Crowds flock downtown for Parker 425 "Show and Shine"

IN THE PHOTOS: Off-road racers and fans filled downtown Parker Thursday afternoon for the BlueWater Resort & Casino/Best in the Desert Parker 425 Downtown Experience Show and Shine.

Upper left: Race vehicles are lined up along Joshua Avenue, ready to be checked out by race fans.

Upper right: This was the scene on Joshua Avenue.

Lower left: This was the scene on Arizona Avenue between California and Kofa Avenues.

Lower right: Parker Mayor Steve Madoneczky (left) presented Best in the Desert President Casey Folks with the "Key to the City."

The streets of downtown Parker were filled with off-road vehicles, racers and fans Thursday afternoon for the BlueWater Resort & Casino/Best in the Desert Parker 425 Downtown Experience Show and Shine street party.

A part of their participation in the time trials, racers in the Parker 425 were required to come downtown so fans could get up close and personal with them and their vehicles. In addition to racers and fans, there were many vendors and a live band provided music.

The event recalled the days when SCORE International ran the race. Contingency and technical inspection were held in downtown Parker.

With the BlueWater now serving as the host and a major sponsor of the race, contingency and technical inspection are held there the Friday before the race.

Randy Hartless, director of the Parker Area Chamber of Commerce, addressed the crowd late in the afternoon. He thanked everyone for attending, and he thanked Chuck Baker of Charles Baker & Associates and La Paz County Sheriff's Lt. Linc Gilbert for their roles in organizing the event. Baker is the owner of the Joshua Street Mall, which was the center for the event. In his off-time, Gilbert is an off-road racer.

Parker Town Councilman Dan Beaver also addressed the crowd. He praised the organizers of the event, and he praised town residents for their support of off-road racing. He also praised Best in the Desert President Casey Folks for running a fine organization. Beaver noted he had been an off-road racer for many years himself.

"I have worked with every promoter there is in this sport," he told the audience. "Casey is the best."

Parker Mayor Steve Madoneczky presented the "Key to the City" to Folks. Folks thanked him, and thanked all the local officials and agencies who helped organize the race.

"They've all been great," he said.

Folks also thanked the people of the Parker area for their support for off-road racing.

"The heart of off-road racing is here in Parker, Arizona," he said.

The Parker 425 gets underway early Saturday morning with a start in downtown Parker. The racers will be escorted from the BlueWater to downtown at 6:45 a.m. The first vehicle will head out onto the course at 7:15 a.m., with each vehicle leaving in 30-second intervals.

This is the second of four races BITD has planned for Parker in 2010. The next will be the BlueWater Gran Prix in May. A new event, the BlueWater challenge is set for October.

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