The Insider: The Mint 400 & Galavantier.com This Saturday
This weekend The Mint 400 returns to Las Vegas. If you are a race fan, you won’t want to miss the 92-mile off road Best in the Desert race. Even cooler, Galavantier.com has a wrapped VORE (Vegas Off Road Experience) vehicle participating in The Mint 400! It all gets going bright and early Saturday morning just west of Jean off the I-15 heading to California.
Not familiar with Galavantier.com? We are an online travel company that can help you discover and book amazing vacation and activity experiences in Las Vegas including an off road adventure with one of our fantastic travel partners, VORE.
For a bit of history on The Mint so you can familiarize yourself before catching the race live and in person, see below.
The storied history of the Mint is steeped in celebrity, drama and excitement as the city of Las Vegas itself. The Mint 400 has held the title of the toughest, most spectacular off-road race in North America since 1967 when it was first run. The race was created by Norm Johnson who was race director through 1974 and a participant from 69 to 82. Initially the race was a public relations event promoting the Mint Hotel’s annual deer hunt but what started out as hotel promotion soon grew into a legitimate desert race. The second year it was run, Norm enlisted the help of his friends, famed race car drivers Mel Larson and Parnelli Jones. With their endorsements and a guaranteed prize purse of $30,000 the participant list grew exponentially. Entrants in the event were worldwide and included some of the most well-known names from all racing genres as well as the television and motion picture industry. Indianapolis 500 winners Parnelli Jones, Al Unser, Rick Mears, and Rodger Ward; off-road champions Mickey Thompson, Ivan Stewart, Jack Flannery, Walker Evans; international off road competitor, Rod Hall; power boat champion Bill Muncey, movie- and television stars James Garner and Steve McQueen; Comedian, Mort Sahl; Astronaut, Gordon Cooper, are among the many racing and entertainment luminaries who competed in the Mint 400.
The original Mint 400 race ended in 1988 after the sale of the Mint however the story continued in 2008 when the Great American Off-Road Race was revived. Bigger badder and better than ever, the Mint 400 is everything that is was and a whole lot more. 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.
