Ricky Brabec & Skyler Howes Are Set To Join Mint 400

Monster Energy’s recently crowned Dakar Rally champion, Ricky Brabec (Honda Team), rolled his newly tricked out Honda Talon SXS from the garage and pretty much figured it was time to get it dirty.

The thing’s badass. Built by RaceCo with Fox Shocks, Method wheels, Tenor Tires and Baja Designs lights, the pumped Brabec shot a text to the other American on the world’s premier off-road motorcycle racing team, Monster Energy/Honda Team racer Skyler Howes, and asked if he wanted to join him at a little legendary race they call the BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400.

“Fresh off the Dakar win, we were sitting around the house – a little bored – so we were searching for something local we could race and, anyway, we stumbled upon the Mint 400,” said Brabec, laughing. “I got asked to ride the motorcycle for the Mint 400 with Preston Campbell, so I said ‘Yeah, you know, I can do that. It’s a local race for me, and legendary – held in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’ll be fun.’”

Brabec had raced and won the Mint 400 one time before, in 2019 with Kendall Norman (Honda).

So with this Saturday’s motorcycle class in hand for Brabec, he “started to do a little bit more thinking” and said he came up with an additional plan for the Mint.

“While we were in Dakar racing, my car (a Honda Talon SXS) was down at RaceCo with Jamie Campbell, (brother of legendary Baja motorcycle off-road champion Johnny Campbell),” explained Brabec. “So I texted Jamie and said ‘Hey, let’s get this thing (the Honda Talon) ready for a bit bigger race. Let’s just tackle the Mint 400, see how it goes?’”

Brabec then hit up Howes, and the rest – as they say – will likely go down in Mint 400 history as two of the world’s preeminent off-road motorcycle racers will team up to battle for the Mint’s stock UTV crown this weekend.

“Came together kind of last minute. Was looking at a way to fill this weekend with some training and racing, or whatever,” recalled Howes. “I called Johnny (Campbell) to see what was happening with the bike race. Figured I’d just go solo, do the whole bike race on my own.”

Howes admitted that, this close to the April 2-7 Portugal FIM World Rally-Raid Championship Round 3, being in the saddle in the Nevada desert for 7+ hours racing the Mint 400, “I may have bitten off a bit too much to chew.” So Brabec’s plan of Howes co-driving Brabec’s RaceCo Talon was perfect.

“Yeah, Ricky basically hit me up and asked if I’d like to run a couple of the laps in his race car,” added Howes.

So with what Brabec calls a “Little privateer program” set to roll, upon reaching out to his Monster Energy/Honda Team co-racer Howes, the plan was set. “We got the crew together and here we are,” said Brabec, looking out over Vegas’ famous Freemont Street at his now tricked out stock Honda Talon SXS, Howes and his team, and the real life opportunity to race his ride in the Mint 400.

“Look forward to, hopefully, ending up on top and would be stoked if this leads to something else that we can keep going for the rest of the year,” said Brabec. 

Added Howes with a chuckle: “So that was it, really. Just a last minute deal because Ricky didn’t want to race the whole race by himself. After that I’ll just hang out in the pits and help Ricky and Preston when they race the (Sunday) bike race.”

Also racing for Monster Energy at this year’s BFGoodrich Mint 400 will be…

Action gets underway on Friday at 8 a.m. in Primm (Nev.) with the Limited (Car/Truck/UTV) classes, and continues on Saturday, 10:45 a.m. start, with the Unlimited classes. The race should conclude beginning at (estimated) 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. For more information on the BFGoodrich Mint 400, with Monster Energy being the official energy drink, link to www.themint400.com