Saturday, March 1st, 2008 : Automotive, Events

I am very and excited for the return of the GENERAL TIRE to Off-Road Racing after a 20 year absence in the industry!! General Tire and Lucas Oil are the proud television sponsors of the 2008 MINT 400 – “The Great American Desert Race”. This epic event will be produced by New Wave Video Productions for two separate shows and yours truly was called upon to be a pit reporter for both shows:

Lucas Oil On the Edge – half hour episode on SPEED Channel
Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour – one full hour episode on Versus

The old Mint 400 drew crowds of more than 100,000 fans each year from 1968-88 in Southern Nevada and the ’08 event has more than 300 entries that will tackle 96-mile laps with a start-finish line north of Jean off the Las Vegas Boulevard frontage road.

Presented by the Southern Nevada Off-Road Enthusiasts (SNORE), the Mint 400 kicked off with a drawing for starting positions March 19 at the El Cortez Hotel and Casino.

The race will begin at 7 a.m. March 29 and will be run on a 16-hour time limit. At its peak, the Mint 400 drew 538 entries in 1983. The event was first run at the old Mint Gun Club before finally concluding on the grounds of what is now Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

KJ Howe was the race director of the event from 1973-85. He also competed in the race in a Class 2 Unlimited entry with his son Scott, brother, Sandy and Mint Hotel head Andrew Zorne.

“The Mint 400 became one of those must-attend events in Las Vegas especially during the 1970s,”recalled Howe, adding that the idea for the event was the brainchild of Mint publicist Norm Johnson who enlisted the
assistance of race promoter Mel Larson in the late-1960s. “Due to the fact that the technical and safety inspection was held on Fremont Street prior to the race, the Mint 400 drew garnered incredible publicity
for the hotel and the city of Las Vegas.”

Howe sees great possibilities with the return of the Mint 400. Howe said key members of SNORE then included Walt Lott, Denny Selleck and Tom Camp, among others. He also lauded the efforts of current SNORE President Don Wall and the SNORE staff for not only reviving the Mint 400 but also instilling a huge boost for off-road racing at the same time.

The revival has drawn big attention and has an impressive list of entrants including Trophy Truck drivers Las Vegan B.J. Baldwin, who won the SCORE Trophy Truck championship in ’07; B.J.’s father and casino executive Bobby Baldwin; ESPN commentator Cameron Steele and Las Vegas standout Brian Collins, who ran the original Mint 400.

If the above has got you all revved up… more exciting news (drum roll please) The Mint 400 is back March 26-28 2009! I’ll see you there!