When the Mint 400 was reborn a few years back, it was sanctioned as a SNORE (Southern Nevada Off-Road Enterprises) race. After last year, some major changes occurred with the Mint, as Matt and Josh Martelli Mad Media purchased the Mint 400 from SNORE in 2011. One good thing about Mad Media purchasing the Mint is that it is now owned by a comapy that is in the dirt industy, which means they hear input from people who know the dirt and the sport inside and out. Now it was up the Mad Media to put on a great event.

For the 2012 race, Mad Media and Casey Folks from BITD partnered to put on a new-and-improved Mint 400. Matt Martelli said he was excited because the event entered new territory. “This Mint 400 is now the largest race ever put on in the world with a total entry list of 325 four-wheeled vehicles!” he said.

When Folks was  asked if he was excited for the Mint to be a BITD-sactioned event, his words were “Booya!” If you dont know, Casey’s Booya remark is a good thing! This Mint is really a five-day event that started on Wednesday, with 50 Trick Trucks Parading down Freemont St. in Las Vegas. The parade was then followed by the Pit Crew Challenge where each team competed to see who could change two tires on a Trick Truck the fastest. In the end, it was Rick Johnson’s team that had the fastest time. Then it was off the the Mint 400 kick of party finishing of the night! 

Thursday began with an intense Time Trials battle for the coveted Pole Positon Award, which means you are the first off the line for the start of the Mint 400. Sarapas in the #6 Trick Truck won the pole with a time of 4:40.977, and he was followed closely by RG with a time of 4:45.386. After Time Trials it was back to Fremont St for the Trick Trucks and 1500s for the meet and greet. It was a great way to see the race vehicles up close and meet the drivers. Later that evening, the La Paz Margarita Mix Mint 400 party began where they crowned the 2012 Miss Mint 400. Congratulations to the winner Vanessa Ferrara for taking the crown.

Friday morning began early with Tech and Contengency starting at 8:30 on Freemont St. Saturday was then race day! There were two races at this event, as BITD separated the a.m. race for the slower race vehicles and the p.m. race for the faster race vehicles. The course was rough and beat up, with many cars breaking and crashing all over the rough and rocky 98-mile course in Jean NV, especially since racers took four laps on the course.

It was a battle the entire day between Gordon and Sarapas, but it was Gordon in the end who took the overall and first in class 1500. He was followed closely by Sarapas, who took second overall and first in the Trick Truck class. Second  place in Trick Trucks went to Householder while Weyhrich finished third in the class. Harley Letner took second in class 1500 and fifth overall. Thanks Mad Media for putting on a excellent event, and we are looking forward to the MINT 400 DVD that will be out later this year. The event will also air on Fuel TV, so stayed tuned for air times.