Two of the biggest desert racing organizers in the United States have joined forces.

On Thursday evening ahead of the Vegas to Reno, Best In The Desert and Unlimited Off-Road Racing announced the formation of the American Off-Road Racing Championship. It is a unified series jointly hosted by the sanctioning bodies debuting in 2026, though their first race together will be the Laughlin Desert Classic in October.

The partnership comes on the heels of increasing sentiment that American desert racing has basically become the Wild West: disjointed, too many races to make pursuing a title practical, and scattered across multiple series offering relatively similar forms of racing. BITD met with officials from other series in March to figure out how to resolve the matter.

Although UNLTD’s leadership was not at the Vegas summit, the Martellis were certainly aware of the situation and wanted to help.

“This isn’t just about combining races. It’s about shaping the future of off-road racing in America,” Matt Martelli began. “For years, we’ve poured our energy into building flagship events like the Mint 400 and the California 300—not just for the spectacle, but to honor the legacy of this sport. By joining forces with BITD, we’re creating a unified championship that reflects our shared values and elevates the bar for everyone in desert racing. This is how we grow together.”

Under the new umbrella, BITD and UNLTD will work to create a schedule that would eliminate date conflicts, streamline logistics, and maximize racer participation.” For example, UNLTD has canceled their season-ending California 300 for 2025 since it was only two weeks before BITD’s finale in Laughlin. The California 300 will be part of the AORRC schedule in 2026, though UNLTD will look for a different date.

Of course, there will also be a new rulebook and standardized tech inspection to go along with it, as well as a shared points sytem.

“We know everyone is going to have questions right out of the gate, and rightfully so,” started UNLTD event director Kilian Hamlin. “We’ve already begun working with Best in the Desert to review and streamline key systems and procedures, such as race registration and a reimagined contingency program, in order to create consistency, clarity, and efficiency across both organizations. This means one unified rulebook, one numbering system, and one championship structure. We invite racers, sponsors, and teams from across North America to join us in building the future of desert racing together.”

A 2026 calendar was not immediately revealed, though UNLTD’s Parker 400 will kick off the season in January.