BEST IN THE DESERT Polaris RZR Mint 400 March 12, 2016

Racer Tech’s Logan Gastel was pleased to just finish in the top five after coming off a rare DNF at the UTV World Championship

Rugged Radio's Logan Gastel rounded out the Top 5 in the Pro Turbo UTV class

“I’m just glad we got a finish,” said Gastel. “We’re coming off our first DNF in five and a half years. It was a brutal race, but we got all three laps in and we’re here at the finish line.”

In Pro Production, HOLZ Racing’s Ben Bischoff earned his first desert podium. Significant as it was, British Columbia native had dreamed of becoming a desert racer for over 10 years.

Hyper Toys Racing's Ben Bischoff secured his first BITD UTV Podium finish with a 3rd place in the Pro Production Class at the Mint 400

“Back in 2005 I watched that movie ‘From Dust to Glory’, and in 2010, I went out and bought a RZR," explained Bischoff. “Every time I drove it, I wanted to be racing. This is our first podium and this is the biggest off road race in America. I’m just ecstatic.”

In Pro Unlimited, Can-Am’s David Martinez notched his first BITD victory.

Can-Am's David Martinez claimed his first BITD UTV Win at the Mint 400 in the UTV Unlimited Class

“It was just an epic day,” said Martinez. “This was a long time coming and I couldn’t have asked for a better setting than the Mint 400. To put Can-Am on the top of the podium is amazing. We didn’t have one failure today. I went out with a game plan to finish. I wanted to keep the car together: driving smart and clean. The car was just flawless today.”

The Best in the Desert Series next heads to Laughlin, NV May 5-8 for the Laughlin Desert Classic.

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