Can the Mint 400 Really Be the Greatest Damn Thing Ever Seen?

That’s what Sahara Hotel President Earl Thompson proclaimed from the finish line back in 1968. It was the second running of the race, and it was a brutal one. Most of the cars and trucks entered were strewn across the desert in various states of disrepair. What kind of race would it be if nobody finished?

Just as it began to look dim for the future of the event, Thompson’s bold proclamation swayed the race promoters to stay the course. Thompson was not alone in his exuberance for the challenge. The Mint 400 exploded in popularity over the next several years, and came to be known as “The Great American Offroad Race.”

The Mint 400 was popular for 2 reasons. The first was a contingency, which is held before the race to inspect the vehicles. The contingency was an epic party, even for Las Vegas.

Held on Fremont Street, known as “Glitter Gulch” at the time, the festivities included all the trappings of Vegas: booze, women, gambling, and revelry. Packed with cars, and fans from all over the world, they all came to “the Mint” to celebrate desert racing.

The contingency was an epic party, even for Las Vegas.

One of those revelers was writer Hunter S. Thompson. He was hired by Sports Illustrated in 1971 to write photo captions for the Mint 400 race. His original 2,500-word manuscript submitted to Sports Illustrated was “aggressively rejected,” but Rolling Stone Magazine liked it enough to publish it.

His notes later became a novel that chronicled his personal debauchery. Anyone who has read the book wonders what he turned into Sports Illustrated. His novel; Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, was made into a movie in 1998 starring Johnny Depp, and Benicio Del Toro.

After the partying at contingency is over, competitors have 400 miles of rugged terrain outside the city to contend with. The silty, and rocky terrain offered the ultimate challenge for offroaders. It is always said that just finishing offroad races is an accomplishment. At the Mint 400, it was never truer.

Egged on by thousands of spectators who crowded around the known spots for action, racers went huge in extremely primitive vehicles. The race vehicles of the time might have had stronger parts, or multiple shocks, but in comparison to the sophisticated vehicles of today, were insanely unsuited for that type of punishment. The brutal terrain and aggressive driving forged heroes, and created legends.

The race was conceived by The Mint hotel owner Del Webb, and hotel executive Norm Johnson to draw people to Las Vegas. In its prime, the race was huge, but after Del Webb sold The Mint in 1988, the race began to wane.

The brutal terrain and aggressive driving forged heroes, and created legends.

The new owners were just not as enamored with offroad racing. The name was changed to the Nissan 400 before it ceased to exist altogether in 1989.

The race was dormant for nearly 20 years until the Southern Nevada Offroad Enthusiasts group brought it back in 2008. In 2012, the naming rights were purchased by the Martelli Brothers who teamed with the Best in the Desert racing organization to put on the race. The Martelli’s have an appreciation for what the race once was. They labored diligently to restore the Mint 400’s place in the offroad world.

Contingency returned to Fremont Street, and the crowds returned. The party was back, and better than ever. The race now occupies nearly an entire week with a parade down the strip, pit crew competition, time trials, 2 days of contingency, and 2 more days of racing. This year they brought the bikes back; the first time they raced at the Mint since 1977.

For those of us who attended the original, the race was still missing one element. It was moved to an existing course south of town instead of the traditional north course that was so brutal. The unlimited classes get a taste of the north course during time trials, but the races are held south of town on a course that has dry lake beds, and river washes. It’s just not the same as the pile of rocks to the north. It is still rough in the south, but not nearly as bad.

This year’s race got a boost by Mother Nature. Heavy rains changed the game. Typically they bulldoze the course before the race, making much of it flat and featureless. The rains did what they typically do in the desert, they modified the landscape.

They crushed wheels, broke suspension parts, and had racers deviating from the favored line to avoid them.

The water washed the top layer of soil away, exposing the rocks. There were still deep sandy sections filled with whoops, and the dry lake beds that had racers bumping off the rev limiter, but the rocks were ruthless.

