MOB finds its place on the front lines of the biggest, baddest race ever.
People had good reason to call the 2020 UTV World Championship the biggest and baddest UTV race on the planet. For five days across the punishing Arizona desert, hundreds of racers from all over the world came to compete on newly designed racecourses developed by the Martelli brothers.
“Seeing it all come together after people have been waiting six months for a race of this size is nothing short of amazing,” said Joshua Martelli, chief operating officer of Mad Media LLC, which operates the UTV World Championship and Mint 400. “It was a great opportunity for folks to come out and have a fun, safe time in open spaces, perfectly suited for social distancing.”
It was also the first year that the 2020 UTV World Championship was held in Lake Havasu City, a family-friendly community known for its diverse activities and amenities. In between UTV Championship events and attractions, families hit skate parks, rented kayaks, enjoyed riverside dining, and went hiking at beautiful locations like Sara Park.
“Lake Havasu reminds me a lot of early San Diego,” says Martelli. “It’s a fast-growing destination along the Colorado River with large event and off-road racing experience, which made it easy to collaborate with Lake Havasu City, the Lake Havasu Chamber of Commerce, and the Bureau of Land Management field office. Working with these entities, we were given a blank slate to create some of the most exciting race courses in the world.”
After determining a site location with the Bureau of Land Management, the Martelli team created a 30-mile track that started and finished in a standard wash area just south of Havasu City. It was designed to take advantage of the unique landscape — rocky wash areas, tight canyons, narrow terrain — while providing the most challenging technical race courses imaginable. Racers even noted that the terrain was constantly changing, with rocks, loose dirt, and changing with every lap.
The courses also gave spectators plenty of race diversity: a 60-mile public poker run, qualifying events for select pro classes, open pre-running, short courses, infield youth course, desert pro race course, UTA rallies, and desert pro turbos, among others. More than 280 entrants participated in the poker run alone, all competing for big prizes donated by top brands.
“Most people don’t know how much time and attention to detail it takes to get everything right, from cleaning up any site issues caused by years of illegal dumping or shooting to post-race cleanups and vegetation restoration after it’s all over,” says Martelli. “Everything has to be considered, from where spectators will be able to watch the race to how racers, OEMs, and aftermarket parts makers can get the most out of the Tech and Contingency area.”
This year also had other planning considerations, ranging from mask recommendations and hand sanitizer stations to working with new local and state requirements for parking and traffic control. Mad Media LLC takes everything into account because the last thing they want are any adverse effects to neighborhoods or communities in the area.
“When we moved the 2020 UTV World Championship from Laughlin to Lake Havasu, our preferred traffic management company could have passed on the event,” said Martelli. “It speaks to their level of customer service that they traveled to Arizona in advance, secured licenses, and put in all the necessary paperwork. I hope when people see the professionalism they put forth, more promoters in Lake Havasu will help grow that city’s impact on the region.”
MOB placed digital message boards and signage for the right-of-way portion of the event. Event flaggers were present on Highway 95 between Cattail Cove State Park and the southern entrance to Lake Havasu City to assist vehicles into the event area.
“We don’t even consider MOB a vendor as much as a key partner responsible for all of our traffic management and parking needs,” Martelli said. “Anybody in the events business, whether it’s EDC or RISE events, knows you have to have the right team on your side, one who is ready to act as your first point of contact, first line of defense, and first responders.”
For the event, MOB team members also provided direction and vehicle screening for the public, media, race teams, and Redi Mix employees. They managed parking, ensuring event space was used efficiently. They came up with several innovative traffic management solutions to allow for a northbound free-flowing right-hand turn lane, certified flaggers to hold northbound traffic anytime the southbound lane backed up, and lane restrictions with turnaround points with an acceleration lane.
Martelli said he appreciates this level of world-class service, having worked with so many event partners over the years. The Martelli brothers originally entered the world of off-road racing working with Southern Nevada Off-Road Enthusiasts (SNORE) and Best In The Desert founder Casey Folks after more than a decade of promoting X Games and action sports. They are looking to expand their offerings in the years ahead after hosting the 2021 BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 set for near year.
