Mint Race Draws Off-Road Enthusiasts

A vehicle in the Mint 400 off-road race virtually flies around a turn on the course near the Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza off 1-15 where the 400-mile race started and ended Saturday. More than 200 racers were entered in the contest.

By Mike Donahue

Moapa Valley Progress

Nearly 200 off-road vehicles in more than 20 individual classes including stock bugs, Jeep speed and unlimited truck competed in the Mint 400 off-road race last Saturday that started and ended at the Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza off I-15.

Although it was apparently one of the best kept secrets in off-road racing since it received little media coverage outside the Moapa Valley Progress, hundreds of enthusiasts attended the race, the majority of whom were believed connected in one way or another with individual racers.

A huge gravel parking area east of the Travel Plaza was filled with motor homes, campers, trailers and other assorted vehicles by those interested in and connected to off-road races. Pete DeSantis, Plaza manager, estimated $500 million worth of vehicles were in the parking area including helicopters that were used to video the racers on the course.

“This was really an incredible event for the Travel Plaza,” DeSantis said. “We tripled our normal weekend sales.”

The 100-mile race course threaded through a large area of the Moapa River Indian Reservation and also covered areas under the supervision of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The majority of racers were expected to complete four laps on the course.

Phil Swain, Moapa Paiute Tribal councilman, said businesses other than the Travel Plaza benefited from the race.

“The race is a good thing for the Moapa Tribe and businesses all over this area,” Swain said. “All the local hotels in Mesquite and Overton are full and from what I’ve seen, I’m quite impressed with the race.”

The speeding Mint 400 vehicles cut deep ruts in the race course. The desert all day Saturday for miles around the Plaza was cloudy with dust kicked up during the race which extended to both sides of I-15.

A member of the Moapa Paiutes who works with the tribal cultural committee said an archeological investigation prior to the race turned up several cultural artifacts so the course was altered to protect those areas.

The Mint 400 for decades was one of the premier off-road races in the country. It got its name because it was originally sponsored by Del Webb’s Mint Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas. The race ended in 1988 when the Mint was sold.

Twenty years later, on March 29, 2008, the race was restarted on the under the auspices of the Southern Nevada Off-Road Enthusiasts (SNORE).