They crushed wheels, broke suspension parts, and had racers deviating from the favored line to avoid them. It became a driver’s race that required skill, as well as brute strength. The race finally had everything that the original delivered. Some might not have liked it, but in order to be “The Great American Race”, it needs to be the most challenging, and likewise, the most rewarding.

No racer was rewarded more than overall winner Justin Lofton. His win was his third at the Mint; the only driver to ever reach that milestone. If you ask Lofton, the many spectators, or the other racers who merely made it to the finish about what they think, they might just say that the 2019 Mint 400 was the greatest damn thing ever.

RADWood World Tour Invades the Petersen Museum

Showcasing the Best Automotive Collection of the ’80s and ’90s

Car critics often described the cars of the ’80s and ’90s as uncharacteristic vehicles that were often flashy, overdone, and lacking in horsepower. If we could voice our opinion, we’d have to disagree, knowing a number of iconic vehicles such as the Toyota Supra (MK3 and MK4), Porsche 959, BMW M3 (E30), Mazda RX-7, and Ferrari 550 Maranello, to name a few, continue to be in high demand today.

In celebrating cars in the ’80s and ’90s era, the first RADwood event was held in San Francisco back in ’17. The event’s name was derived from the popular Goodwood Revival Festival overseas. Brad Brownell, one of the show’s co-founders, teamed up with his friends to introduce this unique event while bringing back the lost era of cars.

The first event brought about 150 vehicles and received such positive feedback that the crew decided to continue the tradition and followed up with their second event, this time around in Los Angeles.

…the event felt like Marty McFly jumping into his DeLorean and taking a time warp back in time.

That was more than a year ago as this final year’s world tour show was held at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles with over 400 vehicles in the display.

RADwood’s popularity has quickly gone viral as onlookers and event followers have pleaded for the show to come to their hometown. RADwood spokesmen had informed us that there have been talks of expanding the event with additional dates including events in the UK and Japan next year.

From vintage muscle cars, commuter cars with custom pinstripes, to high-end supercars, the event felt like Marty McFly jumping into his DeLorean and taking a time warp back in time. Fashionistas were also on hand wearing bright colors clothing and women teasing their hairs with Aqua Net hairspray while wearing tight leggings.

A number of rare vehicles including a Vector W8 Twin Turbo were drawing crowds throughout the day. While the exterior of the vehicles look vintage by today’s standards, the 6.0-liter V8 sourced from General Motors performance was nothing to sneeze about, delivering 650-horsepower and 650-lb. ft. of torque.

Another vehicle you rarely see was this ’90s manufactured Bugatti EB110 with a 60-valve quad-turbocharged V12 engine that delivered over 560-hp with a top speed of 213-mph.

CMS Motorsports and Restorations brought out their Mercedes 500 SEC with custom gullwing doors. Sitting on top of their car was a briefcase with faux 100 dollar bills and a classic Motorola “brick” cell phone to complement their ’80s-themed car.

Sitting on top of their car was a briefcase with faux 100 dollar bills and a classic Motorola “brick” cell phone…

We’re not even going to ask what was going on with this Mustang and his jungle-themed murals!

If you’re looking to see some cool cars and have a groovy time, be sure to check out their website for upcoming tour schedules across the US and vehicle registration at: RADwood.co

Porsche Vice: Das Renn Treffen 2019

Since 2015, Das Renn Treffen (DRT) has brought the best Porsches that Miami has to offer while also benefitting local charities in the South Florida area. This year, it has grown into a three-day celebration of the brand from Stuttgart.

DRT probably snuck up on many people in the last few years. While many have been concentrating on Luftgekühlt and the Rennsport Reunion on the West Coast, South Florida has been creating a large Porsche gathering of their own. It may even rival them to some degree, but the East Coast is certainly showing it’s capable of creating a show worthy of the Stuttgart crest.

What is DRT?

It started in 2015 as a sister event to Volksblast, itself a nearly 20-year old Volkswagen show that celebrates classic V-Dubs. You could find the latest and greatest Porsches to vintage race cars and everything in between, so long as it was a Porsche.

