In the thrilling off-road racing world, the Mint 400’s grueling four-lap endurance test was once again dominated by the relentless Adam Householder for the second consecutive year. The UNLTD Off-Road Racing series Unlimited Truck champion of 2024 proved that “Respect is earned one mile at a time,” the resounding motto of this prestigious event often referred to as the “Great American Off-Road Race.”
The 40-year-old desert racing veteran from Anaheim, California, utilized every ounce of power his 1Nine Industries-built two-wheel drive truck had to offer. Despite losing an entire front hood and fender assembly, he managed to finish the race, highlighting the brutal conditions of the Mint 400 course, which has a reputation for ruthlessly challenging even the most experienced racers.
From the starting line, the race course chewed up and spat out top competitors across all three Unlimited classes. Despite an impressive early performance, Dale Dondel’s all-wheel drive Unlimited Truck met an untimely end due to engine problems. By the end of the first lap, a thrilling battle was brewing between Ryan Arciero, Householder, and Ethan Ebert, who debuted his Team Honda V6 turbo-powered Ridgeline.
Arciero was setting the pace with Householder hot on his heels, mirroring the exhilarating rivalry that characterized last year’s Unlimited Race. However, a broken axle on Arciero’s two-wheel drive machine led to his disappointing withdrawal, denying him once again the coveted Mint 400 victory.
Householder had his share of challenges, including multiple tire changes during the race. However, his tenacity and skill saw him become the lone driver to complete all four laps in under seven hours. He shared his experience after the race saying, “The pace we were running was so fast and we were pushing. It was basically go until somebody breaks, and then the last two laps we were in conservative mode.”
The attrition within the Unlimited Truck category provided an opportunity for Unlimited Truck SPEC racers. This category has grown in popularity, with the trucks boasting modern two-wheel drive Unlimited chassis and suspensions, but limited to lower horsepower spec LS engines and automatic transmissions.
The race saw Brent Fox, Conner McMullen, Jason Coleman, and Troy Grabowski embroiled in a tight battle. However, a series of unforeseen events, including Coleman rolling his truck and Fox’s speeding penalties, handed the win to McMullen.
In the Class 1 unlimited race car category, the Wilson Motorsports Jimco Chevy emerged victorious. The win awarded title sponsor BFGoodrich a clean sweep of all three Unlimited categories as well as the overall win on Friday’s Limited Class race.
The BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 Unlimited race results were as follows:
Adam Householder bagged first place in the Unlimited Truck 2WD category. The Unlimited Truck SPEC category saw Conner McMullen, Troy Grabowski, and Jordan Brenthel claim the top three spots. Brent Fox and Dave Mason followed, and the list was rounded off by Terry Householder, EJ Herbst, Brad Wilson, and Jack Grabowski in their respective categories.
