Primm, NV - Last weekend we had the occasion to experience a first – attending what’s labeled the Great American Off-Road Race”. That would be the Mint 400 desert off-road race, a race that transpires pretty much exactly as it sounds: four laps of a 100-mile course through the Mojave Desert outside of Primm, Nevada. It’s a race steeped in history; at one time, the Mint was considered part of a triple-crown of races along with Le Mans and the Daytona 500.
“Gonzo” journalist Hunter S. Thompson described it a whole different way when he featured it in his Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas opus. While it may no longer be considered bigger than the “Kentucky Derby, the Super Bowl and the Lower Oakland Roller Derby finals rolled into one”, the notoriety earned from Thompson’s bohemian description of the event endures. Indeed, so indelible are the effects that one of three pit stops along the route is called “Gonzo”.
Thompson experienced a somewhat different Mint that what we have today, however. Back in the 60s and 70s, it was very much a “run what ya brung” affair and properly wild west, sponsored by Mint Hotel and Casino owner Del Webb. It lasted for about 20 years in that format, went on a hiatus and came back another 20 years later, transformed into the event we experienced this past weekend.
Today, contestants drive all manner of vehicles. There are the top-flight, fire-breathing 1,000-hp Unlimited trucks – also known as Trophy Trucks – that come as either 4WD or RWD and are usually powered by naturally-aspirated V8 engines. Then we have the Class 1 Unlimited open-wheel buggies that also come with V8 power. There are also motorcycles, UTVs (think side-by-sides) and even an entire class dedicated to modified VW Beetles.
There are almost too many classes and sub-classes to mention but according to Matt Martelli, who owns race organizers Unlimited Off-Road Racing along with this brother, Joshua, that’s a big part of the charm.
“(Trophy Trucks cost) a million-and-a half dollars, and that’s $300,000 in prep per race. I can’t afford that (Martelli is also a racer), and neither can most of America. But what America can afford is UTVs and Class 11 (Beetles).” Indeed, according to Martelli, getting a showroom-stock UTV – from, say Polaris or Kawasaki – and getting it to race shape doesn’t take much additional investment. Which, in turn, gives even the littlest racers a chance; there’s a youth UTV division that has kids as young as five – five! – competing.
On Freemont
The start line for this unique event is outside Buffalo Bill’s Hotel and Casino in Primm, but the “for the people” off-road racing vibe starts 70 km away on Freemont Street, as the vehicles are paraded through Old Las Vegas the Thursday before the event. Anybody and everybody can just walk right up to the trucks and look them over, inspect them and even talk to the drivers. There are no barriers along Freemont; everything is right there out in the open. Imagine that happening in F1.
So you can look as closely as you want at all the neat-o stuff these vehicles require to compete in endurance off-road racing: fire extinguishers, spare BFGoodrich tires (85 per cent of the Unlimited Trophy Trucks use those), recovery boards, state-of-the-art navigation system and even a jack.
Yes, a jack. Because when you’re in the middle of a 100-mile lap set in the vast Mojave, chances are you’re some ways away from one of the three pits. That means if you suffer a puncture, it’s on you and your navigator to fix it, or that’s game.
BFGoodrich
I should mention that event sponsor BFGoodrich was our host for the duration. They explained how this race is invaluable to their own development work on their products, and it’s easy to see why.
“For us, racing in the desert is critically important for our brand,” said Jason Anzalone, North America Motorsports Director for Michelin/BF Goodrich. “It’s a way for us to prove out and innovate technology in the grueling environment of the desert.”
“A good example of this is the CoreGard sidewall technology,” he added. “That was designed in the desert on the KR3 (racing tire) and now translates into the new KO3 All-Terrain product.” Of course, we’ve seen technology that starts in various racing disciplines making its way to consumers before, but yes, this is another way of connecting off-road racing to the consumer.
That’s all well and good, but the real way this form of racing connects with fans is just how genuinely spectacular it all is.
The Mint may be set across miles of desert, but it has to start somewhere and before the teams even hit the open desert road, as it were, they complete a lap of a more technical course that Martelli and co. designed themselves. It’s as if they produced an X-Games stadium-style track right there at the start/finish line. The spectators are all the better off for it.
Watch as race winner Adam Householder bounces his way down the front straight – the repetitive bumps causing his front axle to pogo like some kind of crazed typewriter – and then fly 20 feet in the air above the crowd. Or, marvel as two Unlimited buggies attack the banked turns, spitting dirt over the sides that would envelop you in an instant sandstorm if you happened to be caught unawares. Because yes, you can pretty much walk right up to the side of the track.
Then there’s the Youth division and those 5–12-year-olds bouncing over those same bumps and jumps in little 30-hp UTVs, jaws set in stony concentration. Yes, they get to spray champagne from the podium, too.
It’s a fantastic spectacle, to be sure, but BFGoodrich had one more trick up their sleeve for us, and that was a helicopter ride where we could literally “chase” the racers along the track. Now, there are a number of sensations that put you in the moment of an event like this - the dust that coats the tongue, the ringing in the ears, the sun-bleached hats - but there’s nothing like tracking one of these guys or gals from the sky. And it’s not just about seeing the racers from this perspective; it’s the only way to appreciate the vastness of the desert around you. It’s an epic view that shows just what these folks go through to conquer the Mint, and it’s humbling.
Do yourself a favour. Next time you’re planning a trip to Vegas, put aside an extra 30 bucks for general admission to “the Great American Off-Road Race”. You won’t be disappointed.
