Max Gordon, Corbin Leaverton, Ciaran Naran Top 2026 Silver State 300 Qualifying
Max Gordon, Corbin Leaverton, and Ciaran Naran will start their respective Silver State 300 races from the top spot after posting the fastest times in Thursday’s qualifying. Paced overall by Gordon, whose 5:11.163 was quickest among all racers on the 5.2 mile time trial course, today’s action saw more than 60 of the American Off-Road Racing Championship’s top title contenders lay down times to set their starting spots for the third round of the season.
Motorcycles laid down the first runs of the day, with Mint 400 winner Naran and Parker 400 winner Shane Logan separated by just over two seconds for the top two spots as they continue their fight for the title. Last year, Logan and Naran teamed up to finish third at Silver State, coming in just over three minutes behind the winning time; this year, they’ll go head-to-head for the win.
Class 10s kicked off Group 2 qualifying, with Brian Hoar posting the fastest time of the group with a 6:11.587. When the UTV Pros took over, Cody Bradbury set the early benchmark with a 5:18.655, a mark that withstood challenge after challenge as the morning went on. Finally, Leaverton was able to topple him, coming in just .397 seconds faster with a 5:18.258 to earn top honors.
When the final group hit the course for their run, it was again anyone’s guess as to which group of Unlimited Trucks would come out on top. When all was said and done, the 4WD, 2WD, and SPEC entries split the overall top 10 about as evenly as possible—although the 4WD trucks had the edge with four of the top six qualifiers. Top 2WD qualifier Nic Whetstone was second in the group with a 5:22.436, while Justin “Bean” Smith paced the SPEC trucks, laying down a 5:34.167 in relief duty of Kyle Jergensen, who is missing the race for the birth of his child.
Top Group 1 qualifiers for the 2026 Silver State 300 were as follows:
- #N2 Ciaran Naran, 5:14.088
- #N1 Shane Logan, 5:16.210
- #N40 Gavin Erickson, 5:29.516
Top Group 2 qualifiers for the 2026 Silver State 300 were as follows:
- #T25 Corbin Leaverton, UTV Pro, 5:18.258
- #T23 Cody Bradbury, UTV Pro, 5:18.655
- #T44 Phil Blurton, UTV Pro, 5:22.999
- #T52 Ronnie Anderson, UTV Pro, 5:23.618
- #T191 Kyle Chaney, UTV Pro, 5:26.042
Top Group 3 qualifiers for the 2026 Silver State 300 were as follows:
- #5 Max Gordon, Unlimited Truck 4WD, 5:11.163
- #18 Nic Whetstone, Unlimited Truck 2WD, 5:22.436
- #58 Tracy Graf, Unlimited Truck 4WD, 5:28.264
- #71 Rolf Helland, Unlimited Truck 4WD, 5:32.850
- #222 Justin “Bean” Smith, Unlimited Truck SPEC, 5:34.167
For full results from the 2026 Silver State 300, click here.
2026 Silver State 300 action continues Thursday afternoon with the Youth 1000 race, while Motorcycles and Quads will race Friday morning, UTVs and Limited racers will compete Friday afternoon, and Unlimited entries will compete on Saturday. For more information on the 2026 Silver State 300 and the entire American Off-Road Racing Championship season, visit https://americanoffroadracingchampionship.com.
Details regarding racer registration, sponsorship packages, exhibitor vending, spectator tickets, camping, and parking passes for the American Off-Road Racing Championship are live on americanoffroadracingchampionship.com
About American Off-Road Racing Championship
About the American Off-Road Racing Championship:
The American Off-Road Racing Championship (AORC) is the premier desert off-road racing league in North America, created through the unification of Best in the Desert (BITD) and Unlimited Off-Road Racing (UNLTD).
Best in the Desert, founded in 1984 by legendary racer Casey Folks, is the longest-running and most respected off-road racing series in the U.S., with a legacy that includes iconic events like Vegas to Reno, the Silver State 300, the Parker 425, and the Laughlin Desert Classic.
Unlimited Off-Road Racing, established by the Martelli Brothers in 2023, produces world-class events such as The Mint 400, The California 300, and The Parker 400. UNLTD is recognized for its focus on innovation, storytelling, and large-scale racer participation, with events known for high car counts, challenging courses, pre-running, and family-friendly fan experiences near major markets.
Together under the AORC banner, BITD and UNLTD preserve the heritage of desert racing while building its future—offering racers, sponsors, and fans a unified championship built on clarity, consistency, and world-class competition.