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350 RACE VEHICLES ROLL DOWN FREMONT STREET FOR THE MINT 400

350 of the top off road race teams in the world descended on downtown Las Vegas earlier today, pushing their vehicles through Tech & Contingency in the calm before the storm that is Saturday’s 49th Annual Mint 400.

Thousands of fans and tourists lined the streets to help celebrate this legendary race and connect with the passion we all have for this sport. One racer brought his own excitement to the festivities. Off-road racing legend Larry Roeseler got married on the Mint stage to girlfriend Karla. We wish them all the best!

 

 

350 RACE VEHICLES ROLL DOWN FREMONT STREET FOR THE MINT 400

350 of the top off road race teams in the world descended on downtown Las Vegas earlier today, pushing their vehicles through Tech & Contingency in the calm before the storm that is Saturday’s 49th Annual Mint 400.

Thousands of fans and tourists lined the streets to help celebrate this legendary race and connect with the passion we all have for this sport. One racer brought his own excitement to the festivities. Off-road racing legend Larry Roeseler got married on the Mint stage to girlfriend Karla. We wish them all the best!

 

 

350 RACE VEHICLES ROLL DOWN FREMONT STREET FOR THE MINT 400

350 of the top off road race teams in the world descended on downtown Las Vegas earlier today, pushing their vehicles through Tech & Contingency in the calm before the storm that is Saturday’s 49th Annual Mint 400.

Thousands of fans and tourists lined the streets to help celebrate this legendary race and connect with the passion we all have for this sport. One racer brought his own excitement to the festivities. Off-road racing legend Larry Roeseler got married on the Mint stage to girlfriend Karla. We wish them all the best!

 

 

Mint 400 – FANS MEET RACERS AND PIT CREWS FACE OFF

FANS MEET RACERS

The first event today on Fremont Street for the 2016 Mint 400 was the Rugged Radios Meet & Greet, where fans could get up close and personal to the drivers to get autographs and have their photo taken with their favorite driver. Tracy Graf, Justin Lofton, Jason Coleman, and Cole Potts were just a small sample of racers that stopped by the Rugged Radios booth to interact with fans.

New to this year’s Mint 400 was the Rigid RoundUp where contestants entered their personal vehicles in a competition to see who has the baddest ride around. There were five categories; Vintage, Prerunner, Chase Truck, 1450 Class, and Street King. Three awards were given out which included The People’s Choice Award, given to the truck with the most votes online. Best in Show, awarded by on-site judges to the best looking truck overall, and Best in Class, to the baddest vehicle in each category.
The contest offered $20,000 in cash and prizes, including a Rigid light bar, set of BFG Tires, and a photoshoot with the Miss Mint winner in Dirt Sports magazine.
The winners are:

The People’s Choice Award – Tim Grachen

Best in Show – Alan Larson

Best in Class

Vintage – Steve Olliges

Prerunner – Alan Larson

Chase Truck – Nick Cress

1450 Class – Rick Randle

Street King – Audry Bird

PIT CREWS FACE OFF

The final event today was the Pit Crew Challenge, sponsored by Method Race Wheels. Having a strong pit crew is vital in today’s racing and this pit crew challenge lets teams showcase the talent they have on their team. Races can be won or lost in the pits. A slow pit stop can make the difference between maintaining your position or getting passed by the guy behind you.
Like previous years the pit crew challenge was divided into two categories, Trick Truck and Class 1500. Last years winner Steve Olliges returned to defend their TT crown as did COPS Racing crew teaming up with Chase Motorsports. Starting with the Elite 8, teams battled for every tenth of a second to move on to the next round, and as each round went by the competition got more fierce.
In the end only two teams could win the Method Race Wheels Pit Crew Challenge and they were Menzies Motorsports in Trick Truck defeating Strobel Motorsports in the final round, and COPS Racing in Class 1500 who narrowly beat AGM Motorsports. Both teams won a custom floor jack trophy hand painted by Kelly and Sons Crazy Painters, as well as a set of Method Race Wheels, BFG Tires, FOX 2.0 Performance Series Smooth Body IFP shocks, Speed Strap Tie Downs and more.

