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Las Vegas, NV
Brenthel Industries racers Bobby Pecoy, Mike Craft, and Mike Emmerson took the coveted 6100 class win at the 50th Mint 400 in Las Vegas, Nevada over a stacked field of 49 trucks. It was their second straight podium finish in the first two races of the season. Also landing on the podium was class 6200 open wheel racer Ryan Curtis with a second place finish. Held on a brutally rough course filled with rocks, silt, and ruts, the Mint 400 has been transformed from a test of strategy to survive 400 miles, into a full throttle sprint race. Due to the prestige of winning, and the huge field of competitors, nobody is willing or able to back off the pace for a second.
According to co-driver Mike Craft, Bobby Pecoy has a very aggressive driving style and he is more conservative. The two styles blend into an effective pace that has proven to be effective. “We don’t qualify well, but we always think we do,” Craft said with a laugh, “We always think we are fastest but end up in the middle of the pack. I wonder how many of the trucks that drop out in the first lap of the race were really damaged during qualifying. By the first pit, the attrition rate was already high. I guess it’s because we’ve always spent our own money, but we do well in the longer races because we are there in the end. We do exceptional preparation because desert racing is a game of attrition. The course was extremely rough and we had many great competitors out there. The rocks made it tough but the rain really caused problems. It washed the dirt away exposing the rocks, and made it impossible to see. We came up on another competitor and they pulled over and let us pass. We found out later that they just couldn’t see. The new Brenthel trailing arm design made a big difference in the handling of the truck; we had a ball out there. After two podium finishes for us, the points battle is still very tight, but I think we will have the edge in the rougher, and longer races. We are looking forward to the Silver State race.”
After a gracious offer to race a Brenthel 6100 truck from its owner, Luke Johnson put together a shoe-string effort and finished in 5th place after starting 32nd. It was the first race as driver of record with the Brenthel truck but he is no stranger to it. He had driven it before and was able to push through this tough race because he had the ultimate confidence to keep charging.
Kevin Curtis, and his son Ryan, had the same challenges on the Mint course, but kept pushing on their way to a second place finish. “My son Ryan started, and finished the race; I drove lap 2 in the middle of the TTs,” said Kevin, “The race course was savage, and the rain was a massive challenge; especially at night. Our Ford EcoBoost powered Brenthel was fast all day but a few flats made the difference. It came down to only a few minutes difference between 1st and 2nd in the Class 6200 race.”v
The Mint 400 drew competition from every 6100 truck builder out there, but only one could stand on the top of the podium; Brenthel Industries. Whether you choose to race a truck, or an open wheel buggy like Ryan Curtis, Brenthel Industries will put you in contention. They apply their collective knowledge in CAD design, welding, fabrication, assembly, plumbing, wiring and more into every design. Their race prep, chase support and Arrive and Drive programs have been developed with the benefit of their own extensive racing experience. When it comes to selecting a builder, you can compromise, or you can insist on the best; Brenthel Industries.
Photography By: Bink Designs