Mike Childress and navigator Jimmy Hook stunned the competition when they bested a talent-rich field of 16 Class 1 Unlimited drivers at this year’s General Tire SNORE Mint 400. “People were surprised that we beat Harvey Letner and TJ Flores in only our second race in the new THR Motorsports car,” Childress commented after the race, “but we have always known we have what it takes to win.” Held within view of the bright lights of Las Vegas, Nevada, “The Great American Desert Race” is regarded as one of the most difficult and prestigious off-road races in the world. The course features silt beds, miles of rocky moon-hills, sandy washes, high speed graded roads, and the infamous “Rock Garden”.
Childress ran a conservative pace through the treacherous terrain, passing many vehicles running lesser tires that had to stop on the course for tire changes. “We did have tire issues on the third lap,” Childress confessed. “We got clipped by a lapped buggy and lost a tire. We had to go through the Rock Garden with no spare… I wouldn’t want to do that with anything other than my General Grabbers and Method Wheels!” The only other mechanical challenge during the race was broken limit strap hardware. “The King bypass shocks had to endure a lot of abuse,” Childress explained, “but they took the punishment and never let me down.” With only four weeks between the Mint 400 and Best In The Desert’s Bilek Silver State 300, THR Motorsports is spending every free moment to prepare the Porter/ES Motorsports buggy for another strong finish.
While Childress is still earning recognition in the ultra-competitive Class 1 (and the BITD equivalent Class 1500), he is no desert racing neophyte. Childress has been around the Checkers Pit Club since childhood, absorbing desert racing knowledge like a sponge. He also has many motorcycle victories to his credit, including winning the 2005 Baja 500 and Baja 1000. In addition to the Class 1500 buggy of Mike Childress, THR Motorsports will be campaigning four bike teams at the upcoming Silver State 300 in their attempt to sweep the Open Pro, Expert, and Amateur class wins. For the latest team information please visit http://www.thrmotorsports.com/.