As the dust settles on the 2020 BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400, there was plenty to celebrate from the biggest and baddest event in off-road racing. After another successful year of action, some of the biggest names in the sport added more hardware to their trophy cases, while new names and faces added their names to the illustrious list of finishers of the Great American Off-Road Race.
The Family Dynasty
The McMillin off-road dynasty scored their fourth overall Mint 400 victory on Saturday night, as Unlimited Truck driver Luke McMillin persevered through four laps and 428 miles of the most grueling competition in the sport to earn his first win over Bryce Menzies and Ryan Arciero. McMillin was joined by Class 1 winner Cody Parkhouse, Baja Truck winner Terry Householder, and Preston Brigman, who won the Alumi Craft Class 10 Challenge. Racing kicked off with Friday’s National Hare & Hound motorcycle races, with Dalton Shirey winning the event overall, while UTV Pro Turbo driver Branden Sims took his second Mint 400 victory in Friday night’s race and the father-son duo of Robby and Max Gordon triumphed in UTV Pro NA.
Unparalleled Livestream Coverage
The entire event featured the most comprehensive live streaming coverage in off-road, kicking off with Method Race Wheels Qualifying on Thursday and continuing through Friday and Saturday’s action. With dozens of cameras on the ground, in the air, and on board from 2017 winner Rob MacCachren’s Unlimited Truck, as well an all-star panel of hosts and guests, live coverage of this year’s BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 set a new standard for the off-road industry to follow for years to come.
Military Challenge
Unique entries were the name of the game this year, and this year’s event featured an extensive military presence. The Mint 400 Military Challenge raised well over $100,000 for charitable foundations that support military veterans and families, while Team Warfighter Made took the victory among the Military Challenge teams that competed in the UTV Rally class with vehicles supported by Zero 1 Off-Road. In addition, the event’s new Military class featured a diverse collection of combat-ready vehicles proving the viability of armed forces equipment over rugged terrain.
Team BMF
In addition, Team BMF saw the trio of UFC fighters Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Brian “T-City” Ortega, and Yair “El Pantera” Rodríguez team up with Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes in a Zero1 buggy to score a second place class finish in the event. Cerrone, Ortega, and Rodriguez, who have combined for 50 victories and 14 UFC Fight of the Night honors, ran the beginning portion of the race, while Hughes completed the event just one night after Eagles of Death Metal headlined the Mint 400 Main Stage in downtown Las Vegas following the AMSOIL Pit Crew Challenge.
Massive Field of Entries
This year’s event featured a deep entry list of 525 competitors, including 246 cars and trucks, 186 motorcycles, and 93 combined youth motorcycles and UTVs in the debut of the NGK Spark Plugs Mini Mint 400 presented by Yokohama. 56 women competed in this year’s event, including new Miss Mint 400 Emily Dobrzenski, who served as navigator for Mint 400 veteran and former class winner Lacrecia Beurrier in the UTV Pro Unlimited class.
Tens of Thousands of Spectators
All told, over 65,000 spectators experienced the 2020 BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400, whether on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas for the Mint 400 Off-Road Festival or in spectator areas in Primm or Jean. With an exceptional turnout by competitors and off-road racing fans alike, this year’s race only served to set the stage for an even more exciting and immersive race experience for the coming years.
Information on the 2021 BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 will be revealed in due course. For results and images from this year’s Great American Off-Road Race or to replay streaming coverage, visit themint400.com or follow @themint400 on social media.
