The BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 tests the resolve of racers and machines, doling out unrelenting punishment in the largest race in the United States. And in keeping with the spirit of our founder Bob Fox’s “Who We Are” credo: when we race, we want to win.
And win we did in the Nevada desert March 5-7.
The Top 2 overall in the premier Unlimited Truck class, 29 class podium spots, 13 class wins, a Class 10 podium sweep, a Top 4 in UTV Pro Turbo, and Top 2 in the National Hare & Hound Motorcycle Race Hooligan Open Class. Most importantly, though, was our eighth consecutive year of FOX overall domination in the Unlimited Truck class, courtesy of Luke McMillin.
Celebration of Racing
Las Vegas loves to party, and one of the highlights is the vehicle parade and vending area. We hosted autograph sessions with several athletes, moved some merch, and talked about our latest products.
Qualifying Highlights
Bryce Menzies was our top Unlimited Class qualifier in third position, which put him on the second row for the start of the race. Other FOX Top 10 Unlimited Truck qualifiers: Luke McMillin (4th), Justin Lofton (6th), and Rob MacCachren (8th). Cody Parkhouse was the top qualifying Class 1, while Justin Blower and Brad Lovell qualified 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Baja Truck class.
Friday National Hare & Hound Motorcycle Race
At 7 a.m., 87 riders toed the line in Class waves for the second year of the National Hare & Hound motorcycle race. Jordan Graham, Ricky Diaz and Alexander Smith entered the Hooligan Open motorcycle class on their FOX-equipped Scrambler Ducati Desert Sleds. After two brutal laps, which saw 10 DNFs and 25 riders pulled after the first lap for not making the time cut, Graham took the checkered flag in 4:45:35. He crossed the finish line 45 minutes quicker than Smith in second place. Smith is the son of Malcolm Smith, two-time winner of the Mint 400.
Friday Limited Class Racing
The Mint course features the FOX Proving Grounds, a notoriously brutal section of race course where properly tuned suspension is critical and separates the fastest from the rest of the field.
Branden Sims and Jake Carver took the top two spots in the UTV Pro Turbo class with their FOX Live Valve-equipped Polaris RZRs, while Dustin Jones took 3rd place in his FOX-equipped Can-Am.
Shock Therapy co-owner Justin Smith took an impressive 4th place with his FOX iQS-equipped Can-Am, making it a Top 4 sweep for FOX.
Twelve-year-old Jack Olliges, son of the driver of the #27 FOX Unlimited Truck Steve Olliges, won the UTV Rally class, with Cameron Maister finishing second.
Saturday Unlimited/Limited Race
After the early leader suffered a head gasket problem, this opened the door for a three-way battle between another driver, McMillin and Menzies.
The trio began the last lap four seconds apart. A flat tire tookthe other driver out of the lead, and McMillin was ready to pounce. He crossed the finish line in 6:49:32; his margin of victory over Menzies was 8 minutes, 16 seconds.
Three-time winner Justin Lofton finished 15th.
“I can’t believe it,” McMillin said. “We worked so hard. This truck, we built in 2014, and I can’t believe we just won the Mint 400. That’s badass.”
It was the fourth overall victory in the Mint for the McMillin family. The 29-year-old Californian took top honors 32 years after his Hall of Fame father Mark claimed victory. Andy McMillin, Luke’s cousin, won in 2009 and 2014.
“The McMillin family has been in off-road racing for generations, and here they are again, not only winning the biggest and baddest off-road race, but arguably the hardest, being that we were four laps and 428 miles this year,” added Mint 400 CEO Matt Martelli.
In addition to McMillin and Menzies taking the Top 2 spots, FOX-equipped Alumi Craft buggies swept Class 10 with Preston Brigman, Brent Fox, and Conner McMullen.
FOX Motorsports tuner Mike Kim raced with Dan Fresh and Jeff Bader in the Baja Truck class in a new Brenthel Gen 3 truck equipped with FOX racing application development (RAD) shocks. They finished 8th in their class and 20th overall. The duo competed together at King of the Hammers in February.
Saturday Super Hooligan Flat Track Racing
Round 2 of the FOX-sponsored Super Hooligan National Championship featured top racers from all over the world, including British champion Leah Tokelove (Indian FTR - #37) and Hollywood stunt woman Jolene Van Vugt (Indian FTR - #63), fittingly bumping handlebars with the guys on International Women’s Day in Primm, Nevada.
Lady Luck wasn’t as kind to Graham (Scrambler Ducati - #47), as a domino-effect crash took him out of contention. Always entertaining, the crowds enjoyed the spectacle and FOX was there to provide technical support.
