Eric Hardin captured the overall victory while Brock Heger dominated the UTV Pro class during the historic 2026 Casey Folks Vegas to Reno “The Other Way”. The 30th anniversary running of the legendary desert race featured a major change, with competitors traveling the course in reverse from Reno to Las Vegas for the first time in the event’s history.
Hardin overcame an early setback to deliver the fastest overall time. After suffering a flat tire during qualifying and starting near the back of the Unlimited Truck 2WD field, Hardin charged through the 505-mile course finishing in 7 hours, 37 minutes and 55.986 seconds. The race was filled with attrition throughout the Nevada desert. Unlimited Truck 4WD contenders Robby and Max Gordon experienced lengthy repair stops, while Bryce Menzies’ race ended early with transmission problems. Several other front-running competitors also lost time to mechanical issues and flat tires. Hardin eventually emerged as the overall leader on corrected time, finishing more than five minutes ahead of Mitch Guthrie and his Ford Raptor T1+ Rally Raid entry. Dave Mason Jr. finished third overall, followed closely by Nic Whetstone and Rally Raid competitor Brian Baragwanath.
Guthrie’s second-place finish was particularly notable as the Ford Raptor T1+ made its North American debut at Vegas to Reno. Baragwanath also brought Dakar Rally machinery to the event, giving the race an international rally-raid flavor.
Brock Heger added another impressive victory to his 2026 season, winning the UTV Pro class and finishing seventh overall. The Polaris RZR Factory Racing driver completed the course in 7:51:29.311, securing his second American Off-Road Racing Championship victory in as many starts after previously winning the Mint 400. Cody Bradbury moved into second place in UTV Pro, while four-time Vegas to Reno winner Blurton settled for third. Heger and Bradbury were the only UTV Pro competitors to complete the race in under eight hours. Eric’s nephew, Cole Hardin, earned his first Unlimited Truck SPEC class victory, beating Conner McMullen by just over 18 seconds. RJ Stidham completed the class podium, keeping the championship battle alive heading into the season finale. In the two-wheel motorcycle classes, Cian Naran beat JCR Honda’s Preston Campbell for the win.
Full results are available on at www.bitd.com