Gallery: 2016 Mint 400 Off-Road Race

I happened to be in Nevada already, so it was a pleasant surprise when I found out it was the same weekend that the Polaris RZR Mint 400 Presented by BFGoodrich Tires off-road race (aka “The Mint 400“) was going on. Each year hundreds of 4x4s, dune buggies, SUVs and trucks turn out to tear up the dirt about 45 minutes outside of Las Vegas in the Mojave desert.

I’ll be the first to admit I don’t follow off-road racing enough to know all of the drivers, but I certainly enjoy the sport enough to be able to appreciate the incredible effort that it takes each of the teams to race prep their vehicles, and then to head out for several to tackle the twisty and rocky course for hours on end. Personally, I spent about 14 hours out in the desert, covered head to toe in dirt and dust, and pelted by the occasional flying rock to bring you these photos of the spectacle in the desert. I hope they were worth the effort.