GREENVILLE, S.C., March 9, 2016 – BFGoodrich Tires will be the presenting sponsor of the MINT 400 while its tires aim to master the 107-mile race course for the 27th time. The Polaris RZR® Mint 400 Presented by BFGoodrich® Tires will be March 9‒12, just south of Las Vegas.
For the past three years, BFGoodrich ® Tires has dominated the Mint 400, also known as “the Great American off-road race.” The tire brand that invented the all-terrain tire category 40 years ago has claimed the last three overall race wins and 27 of the top 30 overall finishes in that span.
BFGoodrich Tires has claimed the overall win in 22 of the last 24 major North American desert races, including 17 of the last 19 in the Best In The Desert series.
For the competitive field this year, BFGoodrich will offer a contingency award of $5,000 for the overall race win on BFGoodrich Tires.
BFGoodrich’s multi-year sponsorship encompasses the full schedule of events, including the pre-race contingency festivities on Fremont Street, the annual Pit Crew Challenge, on site at the race itself and through broadcast on NBC Sports and advertising platforms.
On race day, BFGoodrich Tires will celebrate its off-road history with a consumer pit stop challenge where fans can try their hand at changing tires and simulating a fuel stop on a Class 1000 desert race buggy. The event will be at the BFGoodrich Tires location at the start/finish line, from noon to 5 p.m. each day. The team of two participants with the fastest time receives two sets of BFGoodrich Tires.
Rod Hall, BFGoodrich Performance Team member and Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame member, will serve as Grand Marshal for the MINT 400. Other BFGoodrich Performance Team members Ryan Arciero, Rob MacCachren and Bryce Menzies are among top competitors in the Trick Truck class. They are joined by other high-profile racers such as Tim and Troy Herbst, Carlos Lopez, Dan and Luke McMillin, Larry Roeseler, Cameron Steele, Jason Voss and last year’s overall winner, Justin Lofton. BFGoodrich Performance Team member Roger Lovell is entered in the Vintage Open class, supported by his brother Brad Lovell, driving a unique Ford Bronco sponsored by AMSOIL and BFGoodrich Tires. Former class winners running BFGoodrich Tires include Sam Berri, Cody Parkhouse, Larry Ragland, Brandon Schueler, Brett Sourapas, Roger Starkey and many others.
Overall BFGoodrich expects up to 60 percent of the field will run the race on its tires, ranging from the Baja T/A ® KR and Baja T/A® KR2 race tire developed for multiple classes (Trick Truck, Class 1000, Class 1500, Class 6100 and the UTV class) to DOT-approved consumer tires like the Mud Terrain T/A® KM2 and All-Terrain T/A® KO2 tires in lighter vehicle classes.
About BFGoodrich Tires
Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 40 years, BFGoodrich Tires is involved in every type of racing, including sports car, short course, desert, dirt, short course and extreme rock crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle. Visit the BFGoodrich Tires Racing site at http://www.bfgoodrichracing.
