CT Racing's Danny Prather and Dave Scott 1st Pro Quad at 2012 BITD Vegas-to-Reno Race

The team of Danny Prather and Dave Scott took 1st overall Pro Quad at the 2012 Best in the Desert Vegas to Reno race
The team of Danny Prather and Dave Scott took 1st overall Pro Quad at the 2012 Best in the Desert Vegas to Reno race
The Best in the Desert (BITD), Las Vegas to Reno race is the longest, and arguably the toughest off-road challenge in the U.S. Doing well here is mandatory for anyone entertaining championship hopes, as the event is worth double points. CT Racing’s Danny Prather and Dave Scott took a huge step forward toward defending their overall 2011 title by taking first in Pro Quad at this year’s BITD contest. For CT Racing this is their fifth year in the row atop the Las Vegas to Reno podium.

"To win Vegas to Reno was great!" said Prather. "For two guys to ride one bike almost 550 miles in 10 hours over some of the most brutal and scenic terrains in the U.S. was awesome. With my family chasing us all the way to Reno, it was one of my most memorable races I've competed in."

"Memorable" seems like a humble understatement when you consider the context, and being that Prather and Scott had to put together one of the more impressive rides in recent race history to get it done. Prather began the race in 5th and had a quick 30 mile ride to the first pit, before handing over the controls to Scott at the first pit. Scott rode the next 65 miles and managed to work up into 4th place before turning the bike back to Prather at the third pit stop. Shortly after the exchange Prather came upon a pack of about 30 motorcycles heading backwards on the course. The race course markers had been taken out by the lead motorcycles and almost everyone behind them got lost.

A couple of klicks later Prather realized he was lost too, and that’s when he found Josh Row and another motorcycle who had collided head-on while going the wrong direction. Prather stopped to assist the riders and make sure they were alright. Row appeared to have a minor concussion but was otherwise alright, the rider on the motorcycle had broken his wrist pretty badly though and needed help. Prather created a makeshift splint out of two sticks and some zip ties so he could ride out and find help. That random act of kindness put the team back in 8th place and a full 20 minutes off the lead.

The duo then remarkably disproved the theory that no good deed goes unpunished, as they powered through the pack, made up the time deficit, and inched out a win by a mere 20 seconds after 534 miles. The team in fact finished the race an impressive 8th overall. The win put Prather and Scott into a solid points lead with the final contest of the year, the Henderson 250, coming up this December.

The BITD win put Prather and Scott into a 36 point lead in the championship heading into the final contest in December
The BITD win put Prather and Scott into a 36 point lead in the championship heading into the final contest in December
"We had a great race," said the K&N sponsored rider after the race. "Our CT Racing Honda ran strong the whole race with no flats at all, and we went the entire race on one set of Maxxis Razr tires. It was exciting towards the end with how close the competition was. Thank you so much to all of our sponsors who made it possible for us to pull off this win. Our team and sponsors have been working hard this year to defend our number 1 plate and win another championship."

Prather and Scott have been racing together for two years. Prather adds, "Dave (Scott) and I have very similar riding styles and we like the same bike set-up, which has made it nice, since Dave lives in New Mexico and it's not often we can get together."

The dynamic duo ignited their 2012 season with a full-head of confidence by winning the Parker 250. "We also finished in a very close 2nd place at Silver State 300, and that gave us a narrow points lead over the factory Can-Am team," added Prather. "And with Vegas to Reno being a double points race, the win gave us a 36 point lead for the championship! It's nice going into the final round with a little cushion."

"Our next race for the Best in the Desert series is December 2nd at the Henderson 250. Dave and I both do local desert and grand prix races in between the BITD schedule to keep our skills sharp and stay in shape. My next race is the famous Lake Elsinore Grand Prix on November 10th."

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