The 2023 Best In The Desert season will be contested over seven races. The new calendar comes as the crown jewel Vegas to Reno looms on the horizon, with the 2023 edition set as the fifth round of the schedule.
BITD traditionally opens its season in Arizona with the Parker 250 and Parker 425 a week later, with the shorter-distance race being for motorcycles and UTVs while larger four-wheelers contest the later. For 2023, however, both will take place on the same weekend on 4–8 January to help draw more entries who otherwise might not want to make multiple trips to Parker.
A month later, the UTV Legends Championship is scheduled for 17–20 February.
After taking March off, BITD resumes with the Silver State 300 on 20–22 April, the first of three rounds to award double points. 2022 saw a surprise winner when the UTV of Cole Barbieri scored the overall victory for four-wheelers with fellow UTV racer Mitch Guthrie right behind.
18–20 May will see a new double points-paying UTV event, the location and name of which were not immediately disclosed. It can perhaps be viewed as a substitute for the Adelanto Grand Prix, which was cancelled due to financial issues.
The prestigious Vegas to Reno, the longest off-road race in North America, is scheduled for 16–20 August. Despite SCORE International inverting the route of its flagship Baja 1000 for 2023, BITD does not appear to intend to turn the V2R into the R2V.
The final race for the Cars and Trucks will be the Laughlin Desert Classic on 12–15 October, while the Bikes and UTVs wrap up their season a month later at 9–11 November’s World Hare & Hound Championship. Laughlin is also a double points round.
It is not known which races will incorporate youth UTV divisions, though BITD explained on social media that it comes down to parental approval.
“We have been discussing this internally so held off on including the youth UTV schedule,” said BITD. “We would like more races for them next year but want to take a consensus from parents before a final decision. We will circle this wagon following Vegas to Reno.”
Besides Adelanto being dropped, the Battle Born 200 does not return for 2023. Held in Ely, Nevada, for all five classes, the 2022 race is scheduled for 22–25 September.
2023 schedule
| # | Race | Classes | Date |
| 1 | Parker 250/Parker 425 | Car, Motorcycle, Quad, Truck, UTV | 4–8 January |
| 2 | UTV Legends Championship | Motorcycle, Quad, UTV | 17–20 February |
| 3 | Silver State 300 | Car, Motorcycle, Quad, Truck, UTV | 20–22 April |
| 4 | TBA | Motorcycle, Quad, UTV | 18–20 May |
| 5 | Vegas to Reno | Car, Motorcycle, Quad, Truck, UTV | 16–20 August |
| 6 | Laughlin Desert Classic | Car, Motorcycle, Quad, Truck, UTV | 12–15 October |
| 7 | World Hare & Hound Championship | Motorcycle, Quad, UTV | 9–11 November |