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Desert Racing 101

What is AORC?

New to desert racing? Here's everything you need to know about North America's premier desert racing league.

The Start Line

Hundreds of miles of open desert. Trucks, cars, UTVs and motorcycles racing the clock. One championship that ties it all together. Pick a question, or scroll and we'll take you from the green flag to the checkered.

The League

One championship. Two legendary organizations.

The American Off-Road Racing Championship is North America's premier desert racing league. It unites Best in the Desert and Unlimited Off-Road Racing into a single season with one set of rules, one points system and one set of champions.

Desert racing isn't run on a track. Racers take on long, rough courses across open desert, chasing the fastest time from start to finish. Every race is a test of speed, endurance, navigation and teamwork, for the driver, the vehicle and the crew.

1984

Best in the Desert

Founded by Casey Folks, BITD built the sport's foundation with iconic events like Vegas to Reno.

2023

Unlimited Off-Road Racing

Established by the Martelli Brothers, UNLTD brought modern innovation through The Mint 400 and The California 300.

Together, they preserve off-road racing's heritage while driving its future: a unified championship defined by clarity, consistency and world-class competition.

The Drivers

Who races in AORC?

Factory-backed pros, weekend warriors and family teams line up on the same start line. Some race unlimited trucks; others race UTVs, cars or motorcycles. Everyone is chasing the same thing: a class championship.

Drivers: 1,138
Countries: 13

Meet the Drivers

The Machines

What do they race?

Every vehicle races in a class, a group of similar machines built to the same rules. AORC has 96 classes, from unlimited trucks to stock UTVs and motorcycles, so racers compete against vehicles like their own.

Explore All Classes

Truck

20 classes

Car/Buggy

12 classes

UTV

9 classes

Motorcycle

26 classes

Quad

3 classes

Youth

6 classes

Rock

7 classes

Vintage

3 classes

Rally Raid

2 classes

EV

6 classes

Military

2 classes

The Races

Where does AORC race?

The championship is decided over five desert races across Arizona and Nevada, including legendary events like The Mint 400, the Parker 400 and Vegas to Reno.

5 championship
rounds

Full Schedule

Coming up

Round scores championship points

The Championship

How do you win AORC?

There are two ways to become a champion. Rack up the most points in your class across the season, or post the fastest combined time across every race.

Class points championship

Points are awarded by finishing position in your class at every race.

Points by finishing position
1st	100
2nd	95
3rd	91
4th	88
5th	86
6th and below	1 point less than the position ahead

From 6th place down, each position earns one point less than the one ahead. Not starting (DNS) or a disqualification (DQ) scores zero.

Start bonus

Extra points just for taking the green flag.

Finish bonus

Reward for getting to the finish line. In the desert, that's never a given.

Throw-away race

Your lowest-scoring race (or one you skip) is dropped.

Overall champions

The fastest elapsed time across all races wins the overall title in each race:

Unlimited Race
Limited Race
Motorcycle Race

Overall championships have no throw-away race.

Tied on points?

The racer with the fastest elapsed time across all five events gets an extra half point.

Current Standings Full Championship Rules

Who's leading right now?

2026 Championship

Points Standings

Updated Nov 4

2WD 4WD Spec UTV Pro

Unlimited Truck 2WD

Full 2WD Standings 33 drivers

2026 Overall

Time & Distance

Most miles, then fastest

Unlimited Limited Moto

Unlimited Race

Full Unlimited Race Standings 133 drivers

The Brands

Racing improves the breed

It's not just drivers fighting for titles. Tire, wheel, shock, lighting, UTV and builder brands earn points through the racers who use their products, competing for AORC Manufacturers Cups all season long.

Manufacturers Cups

Tires

Wheels

Shocks

Lights

UTV Makers

Builders

Terminology Tackled

Talk like a desert racer

A few terms you'll hear on race day.

Class: A group of similar vehicles built to the same rules. Racers earn championship points against others in their class.
Elapsed time: Your total time on course from start to finish. Desert racers start at intervals, so the clock decides the winner, not who crosses the line first.
Pit: A support stop along the course where crews refuel, repair and swap drivers. Big races have named pits, like Gonzo Pit at The Mint 400.
Remote timing gate: Timing points along the course that split it into sectors and update live corrected times as racers pass through.
Driver / Rider of Record: The registered driver or rider who earns the entry's championship points. They must start or finish in the same class all season to hold a year-end position.
Throw-away race: The one race dropped from each racer's class points total: their lowest score or a race they didn't start.
DNS / DQ: Did Not Start / Disqualified. Both score zero points for that race.
Contingency: Awards that sponsors pay to racers who run their products and finish well. See the program.
Trackers & transponders: The tracking and timing equipment every race vehicle carries, so officials and fans can follow it on course. Learn more.

Follow Along

How do I follow AORC?

Can't make it to the desert? Track every race from wherever you are.

Race-day live coverage Race results Points standings Entry lists AORC news

Get Involved

Ready to race?

Find your class, read the rules and get registered for the next event.

The Parker 400