It remained a single day show until February 2018 when it grew into a two-day event. This year, it became a three-day festivity that included a track day at Palm Beach International Raceway filled with race cars and some of the quickest street cars in the South Florida area.

…the East Coast is certainly showing it’s capable of creating a show worthy of the Stuttgart crest.

That’s not including the live music, food, and the many, many vendors that showed up to make this into a huge event. Other than the track day, all of this took place at Sunset Place, right in the middle of South Miami.

Those who attended were greeted by historic and restored Porsches, ultra-rare RUFs, race cars, and some interesting custom creations. You weren’t limited to just rear-engine and air-cooled Porsches as 944s, 918 Spyders, 914s, and even Carrera GTs made appearances. From street cars to rare cars, it just needed that crest.

It’s Not Just About Cars

Probably the most important thing to know about Das Renn Treffen is that it’s not just a Porsche show. These guys raise money for charities and non-profits located in the South Florida area. One of the biggest they support is the City of South Miami Parks and Recreation Department STEM Program.

Its goal is to help foster the next generation of adults who specialize in science, technology, engineering, and math—essentially creating kids interested in what it takes to make stuff like the Porsches they saw at this event and more.

The Track Day

For the first day of DRT, event goers were treated to a track day at Palm Beach International Raceway, once known as Moroso Motorsports Park (yes, that Moroso if you’re familiar with the classic performance parts brand) until 2008.

It’s a 10-turn, 2.2-mile course that’s FIA Grade II certified and means anything besides Formula 1 cars can race on the facility. So, this isn’t an outdated or backyard track these drivers were running.

The cars ranged from a few GT3s (both racers from the GT3 Experience and the street variety) to Caymans to classic air-cooled era Porsches, even including a 993 Turbo, a classic Supercup racer, and a 981C Cayman GT4. For RWB fans, many of those wide-body modified Porsches showed up and even went on track.

If there’s one thing that’s awesome about an RWB owner, is that there are quite a few that are willing to track their Nakai-built creations. There is no better way to experience a Porsche except out on the track where it was designed to perform and was the perfect way to open DRT for 2019.

The Collection Cars and Coffee

If you were willing to be at The Collection—a Porsche dealer in Coral Gables, Florida—in the mid-morning, you were greeted by Cars and Coffee meet. It was sort of a pre-DRT with show-goers showing up along with examples from The Collection as well.

These ranged from 356s that were lovingly restored to street legal and tracked 991 GT3s to the latest 991.2 GT3 RSs. It was such a turnout, one had to wonder if this wasn’t going to overshadow the whole show. Turns out, this would just be a warmup.

DRT 2019

This was the event everyone was here for, Das Renn Treffen or loosely translated to “The Race Meet.” If you wanted to see at least one of each Porsche ever made without going to Germany, this was the event you needed to hit.

Classic air-cooled to modern hybrids and more were on display. There were some amazing Porsche classics ranging from unrestored 356s to strikingly beautiful four-cylinder 912s. However, it wasn’t just those built by the factory, either.

Singer Vehicle Design, RWB, and RUF all had examples on display by owners from around the South Florida area and even in parts from around the US and beyond. Yes, this even has become that big of a deal.

Most who drive a Singer say they feel like the real evolution of the 911.

On the subject of modified cars, however, there was one viewed with special interest. “Carolina,” Akira Nakai’s very first US-built Porsches and the one he personally owned. It’s now driven by a new owner and modified from when Nakai first built it, but it’s still as stunning as when it was finished the first time.

Not to be outdone, though, Singer Vehicle Design brought out their latest collection of restored and modified Porsche 911s to DRT all the way from Irvine, California. They are some of the most amazing reworks of the 911 chassis that many feel Singers are more 911 than even the current 992.

Most who drive a Singer say they feel like the real evolution of the 911. It’s hard to argue against that as they are upfitted with better suspensions, lighter-weight panels than the originals, and retain their air-cooled flat-six engines.

