The 2014 Mint 400

[Tbars4]

..Is anyone heading out there or know someone who is?

..I will be out there covering the event and will post updates and pictures to this thread..

..For those going out to spectate or those wanting to know the schedule of events out there this week, this link should answer most of your questions..

http://themint400.com/2014/03/how-to-spectate-the-mint-400/

The 2014 Mint 400, with its fifty seven Trick Trucks entered, promises to be the biggest race in the history of off-road. The Mint is now capped at 325 race teams, with a list of 40+ hopefuls waiting to take their spots in The Great American Off-Road Race™. From the 4 Wheel Parts Vehicle Parade down the Las Vegas Strip, to the world famous Contingency, there is plenty to come and see leading up to race day.

..and if you have any questions about the race or want to see a picture of something, post up and I will try to get a shot for you..:biggthump

..Here is a link that updates all their articles...

http://themint400.com/

 

[FR-425]

I'm come'n up Friday night for race day on Sat.

 

[Tbars4]

..I hope to see you out here..

Fact: 5 out of the top ten are Fords :biggthump

..I have a bunch of pictures to start sorting but here are a couple from our friends at MadMedia..

Qualifying

http://themint400.com/2014/03/dale-dondel-takes-the-pole-at-the-mint-400/

The 2014 General Tire Mint 400 Method Race Wheels Time Trials
Dale Dondel Takes The Mint 400 Pole

Early this morning the best off-road racers in the world arrived in Jean to battle it out for a top start position at The Greatest Off-Road Race in America™. The 3.4 mile qualifying loop had a mix of graded roads, sand washes, rutted out turns, and fast straight aways.
Only half a second separated Dale Dondel and Bryce Menzies with Dondel getting the upper hand. With winning the pole position Dondel earns the right to start by himself instead of side by side with Menzies. Only two seconds behind Menzies is Robby Gordon which means that they will start next to one another after Dondel. Your top 5 was rounded out by Harley Letner and Justin Lofton.

Top 10 Qualifying
1. Dale Dondel
2. Bryce Menzies
3. Robby Gordon
4. Harley Letner
5. Justin Lofton
6. Steve Sourapas
7. Derrick Sproule
8. Tavo Vildosola
9. Pat Dean
10. BJ Baldwin

..and Travis pastrana qualified in the 19th spot in a Ford..

Press questions

..If anyone has a question they might like to ask f one of the following, let me know as we have a conference with them this afternoon.

WHO:

Defending 2013 Mint 400 champion Bryce Menzies
Multi-time X Games gold medalist and celebrity motorsport athlete Travis Pastrana
Former Mint 400 champion and famed Indie 500 winner Parnelli Jones
Celebrity television host Sal Masekela
Mint 400 CEO Matt Martelli
2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Justin Lofton
2013 Baja 1000 champion and former Mint 400 champion BJ Baldwin
Dallas Cowboys defensive end and Zero One Racing competitor DeMarcus Ware

 

[Tbars4]

..Here are some shots from Wednesday and more related pictures can be found in this folder..
http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=4014


Wednesday parade line up and arrivals

Battlefeild Vegas

Randoms

 

[Tbars4]

..I'm heading out to tech right now but before I do or get to Thursday pictures, I want to thank the Martelli Brothers not only for the opportunity but for bringing The Mint 400 back to it's old glory and for having the vision for taking it beyond..

 

[Tbars4]

..Menzies didn't make it to the press conference but other people did and it was awsome..But I won't get around to pics tonight as I got to start early as the cars start lining up in the middle of the desert about 4 am and start at 6 am..

I did see a number of people I know and one of them was our own member sirhc100..Well, I saw his truck and team and they are in the big race so I hope to snag some pics of them to post up..

..But how about a video till then?

 

[Tbars4]

...I just got home and shot a few thousand pictures during the week..

..I started shooting at 4:30a.m raceday and shot until about 7 pm..

