There’s a new competition class in the works for the 2021 Mint 400 off-road desert race, and it’s dedicated exclusively to military vehicles. The class will allow manufacturers and owners of historic and modern mil-spec vehicles to race against one another—a uniquely unusual type of convoy for combat-ready vehicles. This news comes on the heels of the race’s recently announced electric vehicle competition class.
What’s the rationale for a racing class dedicated to military vehicles? Machines from U.S. military vehicle makers, including those of GM Defense, Flyer Defense, Oshkosh, AM General, and Polaris Defense, are more than capable of tackling the rugged off-road desert terrain of the Mint 400. In addition to it being a great proving ground for military vehicles of yesteryear and the future, the race also provides a lot of exposure for the military and its programs.
Military vehicles are just awesome and the owners of these beasts want to race. Even more, fans want to see these rare and impressive machines tackle the desert terrain they were designed to dominate. In fact, military vehicles competed in last year’s Mint. Green Berets with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) raced a General Dynamics Ground Mobility Vehicle 1.1s, while the Warfighter Made organization raced a Flyer 22 Vintage Military Light Strike Vehicle (LSV) and a 1988 AM General HUMVEE.
“Willys-Overland delivered the prototype Jeep (dubbed the Quad) to the U.S. Army in November of 1940. One could argue that was really the birth of the off-road movement. Within thirty years we were racing down in Baja (1967) and at the Mint (1968), and since then there has been remarkable growth in military vehicle technology. Most of us will never get to see these amazing machines up close, let alone in action—but [t]he Mint 400 is the perfect proving ground to showcase these vehicles, which are used by our military to defend our freedom,” Matt Martelli, Mint 400 co-owner and chief executive office, stated.
The second annual Mint 400 Military Challenge, open to all competitors, will complement the new racing class for military vehicles. The Challenge raised over $100,000 in its first year for veterans and active-duty military.
Rules for the new military vehicle racing class are still in development and will be announced in the coming months. The 2021 Mint 400 will be held December 1-5 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