There is Always Room for more Porsche Events

While you probably think of Luftgekühlt or Rennsport as the ultimate Porsche showcase, DRT should be something you start to consider. With the growth of the event and the class of cars that came out, it’s hard to continue to ignore it.

If you’ve never heard of it, you need to attend the next one in 2020 and that’s especially so if you’re a fan of the Stuttgart brand. It’s only going to continue to grow and get better, and you can’t pick a better place to celebrate Porsches as you can with Miami.

2019 King of the Hammers

It’s not often when something comes along that is an entirely new concept, especially in motorsports. The King of the Hammers race in Johnson Valley, California has done just that. It has spawned the Ultra4 series that holds events across the country and around the world. It combines the high-speed element found in desert offroad racing with the challenge of rock crawling in huge boulders. The result is rock racing, and the biggest rock racing event on the planet is King of the Hammers (KOH).

KOH draws people from all over the world. Every year an impromptu city appears on the Means Dry Lake in Johnson Valley. Tents and motorhomes spread out from the epicenter called Hammertown. Hammertown contains the competitor’s garages, vendor’s booths, the JumboTron, and the start/finish line. You could spend the entire week in Hammertown, and some do. Ultra4 sees to it that live cameras are spread around the course sending their feed to the internet, and the JumboTron in Hammertown.

The terrain out on the course is extremely rough, and some spots require a strenuous hike just to reach, so Ultra4 places cameras in those action-packed places. They even have some cameras set up on cables that run back and forth from one side of the canyon to the other.

…some spots require a strenuous hike just to reach.

The result is stunning footage with an incredible perspective. You can sit in your lawn chair and witness the action in some of the most remote locations on the course as it is happening. You will also be front and center when the finishers roll up on the podium and celebrate their success.

The attrition at this race is huge so just finishing within the time limit is a major accomplishment. In order to mix it up, the course changes every year. There are countless combinations of rock trails and desert tracks available to run.

…you can burn up your car before you even get to the rocks.

The challenge of each trail changes depending on whether they are racing uphill or down. The course will vary by the number of rock trails they do and the order in which they do them. The desert sections usually allow faster competitors to make their way to the front.

Despite a fast time in the desert, competitors still have hours of punishment in the rocks. The desert tests the car’s suspension, and the efficiency of all the moving parts at high speeds. If you get it wrong, you can burn up your car before you even get to the rocks. The drivers have to be sharp as well as the desert can lure you into complacency and then deliver a crushing blow. A flat tire can cost you precious time and many positions.

KOH has had several winners since its inception in 2007, but one can’t help to see that there is a group of elite that can win, and have won on a regular basis. There is a unique set of skills needed to come out on top. Randy Slawson (who won as a co-driver in 2007), Erik Miller, and Loren Healy have all been crowned King twice. Shannon Campbell and Jason Scherer have won 3 times. Scherer, this year’s King, has the additional distinction of having been the only driver to win back to back, as he was last year’s winner too.

They all share success, and they all have similar personalities. They are not demonstrative, or outrageous. They don’t engage in the braggadocio normally associated with motorsports. They do their talking when they get behind the wheel. Scherer is fast because he’s smooth. The same goes for Slawson and Miller.

They do their talking when they get behind the wheel.

They all have strong followings. Healy and Campbell are much more aggressive. Healy just refuses to lose, and the sight of his piercing red headlights coming closer strikes fear into the competition. Campbell is soft-spoken, but a beast behind the wheel.

When he comes within a mile of anyone, the typical reaction is to move back. Not because he’s out of control, it’s because what most people would think is an impossible line, Campbell sees as a bump in the road. His big, loud, black car, that he builds himself, is downright intimidating. While Scherer, Slawson, and Miller make it look easy, Healy and Campbell make it look incredible.

Any way you look at it, KOH is an event unlike any other. It’s the toughest single-day offroad race in the world and ranks right up there with the Dakar Rally, and the Baja 1000. It’s come a long way in just over 10 years and looks to continue its growth in the future. Will Campbell get the 4th win? Will Scherer cement his name in the record books with a 3rd straight win? It’s a safe bet that one of the other top contenders will eventually join the 3x club, but a fresh face might show up and add their name to the list of Kings. It’s anyone’s guess because the Hammers trails will always have the final say.

