Gray Leadbetter Wins EV Open Production Class at 2026 Mint 400
Professional off-road racer Gray Leadbetter can add Mint 400 winner to her resume for the first time, as she took the victory in the EV Open Production class in Friday’s Limited Race in her debut with Chevrolet Performance and Hall Racing. Leadbetter, co-driver Kyle Mitlyng, and the #EV230 Chevrolet Silverado EV ZR2 completed two laps of a challenging 95-mile course in 8:35:16.484, the longest distance ever run at the Mint 400 by an electric vehicle.
“The Mint 400 was one for the books, that course lives up to the name of being rough and ruthless,” said Leadbetter. “But the goal was to finish and that was what we did. After three tire changes and 8 1/2 hours we made it across the line. Huge thank you to my co driver Kyle for keeping me calm and getting us through the desert and of course Chevrolet and Hall Racing for the opportunity.”
Leadbetter took over the #EV230 from Chad Hall, who won the class in the truck last year but would be focused on his Stock Production Truck Mini/Mid entry for this year. Unlike last year, where the EVs ran a shortened 73-mile course, Leadbetter’s return to desert racing for the first time in a decade would see her back on the same course with all of the other Limited racers.
With her competition falling out of the race quickly, it was up to Leadbetter to put in a measured pace to ensure she got to the finish. In spite of the tire changes, she was able to do just that, adapting from the more urgent pace of short course racing and rallycross she’s run in recent years to make sure the Silverado got onto the finisher’s podium at the end of the night.
Leadbetter’s attention with the #EV230 truck now turns to the Laughlin Desert Classic later this year. Announcements about her additional racing programs for 2026 will be made in the coming months. To replay Hall Racing’s Mint 400 live stream and watch Gray take on the race, click here.
For more information on Gray, follow her on social media @grayleadbetter or visit GrayLeadbetter.com for her full schedule. For Gray’s official merchandise, click here.
Photo credit: Harlen Foley