Just a few short hours after more than 100 of the world’s biggest and baddest off-road vehicles took over the Las Vegas Strip, the third annual Mint 400 Dinner of Champions brought a different vibe to close out day one of the proceedings in the Great American Off-Road Race. La Monja Cantina was the host venue for this year’s event, and it played host to some of the biggest names in the history of off-road racing as for gourmet dining, wine and mezcal tastings, and plenty of storytelling.
This year’s list of honorees included 2020 BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 grand marshal Bruce Meyers, legendary off-road promoter Sal Fish, 2017 Mint 400 winner Rob MacCachren, and defending Mint 400 winner Justin Lofton, who became the first three-time winner of the race when he took the top spot last year. Alongside the honored guests, hundreds of other figures in the off-road world turned up to enjoy great food and conversation before the racing begins.
La Monja Cantina, the newest restaurant created by Other Mama Hospitality founder Dan Krohner, played host to the Dinner of Champions for the first time on Wednesday. Curated by celebrity Michelin Star chef Drew Deckman, this year’s menu kicked off with a Baja oyster reception and included seared New York strip steak, roasted bone marrow risotto, sea bass tostada, wild shrimp tamales, and amuse bouche. Mint 400 supporting sponsor Stay Classy Meats, a Montana-based wholesale meat and jerky distributor, provided meats for this year’s event.
“The Mint 400 Dinner of Champions is one of my favorite parts of the Mint 400 every year, and tonight’s event at La Monja was a perfect example of why,” said Mint 400 CEO Matt Martelli. “The Dinner of Champions is a way for us to honor the pioneers of off-road racing with exquisite dining in an incredible setting. I’d like to thank Dan and Drew for helping us to put on an amazing event, and Bruce, Sal, Rob, and Justin for defining and shaping the world of off-road racing with their efforts.”
The 2020 BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 continues on Thursday with Method Race Wheels Time Trials for Unlimited classes, and the Mint 400 Off-Road Festival on downtown Fremont Street in Las Vegas. Time trials will be closed to the public, but streamed live on themint400.com; Off-Road Festival events for Thursday will include the crowning of the new Miss Mint 400, the AMSOIL Pit Crew Challenge, and a performance by Eagles of Death Metal. For up to date information on this year’s event, visit themint400.com or follow @themint400 on social media.
