BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 Off-Road Festival Returns to Fremont Street With Big Names, Bigger Turnout
One of the BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400’s most impactful events returned to downtown Las Vegas on Thursday, as the Mint 400 Off-Road Festival once again took over Fremont Street East. As in years past, an estimated tens of thousands of people passed through the free-to-enter festival during the day, interacting with hundreds of premier off-road exhibitors and the 544 entries signed up to compete in this year’s Great American Off-Road Race.
The Mint 400 Off-Road Festival follows the Mint 400 Vehicle Parade each year, and it marks the final event in downtown Las Vegas before race festivities move to Primm. Every competitor in the race works their way through the entire festival route, giving fans a chance to see their favorite cars, trucks, UTVs, and bikes up close before they make it to tech and contingency. Meanwhile, the biggest brands in the sport use the Mint 400 Off-Road Festival to showcase their latest products, and official race merchandise is also on sale throughout the day as well.
Autograph sessions remain a key draw of the Off-Road Festival, and race sponsors brought out the stars to draw fans in droves. Camburg/Magnaflow’s annual signing welcomed the legendary Ivan “Ironman” Stewart alongside modern stars like Kyle Jergensen and the Isenhouer brothers, before Stewart would head to the Toyota Racing display to join seven-time NASCAR champion and 90s off-road standout Jimmie Johnson, who makes his return to the desert this weekend. From UTV Pro racers returning from Limited Race qualifying in Primm to additional desert legends like Rob MacCachren signing for title sponsor BFGoodrich Tires, this year’s list of appearances was one for the ages.
“The Mint 400 Off-Road Festival only gets bigger and better each year,” said Mint 400 CEO Matt Martelli. “A huge thank you to not only the city of Las Vegas and Fremont Street East for helping us put this on each year, but also all the racers and exhibitors that make it such a fun event, and of course all the fans. Whether you’re an off-road enthusiast who comes out to meet your heroes or this is your first exposure to our sport, this is one of the most special parts of the Mint every year!”
With Thursday’s festivities in the books, attention turns to Primm for tomorrow’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Race, as well as multiple Youth races and Unlimited and Motorcycle Race qualifying. Live streaming will begin at 7:30AM at themint400.com/live, as the Limited Race goes green at 8AM and Unlimited and Motorcycle Race qualifying starts at 12:30PM. The full race schedule can be found at https://themint400.com/schedule/.
The Mint 400 has carried the reputation as the toughest, most spectacular off-road race in North America since 1968, when it first roared to life in the Nevada desert. What began as a clever public relations stunt to promote the Mint Hotel’s annual deer hunt quickly evolved into something far bigger. A legitimate desert race forged in dust, horsepower, and bravado. By the 1970s, the Mint wasn’t just a race. It was a cultural moment. Immortalized by Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, it became a symbol of American excess, grit, and wide-open desert freedom.
After decades of dormancy, the event was revived in 2008 by brothers Matthew and Joshua Martelli, who rebuilt it from the ground up with a singular mission. To restore its mythic status while elevating the professionalism, safety, and prestige of modern desert racing. Since that revival, “The Great American Off-Road Race” has only grown larger, deeper, and more competitive. The fields get stronger every year. The stakes get higher. And winning The Mint 400 remains one of the hardest achievements in off-road racing.
This year’s Mint 400 will take place from March 4th - 8th in Las Vegas. More information on the event for racers and spectators is available at TheMint400.com, or follow the event on Facebook and Instagram.
Details regarding racer registration, sponsorship packages, exhibitor vending, spectator tickets, camping, and parking passes for the American Off-Road Racing Championship are live on americanoffroadracingchampionship.com
About American Off-Road Racing Championship
About the American Off-Road Racing Championship:
The American Off-Road Racing Championship (AORC) is the premier desert off-road racing league in North America, created through the unification of Best in the Desert (BITD) and Unlimited Off-Road Racing (UNLTD).
Best in the Desert, founded in 1984 by legendary racer Casey Folks, is the longest-running and most respected off-road racing series in the U.S., with a legacy that includes iconic events like Vegas to Reno, the Silver State 300, the Parker 425, and the Laughlin Desert Classic.
Unlimited Off-Road Racing, established by the Martelli Brothers in 2023, produces world-class events such as The Mint 400, The California 300, and The Parker 400. UNLTD is recognized for its focus on innovation, storytelling, and large-scale racer participation, with events known for high car counts, challenging courses, pre-running, and family-friendly fan experiences near major markets.
Together under the AORC banner, BITD and UNLTD preserve the heritage of desert racing while building its future—offering racers, sponsors, and fans a unified championship built on clarity, consistency, and world-class competition.