MINT 400 KICKS OFF W/PARADE DOWN VEGAS STRIP

The 2016 Polaris RZR Mint 400 presented by BFGoodrich Tires kicked off earlier today with tens of thousands of horsepower echoing off the iconic hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.

Led by 2016 Mint 400 Grand Marshall Rod Hall in his legendary ‘69 Ford Bronco built by Bill Stroppe, racers in 100 vehicles made the 10-mile trek from the Taylor Made Golf Experience south of the Strip and ended on Fremont Street where all the Mint 400 pre-race festivities go down all this week.

Unique to any other offroad race in the world, The Mint 400 gives racers the chance to drive their vehicles down arguably one of the most famous streets in the United States.

JADE WERLINE CROWNED 2016 MISS MINT

26-year-old Jade Werline, who grew up “racing motocross, shooting guns and stealing my brother’s clothes,” was named Miss Mint 2016 earlier tonight at the conclusion of the annual contest.  Werline, an Oregon native now living in Newport Beach, was crowned by 2015 Miss Mint winner Amy Scott. Werline will receive a $5,000 cash prize, a professional photo shoot and a feature on Race-Desert.com.  Six women competed for the Grand Prize. Werline joins the ranks of former legendary Miss Mints like Vanna White, “Wonder Woman” Lynda Carter, and more recent winners Dani Mathers and Vanessa Golub-Feirara.

Mitch Guthrie Jr – 2016 Production UTV World Champ

Polaris RZR UTV World Championship

Going into the Short Course race after an upset in the Desert race gave me a lot more drive to get the win. I was starting up front in a car that I was much more used to racing, instead of a big bulky desert car I was a little more used to this type of driving, in a lightweight, fast and nimble 2 seater.

The land rush start is something I am very used to doing so I knew I had somewhat of an advantage with that but at the same moment I had some of the fastest UTV drivers in the world lined up next to me.

Mitch Guthrie Jr. racing in the Polaris RZR UTV World Championship Production Class

Boom the race starts and we are off the line. I got a good start and was able to holeshot my competitors and get the lead. This is where the desert race played a key role. The first lap being able to know what the track was like was huge. I was able to get a good fast pace going and gain a pretty solid lead. When I came in the first lap I was told I had around a 45 second lead so I was able to back it down a little bit and save the car.

I eventually started the 3rd lap and knew I had some fast drivers closing in on me. I also knew I had to get gas and didn’t really know what everyone else’s plan was so I really wanted to keep a good gap and have some wiggle room. As we came towards the pits at the end of the 3rd lap Branden Sims was hot on my heels and I knew I had to pick it up as he was racing his desert car and would not have to pit! I pulled in for a splash and go, Branden got by me and it was game on.

Mitch Guthrie Jr. taking the lead off the line at the Polaris RZR UTV World Championship

We started our 4th and final lap and it was all or nothing for me. I had to catch Branden to win that rzr and become the champ and I was going to do everything in my power to do it. The car was on rails and I was giving it everything I had. A couple minutes later I got close and was just getting on his bumper. I knew it was going to be a battle! Right at that moment I smelled a belt and he pulled off to the side he had blown a belt. At this point I knew it was my race, it was on me to keep the car together and make it to the finish line.

Mitch Guthrie Jr. racing to the finish line at the Polaris RZR UTV World Championship

I was able to cruise the last lap and be easy on the car as I got close to the pits which were about a mile from the finish line. Right when I was getting close to the pits I looked at my speedometer and my heart dropped. I was about 2 miles from the finish… on the last lap… and my gas light was blinking…. We were in too big of a hurry and didn’t get enough gas in the car the first time we pitted and I was now almost out. I made an executive decision to pull in and get some gas instead of possibly running out of gas before the finish line. Quick gas and go and I was out, I went the next mile and finished, still in the lead, and now the 2016 World Champ!!!!!

