That brought us into a deep conversation of when and why he had to start grading race courses.

He educated me by explaining that he was not grading the course by choice. He was grading the course because it was mandatory. It all started a couple of years before that. Most of us do not realize that when racing in Nevada you are racing on mostly public lands and roads that are shared by all. There are many ranchers and farmers that use this land for their livelihood. Thus, he began grading sections of each racecourse that were being used by ranchers and farmers so they could continue to work the lands that they were leasing from the BLM. He did so because previously they would complain after our events about the roads being torn up. To put this into perspective, imagine if somebody tore up the road you use to get home each day, or tore up the road you use to get to work? Well, that is exactly what we do to the roads that they use for their livelihoods and to provide for their families. Thus, the grading started as a good will gesture to the ranchers and farmers.

Fast forward a couple of years and it wasn’t long before the counties took notice and went to my father and said, “Hey what about our county roads?” Same scenario, people within the communities are using these roads on a daily basis for various reasons and did not particularly care to drive on roads that had been destroyed or torn up. Next, came the BLM who asked the question, “What about the rest of the roads that the public uses?” Finally, it was a wrap. If Best In The Desert was to continue to operate races in Nevada or anywhere else in the USA, the BLM would make it a stipulation that ALL ROADS MUST BE GRADED after each event.

What does that look like today? The answer, EXPENSIVE! For example, as I write this article nearly four weeks after the Silver State 300, our grading crew is still out grading the race course. Their task is to grade every single mile of the 278-mile race course. They started exactly the day after the race on Sunday and are still going. We have already paid three grading bills and am hoping the next bill is the final bill. However, this is our reality. We accept it and we hope you will accept it with us.

In closing, when you hear someone complain about the graded race course, please feel free to correct them. First, Best In The Desert goes to a great expense and effort to make sure every mile of each race course gets graded. Next, Best In The Desert is propagating good will for all of us that love this sport and making sure we do our part to take care of the lands and roads we use. Finally, hats off to Casey Folks for getting in front of the future and making sure we do not become a problem that needs to go away.