Primm, Nevada –April 1, 2008 - The MINT 400 is back! All the hoopla, all the media, all the excitMINT was BACK! SNORE put on a great event. The Trophy Truck Killer was all prepped and ready for its first MINT 400, and we wanted this race bad. Once billed as “The richest, toughest and greatest American race”, it lived up to it.
Pete VanRooy would be riding with me on the first lap and we started at 7:50am on Saturday morning starting behind 10 other Unlimited Sportsman buggies and 2 more behind us. It was obvious that my fresh air system was not working properly right off the bat because my face mask was already fogging up, so I had to crack my visor open which is exactly what you DON’T want to do in a dust plagued race like the MINT 400. Wesley Stephens in car #1598 was right behind us and keeping us honest. We finished the first of 4 laps in 2 hours 13 minutes, running 1st with #1598 a minute behind.
Lap 2 was uneventful as we pulled into Pit B for fuel and a new co-rider (my daughter Lindsey). Lindsey was all over the gauges and mirrors and doing a great job. Watching the mirrors on this lap was important because all the leaders in the faster classes would be coming through. Lap 2 the car was running great and we were still leading with a lap time of 2 hours 17 minutes and 13 seconds with #1598 in 2nd and Terry Collis (#1503) holding a steady 3rd.
We started our 3rd lap and I was set to get out at after 233 miles and Keith Basso would drive a lap to give me a little break. As we pulled into the pits and changed drivers, #1598 past us and we were back on our way, back in 2nd place. Keith caught up to #1598 and made a pass, only to miss a corner and get re-passed; they were having a hell of a battle. As Keith went through the start finish line starting the 4th and final lap, #1598 stopped for his final pit as we were set up for ours at pit B. 3 miles from the pit Keith radioed that he thought he might be out of fuel and the trans was leaking. #1598 went by, along with #1503 and now #1599. After getting fuel and trans fluid to the race car just to get it back to pit B, we lost 1 hour, then Pete Corwin, our crew chief , had the guys pull the skid plate, patch the transmission pan (cracked), fill us with fuel in about ½ hour.
Pete Corwin’s son Randy would be riding with me on the last lap, although he would be holding a funnel and a gallon of automatic transmission fluid for the next 75 miles in his lap. Knowing we were now in 4th place, 1 ½ hours down, we were in survival mode, but with no dust to contend with for most of the lap, we were able to keep our speed up. We only had to stop once 15 miles from the finish to top off the transmission fluid and made it back to the finish line before dark. The crew stood just past the S/F line cheering as we pulled in, trans fluid pouring from underneath the car. We were a little disappointed that we didn’t win, especially since we had been leading for 3 of the 4 laps but that’s racing, but finishing the MINT 400 is a huge accomplishment and I’m very proud of my race team. With the lessons learned today, we will be back next year for that 1st place trophy.
Huge thanks to my sponsors JET JOC, Wide Open MRI, CareFlight, BFG, Ironclad, Beard, C&R, Butch’s speed shop and King. Lastly, I need to thank the guys who have worked there butts off over the last couple weeks with me and never ask for anything. Pete Corwin, Pete VanRooy, Matt Bare, Keith Basso, Chuck Soper, Randy German, Gary Kolar, Macrae Glass (and his boys) and the guys at Collins motorsports for there help with the prep.
