October 7 , 2014, San Diego, CA – UTVUnderground.com has teamed up with Mad Media and the Best in The Desert (BITD) Off-Road Racing Association to create the first ever UTV World Championship.

The event, scheduled to take place February 19-21, 2015, will bring together desert racing, MX style short-course racing, and enthusiast rides, into one massive multi-day event on the edge of the Colorado River in Laughlin, Nevada. It will also be a showcase for UTV manufacturers and aftermarket manufacturing companies.

UTVUnderground.com CEO/Founder Joey DiGiovanni said that the idea behind the UTV World Championship is to create a single event that hosts both a championship UTV desert race and a championship UTV short-course race in a single weekend.

“The goal is to attract and showcase the best professional UTV racers and race teams from around the world and give them a chance to go head to head in front of a live crowd,” DiGiovanni said. “All of the partners involved have been planning this event for several years now, and we are thrilled to be holding an event that showcases the best UTV racers on the planet, in multiple disciplines.”

The four-day event format will feature one full day of racing, contingency and tech in downtown Laughlin, demo and enthusiast rides, and a business-to-business UTV industry summit. Tech and contingency will feature a manufacturer’s midway so enthusiasts can check out the newest stock and customized UTV models as well as the industries top aftermarket accessories. Enthusiasts and racers will be able to pre-run the actual racecourse in stock UTVs during the family fun pre-run. Classes will include a BITD Pro UTV Desert Points/Championship Race (Pro, Unlimited, Sportsman), and a Championship Pro UTV 1000cc Short Course/MX, Pro UTV 850cc Short Course/MX, and a Quads & Bikes desert race (BITD points). The course will consist of a 14.5-mile run for desert racing, and a 5-mile track for short-course/MX, with a custom moto-style (fan friendly) infield. By design, this one event will brings all UTV racers from BITD, SCORE, GNCC, WORCS and the Lucas Oil Off-Road Regionals together to compete for two separate championships.

Mad Media CEO Matt Martelli said that his company is excited to launch The UTV World Championship.

“The UTV market is rapidly growing, and UTVs are the ultimate gateway vehicle for off-road racing,” Martelli said. “Teaming up with Casey Folks and the Best in the Desert Off-Road Racing Association was an obvious choice. We have had a very successful partnership with Casey building The Mint 400 into the biggest off-road race on the planet. Laughlin, Nevada, is the perfect setting for this new venture. It offers modern hotels, great restaurants, and lots of entertainment.”