Mitch Guthrie Jr. in the last mile of the Polaris RZR UTV World Championship

Really words can’t describe the feeling, I’m still on cloud 9 after the rough day we had and am just so happy after all of the hard work leading up to this! Thank you to Joey D., Utvunderground, Mad media, and BITD for such an amazing event as well as all of the wonderful sponsors, family, and friends that are apart of what we do…. WE DID IT!!!!

Mitch Guthrie Jr. celebrating his win in the production class of the Polaris RZR UTV World Championship

 

Jeremiah Staggs Finishes Top 5 at UTV World Championship

Polaris RZR UTV World Championship

After the Parker 250 incident suspended fab would work hard to finish the frame repairs. We sent the arms back to Lone Star Racing to make sure there was no damage. The weekend before the Polaris RZR UTV World Championship (Powered by Monster Energy) I made a final push to get the YXZ back together and ready to race. Working full time, family and race car prep are not easy to juggle. The support from my family means the world to me. The accident cost a great deal of money but more importantly tons of time. The time lost was going to be used getting the shocks set up. Monday we made some springs changes but with no time to test it was a shot in the dark. Monday night we towed the machine to Rhino Wraps in Apple Valley for a makeover. Then it shipped off to Alba for a reflash, exhaust and dyno tune. By Thursday we were headed east on the 40 towards Laughlin for the biggest UTV Race in the world.

Jeremiah Staggs fixed up and ready to race the Polaris RZR UTV World Championships

Friday morning we would go through the long line at registration and then spend 4 hours making our way through tech. This years race had doubled if not tripled in size in just over a year.

Contingency day at Polaris RZR UTV World Championship

Race Day I woke up and my crew started to get some last things done on the car, topping off the car we noticed we had a fuel leak from the filler neck at the fuel cell. We quickly took the car apart and repaired it. I am not a big fan of the dead engine , land rush start. the green flag would drop and of course I made an error and stalled it, trying to stay calm I fired it and took off. As we started in the back section we would already start seeing carnage every where, making the smart decision via my co-driver Brandon Altmann we decided to back off a little and see how things go which ended up being a good call as we approached the first rough straight away we would quickly realize the lack in not being able to test and tune the shocks would quickly become a issue due to the parker 250 incident and repairs. The yamaha did great and had a lot of added power thanks to Alba racing.

Jeremiah Staggs at the Polaris RZR UTV World Championships Jeremiah Staggs getting a thumbs up at the Polaris RZR UTV World Championships

We would make good time on the course but lose any gains in the rough stuff do to the suspension. lap 5 we would pit and the crew did a awesome job looking over the car, giving us splash of fuel and we were off. we would end up having no issues what so ever with the car, not even a flat with my EFX Moto Hammer tires. we maintained a consistent and steady pace every lap, and every lap there would be more carnage and the course would break down and be even rougher in spots, we hit one hole in the course so hard it knocked the wind out of me, in the end we would cross the finish line in 5th position in class out of 50 i think and 13th overall out of 87 total entries. I cant wait to race the mint 400 and get the shocks dialed in on the car for what the roughest offroad race in america has to throw at us.

Jeremiah Staggs on the course at the Contingency day at Polaris RZR UTV World Championship Jeremiah Staggs near the pits at the Polaris RZR UTV World Championships In the pits at the Polaris RZR UTV World Championship

A big thanks to all the sponsors that helped me get here.
Alba Racing . PRP Seats . Yamaha . Lonestar Racing .
Rugged Radios . MSA Wheels . EFX Tires .
STV Motorsports . Factory UTV .
Suspended Fabrication .
Rhino Wraps

Team Ducky Racing 2016 King of the Hammers UTV Race Recap

via UTVGuide.net

After taking on the ULTRA4 series in 2015 and coming away with the Western and National title (see Chasing the Ultra4 UTV Championship) we were ready to tackle it again in 2016. Knowing we had to step up our game I decided that going with the latest offering from Polaris was the way to go. With Polaris’s help I acquired a 2016 RZR XP Turbo (XPT). For the build I partnered with Desert Concepts (Riverside, CA), who handled the cage build, frame strengthening, panel work, wiring, and installed the long list of parts needed to make a competitive race car (see Desert Concepts Inc. signs Team Ducky).

