![]() ![]() That’s because where most major desert challenges are point-to-point races like the epic Baja 1000 and legendary Dakar Rally (where vehicles never cross the same spot twice), the Mint 400 hits its 400-mile goal by stringing together multiple laps around a giant course. Of all the off-road races you can go see in person, the Mint 400 is by far the best place to be a spectator. The only thing more exciting than getting up close to one of these desert monsters is riding inside of one, but as Mint 400 CEO Matt Martelli reminded me, more people have flown into outer space than have ever driven a trophy truck. It rattles your bones and raises the hair on the back of your neck in all the right ways. ![]() Kurt SpurlockĪ 1,000+ horsepower V8 is something you feel in your chest as it passes by. To an outside observer, a trophy truck may sound like a novel idea or even an inconceivable waste of money, but for anyone that’s ever stood next to one as it tears off the starting line, you immediately understand the obsession. Outside of sharp turns and the pit lane, these trucks rarely see less than 100 mph, and out on the wide-open stretch of dry lake bed, they outrun even the fastest chase helicopters at speeds over 150 mph. Teams spend anywhere from $500,000 to well over $1,000,000 building these rigs from the ground up with a singular purpose in mind: Go fast over anything and everything. Welcome To The Main Event Mint 400Ī trophy truck is a wild thing to conceptualize, and even wilder to see in person. Friday’s limited class is the wild card of the weekend: Factory backed (and turbo-boosted) UTVs share the circuit with Jeep Wranglers, vintage Volkswagen Bugs, military spec trucks, and this year there was even a lifted stretch limo out on the course.įriday is also the day you’ll see the year’s latest crop of celebrity drivers test their mettle on the brutal Mint 400 proving grounds, and this year’s lineup included motocross legend Jeremy McGrath, 24 hours of Le Mans champ Davy Jones, and even professional MMA fighter Dan Henderson. ![]() Saturday’s unlimited class trucks may be the headlining event at the Mint, but if you want the authentic experience, Friday’s racing can’t be missed. After a full day of festivities, the desert sun sets one last time, and then the pros come out to play Friday morning. This is the Mint 400 off-road festival, and nowhere else on the planet can you buy a 30-ounce beer and then only a few short steps away, a $10,000 set of remote bypass shocks. Wednesday’s parade fades into Thursday’s block party on Fremont Street, and shortly thereafter the streets of Old Vegas are flooded with enthusiasts, racers, and vendors of every description. The Great American Desert Race Begins Mint 400 The faint of heart may gasp, cover their ears, and even run for cover, but look closely and you’ll see a select few who hold their ground: Make no mistake, these are race fans, and they’re screaming and raising their drinks to these champions of the desert because they know what comes next. Motorcycles ride wheelies in front of policemen without fear or consequence … 40-inch tires howl across open pavement … The intoxicating aroma of race fuel hangs in the air… Kurt Spurlockįor a brief and beautiful moment, the pummeling bass of dance club music, the screams of rowdy bachelorette parties, and the cries of street hustlers are completely drowned in a sweet symphony of internal combustion. Then, without warning, a parade of 1,000+ horsepower trophy trucks, banshee two-stroke motocrossers, and wide-open desert buggies materialize, flooding the strip and stretching back as far as the eye can see. Suddenly, a terrible rumble swells and pours out into the streets. Perhaps some foreign dignitary made an unannounced stop in Sin City? Could the president be in town? The air is still for a moment as tourists crane their necks expecting a motorcade or funeral procession. Picture this: A caravan of police vehicles swarm the Las Vegas strip, blocking off every side street and intersection stretching from the Mandalay Bay casino clear down to the rowdy heart of “Old Vegas” that is Fremont Street. 50,000 Horsepower Turned Loose On The Vegas Strip Mint 400 Ask any driver or race fan out here and they’ll all tell you the same thing: It’s a damn good time. ![]()
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