Motorsport Monday: 2020 Mint 400 Results, NASCAR Phoenix, and Grassroots Action to Get You Excited For Warmer Days

Between the slow, steady entrance of spring and the alarmingly rapid spread of the coronavirus, a lot has been happening in the world of motorsports. Seasons starting, events being postponed—even canceled. I’ve never really been one for Charles Dickens but his whole “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…” is really hitting home this week. Don’t worry: We’ve still got plenty of action to recap! The 2020 Mint 400 crowned a champ this weekend. NASCAR’s Xfinity and Cup Series blasted through Phoenix. And everyday racers hit the VIRginia International Raceway for the ChampCar 12 Hour Enduro.

Here are recaps and results, as well as resources on how you can get involved in some of your own grassroots enthusiasm.

2020 Mint 400 Results

The 2020 Mint 400 wrapped up this weekend in Las Vegas and, perhaps as expected, it held true to its reputation as a pillar of American automotive racing for 50+ years. In addition to nail-biting racing thrills, spectators enjoyed an epic off-road festival complete with kick-off party, parade, and Grand Marshal appearance from Bruce Meyers—the inventor of the original dune buggy, the Meyers Manx.

Day 1

Motorcycle racing kicked off Friday morning, a definite draw for attendees as this was only the second year returning to the Great American Off-Road Race. 3 Bros./SRT Husqvarna’s Ryan Smith was best off the line but his teammate Dalton Shirey quickly got around him, leading most of the race and ultimately taking the win.

After two laps of the 80-mile course (cut down from an original three by race organizers only a few minutes before starting), Shirey beat four-time Baja 1000 winner David Kamo by 42 seconds. Third place went to Zane Roberts, whose teammate Joe Wasson took fourth. This race also served as Round 3 of the 2020 Kenda/SRT AMA National Hare & Hound Championship.

Limited racers also took to the course on Friday, with Branden Sims scoring the UTV Pro Turbo victory for the second time in his career.

“Friday’s race kicked off with Class 5 and quickly moved into the UTV field before including dozens of familiar and unique race classes. From Class 11 Baja Bugs and vintage racers to even military-spec vehicles, the limited race featured just about any type of car, truck, SUV, or buggy imaginable, with driving appearances from UFC fighters Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Brian “T-City” Ortega, Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes, and YouTube sensation Blake Wilkey scattered throughout the eclectic field.” –Mint400 Official Website

Sims held onto the lead through four laps of the 107-mile course, beating out second-place finisher Jacob Carver by 12 minutes. Rounding out the podium was Dustin Jones in third.

Day 2

Unlimited Trucks hit the course on Saturday—and after a grueling four laps and 428 miles, first in at the finish line was Luke McMillin. Scoring the win with an unofficial time of 6:49:52, this was a big accomplishment for McMillin whose father Mark took victory in the same race 32 years prior.

“I can’t believe it!” said McMillin. “We worked so hard. This truck, we built it in 2014, it’s been hell and a half gettin’ it here. But I can’t believe we just won the Mint 400. That’s badass!”

Concrete Motorsports’ Harley Letner had a great run and appeared to be the decisive winner until mechanical issues took him out leading into Lap 3. This created opportunity for Ryan Arciero, McMillin, and Bryce Menzies to battle it out for the win. Arciero lost top spot thanks to a left rear flat, at which point McMillin took the lead and never looked back. 2018 Mint 400 Champ, Menzies, took second place.

Find full results here.

NASCAR Phoenix

Both NASCAR Cup and Xfinity racers took to the Phoenix Raceway this weekend, with Joey Logano and Brandon Jones taking victories, respectively.

In Saturday’s Xfinity race, Jones took the lead from Kyle Busch with 20 laps left, and held onto it to nab his second career win in 141 Xfinity starts. Last week’s Auto Club winner, 19-year-old Harrison Burton also passed the veteran racer to take runner-up behind Jones. The podium was a 1-2-3 Joe Gibbs Racing finish, the sixth in company history.

Brad Keselowski finished fourth, despite making contact with Daniel Hemric late in the race. A separate dust-up led to a fight, after Dillon Bassett and Brandon Brown got tangled on lap 137 of 200 causing Bassett to bounce off the outside wall. Bassett expressed his anger afterwards, reaching into Brown’s car on pit road and throwing punches.

“I’ve definitely done that,” Clint Bowyer said laughing as he watched the fight break out. “But, he held onto that grudge a long time. What was that? 100 laps ago? A little emotion at the end of the race, love it!”

Despite leading more laps than Joey Logano (67-60), taking the Stage 1 victory, and leaving Sunday with the NASCAR Cup Series points lead, Kevin Harvick had to settle for second place. Logano kept control of the race, capturing the win. Rounding out the top-5 were Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, and Clint Bowyer.

This is Logano’s second victory in the three-race West Coast swing, after his win in Vegas. The series heads East next week to the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Grassroots Action

Unable to attend a large-scale competition like the 2020 Mint 400? NASCAR not your style? Or do you just feel like grassroots is where it’s at? Whatever your reason, check out these awesome racing series and enthusiast events that just wrapped up. (We’ve provided links to their full schedules so you can see if they’ll be stopping near your hometown anytime soon.)

ChampCar VIRginia International Raceway 12 Hour Enduro

As we’ve pointed out in our Competition Corner coverage, ChampCar is an incredible organization that brings professional race experiences to us Average Joes. The simplest path to real wheel-to-wheel road racing, ChampCar does away with the crushing expenses and stifling rulebooks. All you need is a valid driver’s license, proper safety gear, a race car (which you can actually rent from Arrive & Drive teams), and a desire to lay down some rubber.

If you’re not interested in racing but want to be close to the action, you can always volunteer to work along pit lane!

This weekend, a 12-hour endurance race was held at VIRginia International Raceway, home to a variety of amateur and professional auto events. Offering good-natured competition and scenic views, the event proves you don’t need a fat bank account to have some go-fast fun. You do, however, need a sense of humor—as you’ll be going up against teams rocking names like Pinkies Out Swap, Glazed and Confused, DamSon Racing, and Team Tighty Whitey.

Click here for the full 2020 ChampCar schedule and see if there’s an upcoming event near you!

RaceWars USA Season Opener

Established to combat illegal street racing, RACEWARS USA is part drag racing competition, part car show, part lifestyle event—all fun. It welcomes all sorts of enthusiasts, including those who love imports, domestics, euros, trucks, classics, bikes, and more.

The season opener took place in Fontana, California this weekend (catch some coverage here) but there are several more stops on the tour!

World of Outlaws Late Model Series

Seeking some clay-flinging drama? The WoO Late Model Series roared back into action this weekend in Tennessee.

Josh Richards collected his 77th Outlaws win (and first since 2016) on Friday night at Duck River Raceway Park. Click here for a full recap.

On Saturday at Smoky Mountain Speedway, 2018 Series champion and home-state hero Mike Marlar took the checkered flag. Marlar edged out last year’s Rookie of the Year, Ricky Weiss, with just over two laps left, making for an exciting victory. Get the full recap here.

Want to check out WoO action first hand? Find the full schedules for both Sprint and Late Model here. Remember to check back with us next week, as we’ll get you up to speed on who’s hot and who’s not in the world of motorsports. In the meantime, browse our round-up of upcoming racing events.