The inaugural American Off-Road Racing Championship will begin a week earlier than planned. On Monday, BITD announced the Parker 400 has been moved up to January 14–18 on request by the Bureau of Land Management’s Lake Havasu Field Office.

The 400 took place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend in 2024 and 2025, but was pushed back a week as part of the new calendar following Best In The Desert’s merger with the Unlimited Off-Road Racing Series. However, the government shutdown in October and into mid-November messed with the organizers’ permit scheduling.

The shutdown lasted 43 days, the longest in United States government history.

“Due to permitting timelines impacted by the recent federal government shutdown, the Bureau of Land Management has requested that The Parker 400 operate within the same January window as the previous two years,” reads a statement. “As a result, the event will once again take place over the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend, running Wednesday, January 14 through Sunday, January 18. Racing remains on Friday & Saturday.

“This adjustment ensures alignment with federal land closures and public notification requirements. A complete event schedule will be posted later this week. We apologize for any inconvenience this change may cause and appreciate the continued support and professionalism of the BLM Lake Havasu Field Office in helping make The Parker 400 possible.”

Held in Arizona, Parker was previously the season opener for UNLTD. It still holds that slot following the merger to create the AORC, and is now the first of six races.

Adam Householder is the defending Unlimited overall winner, while Carib Potts and Preston Campbell respectively won the Limited and Motorcycle Races.

Featured image credit: UNLTD