What Is the Mint 400?

If you are an off-road racer looking to participate in the ultimate race then the Mint 400 is the race for you. The Mint 400 is considered the largest and most challenging off-road race in the world. Racers from all over the world prepare their vehicles for this race and travel to Las Vegas, NV with the hope of getting the first place trophy in their class and that prize money! Although it was on hiatus for almost 20 years, the Mint 400 race is back and better than ever. Here is your ultimate guide to the Mint 400!

What Is It?

The Mint 400 is an annual “Great American Off-Road Race” that takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada. This race is considered the toughest off-road race in North America. It features two days of racing (usually Friday and Saturday) along with some pre-race festivities including dinner of champions, desert clean-up, a parade, and a lot more. Over 150 race teams from different states and countries compete on a 120-mile loop that extends from the edge of Las Vegas to the California-Nevada State Line at Primm. The event has become so popular that it attracts over 35,000 spectators to Las Vegas every year.

History of the Mint 400:

The Mint 400 began in 1967 out of a pure accident. The owner of the Mint Hotel originally started this race as a way to promote the hotel and its annual deer hunt. The race began to gain popularity when famous drivers Parnelli Jones and Mel Larson signed up to compete for a grand prize of $30,000. The race was for motorcycles and four-wheel vehicles (buggies, cars, and trucks). This annual race went on until 1988 when the Mint Hotel was sold and the new owner decided to stop the races. Fast-forward 20 years to 2008, the Southern Nevada Off-Road Enthusiasts (SNORE) and General Tire officially brought the race back into the limelight. Now, the Mint 400 race is bigger than ever before. Given the advances in off-road technology and the ever-changing landscape of Las Vegas, the Mint has grown but all the classic elements are still in place.

How to Get There?

If you want to attend the Mint 400 than you have to get to Las Vegas, NV. All the pre-race festivities take place in Freemont Street in Downtown Las Vegas while the actual races go form the California-Nevada state line in Primm to the Southern edge of Las Vegas in Jean, NV. The route you take will depend on where you are coming from:

Los Angeles, CA to Las Vegas, NV:

Get on US-101 S
Follow I-10 E
Continue onto I-10 E/San Bernardino Fwy
Use the right 2 lanes to take exit 58A to merge onto I-15 N/Ontario Fwy toward Barstow/Las Vegas
Take exit 41A

Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, NV:

Take I-17 N/US-60 W
Use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto AZ-74 W/W Carefree Hwy
Turn right onto US-60 W
Take US-93 N
Take I-40 W
Take US-93 N
Take I-11 to Las Vegas Blvd N in Las Vegas.

What Types of Vehicles can Race?

The Mint 400 is the toughest off-road race in America so you need to have a tough vehicle to make it to the finish line. The four-wheel vehicles allowed to participate in this epic race are trucks, buggies, cars, and most recently UTVs. Motorcycles were able to race when the Mint 400 first started but were banned from the race in 1976. Fast forward to 2019, motorcycles are once again allowed to ride the Mint. Having motorcycles race in the Mint 400 has added more classes to the race as well as brought in more participants and spectators to Las Vegas.

What are the Races/Challenges?

The Mint 400 features two days of thrilling off-road races. The races are divided by classes depending on the vehicle you will be racing with. There are over 20 different racing classes in the Mint 400 and more are being added now that motorcycles have joined the races. The class you compete in will depend on the engine size, seating capacity, or any other method listed in the rulebook. Once you know what class you will be in, you will know what day and time your race will be.

Mint 400 2020!

The Mint 400 race will return to Las Vegas on Tuesday, March 3rd and run through Sunday, March 8th, 2020. The week of festivities will conclude with two days of off-road racing on Friday, March 6th and Saturday, March 7th. If you are interested in participating in this event, there will be an early registration fee this summer at a discounted rate. And do not miss the opening event that Tuesday when the race vehicles wind their way down Las Vegas Blvd to the final destination at Fremont Street!

See you in Las Vegas!

The Mint 400 race began as a marketing scheme for deer hunting and has now become the greatest off-road race in the world! Riders travel to Las Vegas from all over the world to compete in this race and attempt to win the first place price. The Mint 400 is a week-long event full of fun festivities leading up to the races. HEad down to Las Vegas in March 2020and experience the thrill of the Mint 400.

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