
Las Vegas: a town that leaves and breathes on the roll of a dice. Since the 1960s and its glamour heyday the world-famous Nevada oasis has attracted a certain amount of daring, and in 2019 the Mint 400 desert race keeps that sense of risk and abandon alive and welcomed motorcycles back to the contest for the first time in 43 years.
Originating from the old Mint Hotel and thrashing around the landscape that surrounds the city, the ‘400’ reached a degree of status and notoriety that saw celebrities and iconic movie stars like Steve McQueen and James Garner taking part. In recent years the 400 has again grown in stature and joined events like the Hare and Hound, Baja and Las Vegas-Reno rallies as a focal part of the off-road calendar on America’s west coast. At last bikes were again on the agenda (the last time was 1976) and it was prime competition potential for one of domestic racing’s biggest names.