The Return of The Mint 400
March 28, 2009
The Mint 400 is a race with a very large amount of Las Vegas history behind it.
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
As a matter of fact, it’s the race that Hunter S. Thompson covered in his incredibly popular article- turned-novel “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”.
Now, for whatever reason, people think that I am a fan of Hunter Thompson … or was in some way influenced by him. The fact is, I have never read anything written by the guy, and therefore I have absolutely zero opinion of his writing.
I did, however, see the “Fear and Loathing” movie, and I greatly despised it. It’s arguably the worst movie I have ever seen in my life.
It was Johnny Depp doing a Jim Carey impersonation for a solid one hundred and twenty minutes.
Seriously, I would rather sit through “Steel Magnolias” or “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” or “Twilight” than have to sit through that abstract “Fear and Loathing” debacle again.
Yeah, yeah, the guy took copious amounts of drugs while visiting Las Vegas to cover the Mint 400. It’s every suburban hipster’s fantasy. The problem is, half the people I know take copious amounts of drugs … and there is no way in hell that I would have any desire to sit and watch a two hour Hollywood re-enactment of their hallucinations.
I’d rather just take the Amyl nitrite and walk over to Circus Circus myself.
Anyway, the movie became a cult douchebag classic and the Mint 400 became somewhat of a pop-culture phenomenon based in no small part on this novel.
Beginning in 1968, The Mint Hotel and Casino in Downtown Las Vegas sponsored The Mint 400 which also became known as “The Great American Desert Race”. Pretty much anything could enter. Motorcycles, cars, trucks, buggies … or whatever that could traverse the desert fairly quickly. Starting in 1977, only four-wheeled vehicles were allowed to enter the race.
The event brought a large amount of money to Las Vegas, and it was billed as “the richest off-road race in the world”. The Mint 400 was a veritable, bona-fide Vegas institution. It was also the premier off-road event worldwide. The 400 mile course, large prizes, and open nature of the race was a huge draw to drivers and daredevils everywhere.
In 1988, the event was scrapped when The Mint Casino was closed.
During its 20 years of operation, the highlight of the race was the “Technical and Safety Inspection” which was held every year on Fremont Street in Downtown. Fremont would be closed off, and it gave spectators an opportunity to look at the myriad of vehicles that would be racing the next day. This inspection known as “Tech” drew many thousands of visitors, and this event is exactly what I witnessed today.
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
For the first time in 20 years, The Mint 400 once again took to the desert on March 29th of last year, and it picked up right where it left off. Today, Fremont Street was again closed to traffic as a large number of Frankensteinian vehicles paraded to the staging area one after another as thousands of tourists milled about getting up close and personal looks at the strange cars.
If you look at the photos and video of the staging area that I took today, you would be hard-pressed to define exactly what these machines are. Many of them are some kind of combination of cars, trucks, buggies, and other undefinable modes of transit.
One thing is certain … the whole thing is very cool.
It’s kind of like NASCAR on acid.
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The Mint 400 Pre-Race Activities on Fremont Street
The owners/drivers of the vehicles were more than happy to talk to anyone who had a question about the “car”, and people seemed to be pretty psyched that the race is back on.
As a matter of fact, I don’t know that I have ever seen a crowd this large at 11am on Fremont Street.
While the race is the most important part of the Mint 400 for the racers themselves, the check-in on Fremont is far and away the most popular aspect of the event for tourists. While milling through the crowd, I could not help but feel that I was witnessing yet another chapter in Vegas history. Hopefully the Mint 400 will be a success this year … at least to the degree that it will continue to become an annual event.
In case you were wondering, the total entry fee for the race is $915 per vehicle. No, I am not racing. My car can barely clear parking garage speed bumps, so I don’t think I would even finish a mile in the open desert.
The main race starts at 7am tomorrow. The start and finish of the contest is located off of I-15 about 30 miles north of Las Vegas near exit 75. One car leaves every 30 seconds, and the route itself is 100.6 miles long. The race is run in a remote, unpopulated part of the Mojave Desert north of Las Vegas, and the Awards Banquet is held Sunday at 11am at the Four Queens Hotel.
Downtown has been witnessing quite the resurgence lately, and this event is yet another reminder of just how vibrant Downtown Las Vegas used to be … and in my opinion, may very well be again.
While The Strip is still struggling to turn a profit on poor odds and second-rate service, Downtown is doing everything it can to return a little “fun” and craziness back to the Las Vegas experience.
From what I have seen over roughly the last 12 months, it’s working.
Let’s hope the “Mint 400” is yet another sign of good things to come for Downtown.
Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go buy a fly swatter. Bats are attacking me from every direction, and my lawyer is of no help whatsoever. Apparently, they followed me here from Barstow. That’s about all I remember of the plot.
Jesus (the Mexican baseball player) … what a horrendous movie …
Anyway, if you were not able to make it to the “Tech” event this year, I would recommend it next year.
It’s another one of those “only in Vegas” moments that you truly have to see to believe.
Written by tully on March 28, 2009 at 2:22 am
Loved the book. Couldn’t make it through the movie. Watching a movie producer’s interpretation of someone’s bad acid trip from 35 years ago was painful, to say the least.
But who needs acid when you have cars like those to look at?
Written by Joe Blow on March 28, 2009 at 11:39 am
This is a great idea, but I wonder who is sponsoring this? I’m glad they kept the name “Mint 400″ even though The Mint is long gone. “Harrahs 400″ or “El Cortez 400″ just wouldn’t be the same.
Written by tully on March 28, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Joe Blow, wondered that myself and snooped around a bit on line. It’s a group called Southern Nevada Off-Road Enthusiasts—SNORE–that bought the rights and are doing this. Guess they are the oldest off road race sanctioning group—a completely volunteer, non profit organization.
Sounds like just a bunch of folks doing this cause they love off-road racing, and wanted to preserve the Mint 400.
Written by mad dog on March 28, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Hope most of those folks trekked down to the Western for a peek.
No acid needed there!!!
Written by Andy Steiner on April 6, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Saw last year’s Mint 400. It was raced on a course between Jean and Primm.
Photos are here:
Video here:
http://www.vimeo.com/4025021