Team Ducky Racing's John Duckworth at King of the Hammers 2016
Photo: UTVguide.net

The car was together in time to do a shake down run and some tire testing at the end of January. I met Mark MacDonald from Desertcraft, Mark Thornburg from MOTO RACE tire and Randy Jelleff from ATVONICS at the lake bed in Johnson Valley. The XPT had zero miles on it so I took it easy at first to break it in. That afternoon we decided to get in some of last years desert loop and open her up on the dry lake bed. Wow, was this car a beast! I ran her up to 85 mph and it still wanted to climb. We hit a few hill climbs and rock sections and I could really feel the difference in the torque and power the XPT offered.

The next day Bryan Grigsby (owner Desert Concepts) arrived with his crew to do further testing and go over the car. We found some minor issues, but nothing to worry about and easily addressed during final prep before the race. We took the rest of the day pre-running some of the tougher Hammer trails. The Chocolate Thunder run, at “race speed” was made from the gatekeeper to the top in 1:20. The crew from Desert Concepts has a ton of time and experience in the Hammer trails and they helped me pick some great lines.

King of The Hammers was now a little over two weeks away, so back the XPT goes to Desert Concepts for final prep, fix some of the small issues we ran into during testing and get it wrapped, (special thanks go out to ADART for the wrap).

Time to get ready to race… We get to the lake bed on Friday 1/29 and start setting up.

Team Ducky Racing's John Duckworth at King of the Hammers 2016
Photo: UTVguide.net

We took care of some last minute details and got into Hammer Town to get the course downloaded to our GPS. We left the XPT in camp and shot out of camp with Mark from Desertcraft in his XP1000, Desert Concept’s XP900 with JT Stephens at the wheel and Jason Wilkins in his new Yamaha YXZ. I rode Co-dog with JT Stephens. We ended up running most of the first lap marking the technical sections and hazards. Running out of gas in the XP900 on the way back was not fun. Saturday I got in the XPT to do some shock testing and I felt that the car was a bit stiff and could be improved. Mark came ready to make the changes we needed, we broke down the shocks, changed the valving and made a spring change on the front. That did it… shocks were working great and I could flat blast through the whoops.

Get the rest of the story at UTVguide.net

PRP Seats’ Yamaha YXZ overhead bag named one of Powersports Business “Nifty 50” for 2016

PRP Seats overhead bag for Yamaha YXZ. Winner of the 2016 Powersports Business Nifty 50.PRP Seats is proud to announce the inclusion of their Yamaha YXZ Overhead Bag in the 2016 Powersports Business Nifty 50.

“With so many products entering the market each year, it’s exciting to be selected for the Nifty 50,” commented Jason DeArmond, Marketing Director for PRP Seats. “We made it an immediate focus to explore innovative product ideas for the Yamaha YXZ as soon as we could get our hands on one. We were first to market with seats and soft storage with more to come.”

From Powersports Business:

“For the 17th consecutive year, Powersports Business has selected 50 aftermarket products and services that we believe will help boost dealership profits in 2016, the Powersports Business Nifty 50. Editors from Powersports Business select the Nifty 50 winners. The editors’ picks are based on information submitted by the companies; no testing of products is done. To be eligible, products must be new or substantially improved from previous years and be ready for delivery in calendar year 2016.… To read more details and see images of each product or service, check out the February issue of Powersports Business.”

Powersports Business 2016 Nifty 50.