Las Vegas has been the host of The Mint 400 known as the Great American Off-Road Race, since 1967. Every year thousands of racers, vendors, spectators and enthusiasts come from all over the world to take part in one of the world's most iconic races. Las Vegas welcomes the race and the excitement it brings to the city. The race is the grand finale to a week of off-road events. This year was the first time in 20 years that motorcycles were welcomed back to the iconic race and for the first time ever a 2 day race format of all the different classes. This is testament to how the race and the off-road industry are only growing with each year! We were excited to once again be at the center of this race and see our jacks used and to get the feedback directly from our customers.
Wednesday - Mint 400 Parade
Race week kicks off with a parade of millions of dollars in race vehicles down the iconic Las Vegas strip. It's not often that Las Vegas Blvd is completely shut down and thousands line the street to catch a glimpse of the spectacle. This is a special invitational parade and Pro Eagle couldn't have been more honored to be invited! The Pro Eagle Jeep was there right along side the Trick Trucks as they made their way down the strip headed toward Fremont St. The parade ends in Downtown Las Vegas where the famous Fremont St. is shut down from Wednesday to Friday just to host contingency and Mint 400 festivities. The parade is a fan favorite and always kicks the week off with a bang!
Wednesday night is also host to the Hogs & Heifers party that is becoming a yearly tradition. This racers party is a fun way for the racers and vendors kick back, show off their builds and have a beverage with good friends. Pro Eagle & our Jeep was there right in the mix!
Thursday - Day 1 Tech & Contingency
Tech and contingency opened Thursday morning at 8:00 am. We spent the day with our partners, 4WP in their booth. Throughout the day we met with hundreds of people and helped answer customer questions about Pro Eagle jacks. It's always great to meet with the racers who use our jacks as well as the enthusiasts who use our jacks in the garage on the weekend. It's great to offer a product that is diverse enough for all types of customers.
Thursday Night - Method Race Wheels Pit Crew Challenge
The Pit Crew Challenge is quickly becoming a fan favorite event at the Mint 400. Every year it seems to gain momentum and sponsors are stepping up the prizes. Pro Eagle is the official jack of the Challenge and there is literally no better way to show off our products' capabilities. The Challenge is made up of 16 teams, ( 8 Trick Trucks & 8, 6100 trucks) going head to head in a battle to see which team has the fastest most precise crew.
Pro Eagle supplied two - 2 ton jacks for them to use in the competition. Teams had to change one rear tire then one front tire. By the time the night was over each jack had gone through each heat, semi final and final rounds of changing 2 tires on each truck. That is 28 times of being slammed around and lifting 5000 – 6000 lb trucks. We were proud to see our jacks being put the ultimate stress test and preform flawlessly. These same jacks were then loaded up to be used out in the desert for the big race.
Friday - Day 2 of Tech & Contingency
Friday we spent the day with our other partners and trusted off-road supply shop SDHQ. We got to meet directly with the race teams who use our jacks and nothing makes us happier than hearing about all the instances where Pro Eagle saved the day either out in the desert or in the garage. The Mint 400 was a success for us and our vendors were able to supply products out there on Fremont for the teams and crews who needed it the most.
Saturday -Race Day 1
Due to the growth and rise in race entries, The Mint 400 had to be divided into 2 days of racing! Saturday morning hosted motorcycles and Saturday afternoon the sportsman classes. Pro Eagle set up a pit area to help Warrior Built, a non profit foundation dedicated helping wounded military veterans race. We were honored to be a part of this special group of good people looking improve the lives of our veterans and to have fun doing it. Each of the three racers they organization had in the race finished thier classes!
Our very own Chuck Foreman General Manager of Pro Eagle, was lucky enough to be asked to co-drive for the team of Lacrecia Burrier of Rockstar Motorsports. They are one of the top teams in the Pro Turbo UTV class and we were excited for the opportunity. Because racing is all about friends and family we also invited our good friend, Fernando from Atlas Springs to be apart of the crew too. Atlas provides heavy duty and custom springs for our support trucks and pre runners. Lacrecia and team had the car set up perfectly so there was very little prep needed leading up to race day. The car had a belt alignment issue causing it to break at speeds over 70 mph! With a limited top speed they were forced to dial things back and just wait for the race to come to them. In a class that is so competitive any small issue can and will take you out of the top standings. The team was able to finish but only managed a 36th place out of 74 starters. It was a great day overall and Pro Eagle was grateful for the experience to race with Lacrecia and her team.
The 2019 Mint 400 was a great event for us. It's an awesome feeling to walk through the pits and see so many Pro Eagle jacks being used, but from inside the race car we got to see EVERY pit. And about 95% or more of the pits had at least one Pro Eagle being utilized! We look forward to growing with the off-road industry and providing a quality product that solves problems and make racing easier and most importantly.....safer.
Next up is Off Road Nights in Del Mar California on the 23rd of March.
Then 4WP Truckfest in Houston TX March 30-31st.
Price Change.
If you are a vendor / distributor of Pro Eagle products, we have some changes coming in May. Please contact Chuck Foreman for the updated pricing.