..I beleive I have pictures of every participant in the morning races and I have the start of every vehicle in the afternoon race as well as some killer shots..

..This years event was even bigger and better than last year..It was all down to business with the top racers, most horse power, bumpin and bagging, and good old school fun..

The weather on raceday was like 50 at the start and about 75* for the high with a steady breeze about 15mph which probably hit 20mph late afternoon then it quit at dusk...This let the dust linger but only at the very end of the race..

..Some rough stats..

350 race teams
50 additional teams wanting to get in on a waiting list
52 Trick Trucks
They enlarged all the spectator areas this year (so it may even be a record)

approx 14 helicopters for the main race

A couple of future items they are working on that came out before the race..

Want to bring motorcycle racing back into the core of the Mint 400.

Want to bring the purse up to $100,000-$150,000 and beyond.

..and if you haven't heard yet..

Top Five:
1. Andy McMillin
2. Tavo Vildosola
3. Dan McMillin
4. Travis Pastrana
5. Tim Herbst

 

[Tbars4]

..A couple pics for today as I am spent..

..and everyone has been there...

..and here..

 

[Tbars4]

..But I got to get this set up..

..We were watching 3 trucks come across the lakebed and lost them between the dust and the bushes..

..We new they had to funnel down into the chute for a stop...Next thing we hear is a big "BANG"..

..The first truck comes thru blazin....Then we look past him and noticed the second truck has a fender flappin'..

..Upon closer inspection we noticed it was more than a fender flappin and he couldn't see where he was going..

..as he came into the desert I kept clickin..Sorry for the pics but I was scramblin for new ground closer to pavement..

Then one of the team helicopters flew over and gave the thumbs up..

I don't recall if we heard who the third vehicle was but they were left parked in the bushes before the checkpoint..

 

[Tbars4]

..This was built by one of our Forum members sirhk100, and the thread to this truck is on here..

I didn't know they were racing till I saw them on Fremont St. doing the tech crawl..

 

[Tbars4]

..and some random pictures..

 

[Tbars4]

..But first...This one is for Brian1 as he is waiting for your call to place an order..:biggthump

 

[FR-425]

I also have rocks in my head

Raw, unprofessional, shaky, unedited, major sound malfunction, slapped together, I was there and you were not, cell phone footage!

 

[Tbars4]

..I never heard from ya so I didn't know if you made it out or not...

..I'm guessing you shot your video at Spectator 3 about 1:30 or so?....I need to get to a better area to watch the whole thing..

 

[FR-425]

No cell service,

I did see a couple Ex's up there.

One I recognized, one that looked a lot like yours, and a Sporty stuck in the sand trap at spec three. Lots of vehicles fell victim to the deceptively soft spot right in the middle of the parking area.

One of the mountain tops would be good viewing if the BLM would calm down just a smidge.

 

[Tbars4]

..I was at Spectator 3 briefly about 8 am I think it was..

..All the spectator areas were enlarged for this years Mint 400..They actually shut down the road for an hour or two in the afternoon as the 2 lane couldn't handle the impact and it backed up and actually was stopping traffic on Las Vegas Blvd...

..It's growing pains but you got to admit..The weather for the race was perfect..Hopefully you had a good time out there and you really got to take in tech on Fremont St....:biggthump

 

[FR-425]

Gotcha!

No tech. Just race, from 5am at spec 2 to 6pm at spec 3.

It would be nice in the future to do the entire event out on the sand flats, like King of The Hammers.

I was nosed up to the fence and trapped by the road closure and poor parking decisions until 6pm.

I didn't catch a pic of the Ex at spectator 2 but it was a gold first gen with glass flares front and rear, with I believe a full width 44 TTB.

 

[Tbars4]

..Yep..That's me running around..


...I am still loading pictures so if anyone is bored at work over the next week or so, they can check in here to see what new pictures I've included in this folder..

http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=4013

 

[Tbars4]

..Ford Ranger..7101

 

[Boomer12]

http://vimeo.com/89366463