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General Tire will return for the second year as title sponsor of the General Tire Mint 400 Race when the classic off-road contest thunders off into the Nevada desert on March 28.
The revitalized race will run on the grounds of the old Mint 400 with the start/finish line located by the fireworks stand/plaza on the Moapa Indian Reservation outside of Glendale, Nevada, near State Route 168 and Interstate 15.
The drivers will navigate through an arduous 95-mile lap course to the finish line some 16 hours later. Last year’s Mint 400 took place on one of the original courses south of Las Vegas in an area outside of Primm, and was won by Trophy Truck drivers Brian Collins of Las Vegas and Chuck Hovey of Oceanside, Calif.
New this year is an expanded Tech/Contingency Inspection on Friday, March 27, which will cover the entire length of the Fremont Street Experience as well as the Fremont East Entertainment District. Presented by the Southern Nevada Off-Road Enthusiasts (SNORE), vehicles will line up under the world-renowned Fremont Street Experience Canopy.
In its original heyday, the inspection attracted as many as 500 cars with and huge crowds of spectators to match. Organizers are predicting a return to those numbers with this year’s expanded event.
For 2009, the race is expected to again attract a slate of celebrity racers just as it did for the original events. Also on tap is a variety of entertainment, including a Miss Mint 400 competition.
“General Tire is bringing the Mint 400 back to its former glory,” says marketing director Travis Roffler. “This race is a perfect showcase for our Grabber off-road competition tires, and it’s a continuation of General Tire’s triumphant return to desert racing.”
Women eager to be crowned Miss Mint are encouraged to upload your photo and enlist friends to vote on your behalf at www.generaltire.com.
The race has long been known for its Mint 400 Girls and the queen contest. Previous winners include “Wheel of Fortune” letter-turner Vanna White and Linda Carter, who played Wonder Woman.
Finalists will attend the Mint 400 kickoff party on Thursday, March 26, where the winner will be crowned. She’ll appear at the Mint 400 Tech Day on Friday and help start the race the following day. In addition to being the centerpiece of all these activities, the winner will receive $1,500 and a personal photo shoot.
Contestants must be age 18 or older and able to be onsite at the event.
“The General Tire Mint 400 is one of the most exciting off-road racing events, so this year, we’re bringing back the famous Miss Mint 400 to kick off the race in style,” Roffler reports. “It’s just one way we can make this event even more exciting, and to give the new General Tire Mint 400 a solid place in the racing circuit.”
For tire dealers, Roffler adds that the race is a perfect showcase for the company’s Grabber off-road competition tires while marking the continuation of General’s “triumphant return to desert racing.”
The company “unleashed the fury” in off-road competitive performance in 2008, scoring a multitude of wins and podium finishes in its inaugural season, he says.
Designed with a three-ply Duragen-reinforced body construction to stand up to the rigors of off-road conditions, the Grabber also features a newly-developed competition-specific tread compound, according to Roffler. The Grabber name and General’s logo are prominently displayed on the sidewall in red and white letters. The Grabber competition tires are designed in size 37x12.50R17 for class 8 and trophy truck/trick truck and 35x12.50R17 for class 1, 6, 7, 7 S, stock mini and Protruck.
The company also has a line of Grabbers for the car and light truck market, including the new Grabber DOT-approved off-road tire launching later this year.
For more information or to enroll in the queen contest, visit www.generaltire.com.
