Mint 400 | Dec 2021

[Sportin' Wood]

Anyone from RDP going to the Mint 400 in December?

Mint 400 - 21

Angie and I enjoy the contingency and catching up with old friends, but we normally skip going out to the race. I have been to enough desert races, if I am not racing, it's kind of boring for me. We always enjoy the Mint contingency and the events associated with the race downtown.

 

[Bpracing1127]

Are you sure December? It’s usually in March?

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Are you sure December? It’s usually in March?

The Mint 400 announced today that The Great American Off-Road Race™ will adjust its event dates and move to Wednesday, December 1st through Sunday, December 5th, 2021. The shift comes in response to the inability of the State of Nevada, Southern Nevada Health District, and COVID 19 Mitigation Task Force to permit large-scale events in Clark County. Since the Ivanpah Valley is closed to off-road racing between March 15th and November 1st, and there are numerous outdoor events already scheduled in the fall, the new December dates were the only available option.

 

[RaceTec]

I would normally be going for sure but with it the week before PRI I doubt I will make it...

 

[jesco]

I will be there, racing UTV Rally class. Say hi if you see us going through Tech/Cont.

 

[jesco]

Are you sure December? It’s usually in March?

They had to cancel March 2021 due to covid and the city of Las Vegas not giving them the confidence the event would happen. So 2021 race is in December, 2022 is back to March.

 

[dirtslinger2]

I'll be there racing Class 11.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Canceled our plans, we will not be attending.

 

[jesco]

Car is prepped and ready to go!!!!

 

[dirtslinger2]

Well the Mint 400 was a semi success this year. We ended up with a 2nd after the winner (Blake Wilkey) was given a 45 minute Penalty.

At race mile 40ish there was a real nasty sand hill that every single Class 11 car got stuck in, Blake was able to get himself unstuck and found an alternate way around the hill, which gave him a 45 minute head start on us and the next 2 cars pulled out and up the hill. At the the next lap, we decided that I was going to take a different trail and bypass the hill and take a penalty rather than get stuck for an hour. Luckily while on course they modified the course and the by the time I got there my bypass was part of the course. We battled it out with the car behind up, and slowly creeped up on Blake's lead. At race mile 80 on the last lap, we got a flat and the car behind us was able to make a pass, which made them the ultimate winner. It was heart breaking that we were 18ish miles from the win. It was also a huge success as this car got completely finished during and after tech, and had about 8 miles of test time on it. Luckily we aren't new to the Class 11 cars.

Here's our car in all her glory.

 

[jesco]

Well the Mint 400 was a semi success this year. We ended up with a 2nd after the winner (Blake Wilkey) was given a 45 minute Penalty.

At race mile 40ish there was a real nasty sand hill that every single Class 11 car got stuck in, Blake was able to get himself unstuck and found an alternate way around the hill, which gave him a 45 minute head start on us and the next 2 cars pulled out and up the hill. At the the next lap, we decided that I was going to take a different trail and bypass the hill and take a penalty rather than get stuck for an hour. Luckily while on course they modified the course and the by the time I got there my bypass was part of the course. We battled it out with the car behind up, and slowly creeped up on Blake's lead. At race mile 80 on the last lap, we got a flat and the car behind us was able to make a pass, which made them the ultimate winner. It was heart breaking that we were 18ish miles from the win. It was also a huge success as this car got completely finished during and after tech, and had about 8 miles of test time on it. Luckily we aren't new to the Class 11 cars.

Here's our car in all her glory.

BADASS!!! Congrats. The dust was FRICKEN BRUTAL!!! And that sand hill SUCKED!!! When we went through there was at least 4 cars BURIED. I went to split between 2 cars and almost ran over a codawg that jumped out from the front of his car trying to dig it out... That section and that "King of the Hammers" hill they cut out should have NEVER been part of the course. When we went through that section there was 2 cars on their lid. We finished 8th in UTV Rally Class, car ran good. We picked up a nail and got a flat, but other than that no issues. The lake bed sections were crazy, guys going through there at 90mph with 5ft of viz... make your ass pucker realllllly quick

 

[dirtslinger2]

BADASS!!! Congrats. The dust was FRICKEN BRUTAL!!! And that sand hill SUCKED!!! When we went through there was at least 4 cars BURIED. I went to split between 2 cars and almost ran over a codawg that jumped out from the front of his car trying to dig it out... That section and that "King of the Hammers" hill they cut out should have NEVER been part of the course. When we went through that section there was 2 cars on their lid. We finished 8th in UTV Rally Class, car ran good. We picked up a nail and got a flat, but other than that no issues. The lake bed sections were crazy, guys going through there at 90mph with 5ft of viz... make your ass pucker realllllly quick View attachment 1072774 View attachment 1072775 View attachment 1072776

"King of the Hammers" hill, are you referring to the one at RM72ish? That was gnarly for us in an 11 car, especially with the deep sand turn right before it.

 

[jesco]

"King of the Hammers" hill, are you referring to the one at RM72ish? That was gnarly for us in an 11 car, especially with the deep sand turn right before it.

I bet, that section sucked also, hard right in silt right back into your own dust... hahaha. I think the one Im talking about was around RM40ish... We were about 20miles into our second lap when our pits told us they were ditching those two areas and to follow the new markers not the map.

 

[Mikes56]

Nice car! Are you having any overheating problems at high speed with your lights in front of the radiator like that?

I had to relocate my lights.

 

[dirtslinger2]

Nice car! Are you having any overheating problems at high speed with your lights in front of the radiator like that?

I had to relocate my lights.

We don't have a Radiator