The world of off-road racing has lost one of its most outstanding figures. Manny Esquerra, 64, who died during the Parker 425 race on February 2, 2008

Esquerra was a co-driver in 1400-class "Trick Truck" No. 18. Other drivers and co-riders listed included Tracy Rubio, Robert Minor, and Chad Klein, all of Kingman, Arizona. The truck was on the second lap of the race, near a section of the course known as the "Rock Pile."

At the awards ceremony for the Parker 425, which was held at the BlueWater on Sunday, BITD President Casey Folks announced Esquerra had apparently died of a heart attack or some sort of seizure. He said the vehicle was not involved in an accident. He added that medical teams were on the scene within minutes.

Esquerra, a resident of Parker, had run the Parker race more than 30 times. He won his class 13 times. The most recent occasion was in 2006, when he and his brothers, Tudy and Gabriel, placed first in the BITD's 7100 class. Following that race, Esquerra said that would be his last race as a lead driver.

In recent years, Esquerra had served as a mentor to young racers, including Randy Merritt of Mongo Racing, Jim Beaver of PMC Racing and Linc Gilbert and Larry Tunnell Jr.

His advice to racers was, "A racer has to race the track, not the competition."

While he raced in many locations around the world, Esquerra said he liked running in Parker best.

Tributes to Esquerra were made at the Parker 425 awards ceremony. Folks praised Esquerra for being a pioneer in off-road racing and a good friend.

"We just lost a great guy," Folks said. "It just crushes me. He died doing what he loved doing on the course he loved the most."

Folks added he never saw Esquerra with anything but a smile on his face.

Kevin McGillevray, who placed fourth overall and third in the 1400 Pro class, said he saw Black Mountain, or "P" Mountain and said he will always think of that as Manny's mountain.

Veteran racer Curt LeDuc, who finished first in the 8000 class, said Esquerra was his inspiration to get into off-road racing.

Parker racers Larry Tunnell and Linc Gilbert, who placed first in the 8100 class, said they dedicated the race to Esquerra. They thanked him for all the mentoring he gave to young racers.

Esquerra first got into off-road racing in 1976. Prior to this, he raced 225 Hydroplane boats for Marion Beaver from 1974 to 1976.

In addition to his wins in Parker, Esquerra won his class at the Las Vegas Mint 400 race 10 times. He was a member of Ford Motor Company's Rough Rider Team from 1982 to 1992.

Sal Fish, president and CEO of SCORE, first met Esquerra in the 1970s, when SCORE ran the Parker race. Although he did not have the exact figures, Fish said Esquerra won the Class 7 title in Parker at least 10 times. He was also the season points champion for SCORE eight times.

Fish said Class 7 consists of mini-pickups, and it's one of the most crowded classes in SCORE.

"He was in a very competitive class," Fish said.

Fish described Esquerra as a smart racer. He had a natural ability as a racer, and an understanding of what it took to reach the finish line. He could get the best out of any vehicle.

When SCORE ran the Parker 400, Fish said Esquerra was always ready and willing to help any way he could. This included helping to lay out the course. Fish was said this was more complicated in the 1970s and '80s than it is today because the race ran on both sides of the Colorado River.

"It was an incredible logistics challenge," he said.

In addition to being an excellent racer, Fish said Esquerra brought much to the sport of off-road racing, especially through his relationship with the Ford Motor Company. Esquerra did much to popularize the sport.

Fish said Esquerra was a fine man and a good friend. He said his heart goes out to Esquerra's family and friends, and to all who knew him.

A celebration of life will be held at the BlueWater Resort & Casino, in the Mohave room, on Saturday, February 9, 2008 at 2 PM. The family requests informal attire and no floral arrangements.