And the Winner Is? 2JETZ

There isn’t a car kid in America that doesn’t know the name Hot Wheels (HW), heck, we’ve all stood on one of them with our bare feet. Back in 1968 when the line was launched, the first 16 cars were called the “Sweet Sixteen” and they supposedly reflected the prevailing trend in car design. They included Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s “Beatnik Bandit” and several mildly customized production cars.

To celebrate their 50th anniversary, HW launched a nationwide search for the latest “Sweet 16” with the 2018 Legends Tour that began at HW HQ in El Segundo, California, and visited 14 Walmart stores across the U.S. in car-culture-centric cities such as Detroit. At each stop, judges that included members of the Hot Wheels design team, automotive influencers, and Walmart store managers cast their votes.

The winner from each stop won a trip to the 2018 SEMA Show where their car was displayed at the Hot Wheels Legends Pavilion. There, one car was chosen to be made into a die-cast and the ultimate winner was Luis Rodriguez’ entirely home-built, aircraft-inspired 2JetZ.

Airplanes have often provided the inspiration for automobile styling and designers such as GM’s Harley Earl looked to the skies for inspiration. Earl was so enamored of the Lockheed P-38 fighter that little bumps fashioned after the plane’s tail fins appeared for the first time on the rear fenders of 1948 Cadillacs. Those little bumps grew into the fins that we so fondly associate with fifties styling.

…a radical, mid-engine, Hemi-powered, open-wheeler with a fighter plane-style cockpit.

Luis Rodriguez of Hope, New Jersey was likewise inspired by jet planes and the land speed racers saying, “I came across a stunning conceptual design called ‘The Face Peeler’ by Dwayne Vance. I contacted Dwayne and with his permission, I adapted his artwork into something I could build.”

Dwayne’s concept, of which he also made a model, was a radical, mid-engine, Hemi-powered, open-wheeler with a fighter plane-style cockpit. It took Luis a year and a half to complete, working in a one-car garage where he fabricated a custom chassis using 4130 Chromoly tubing, a 1990 Nissan 300ZX donor car and a Toyota Supra in-line six, DOHC 2JZ-GTE engine.

The engine, however, is far from stock having its iron block “shaved” to reduce weight and fitted with Wiseco pistons, adjustable Chromoly pushrods, BC cams with aluminum cam gears, Ferrea valves and BC valve springs, retainers, and locks. It also features an AEM V1 engine management system and boost controller, an HKS ignition, a Titan high-pressure oil pump, a GReddy Kevlar timing belt, and ARP fasteners.

Rather than the stock Supra twin-turbo set-up, Luis opted for one PTE 6262 turbo with a Nissan Q45 throttle body, a K&N filter, and a Tial water-cooled wastegate. Weighing in at only 1,650 pounds, the 2JetZ with 627 horsepower at high boost on 93-octane gas enjoys a very favorable power-to-weight ratio.

The drivetrain comprises a custom 1-inch aluminum adapter plate, a custom Fidanza flywheel, an ACT 6-puck clutch and ARP flywheel bolts. The gearbox is a six-speed Subaru STI unit converted into a transaxle with the rear output welded shut. It is fitted with a Quaife limited-slip assembly and Driveshaft Shop 1,000 HP axles.

Keeping the monster cool is a pair of Honda Civic aluminum, three-row radiators mounted in the side pods assisted by Spal electric fans. Meanwhile, a custom 4 by 24-inch intercooler is mounted in the bottom of the scoop behind the cockpit.

The exhaust was also ingeniously fabricated by Luis using 3-inch stainless steel tube, a Magnaflow muffler, and a “restaurant grade” stainless steamer basket that is cable operated from the throttle. It opens and closes as the throttle is activated and adjusts the pitch and tone of the exhaust. According to Luis, “It helps quiet the motor so that it’s comfortable to drive until you hit the gas and it opens up.”

Up front, there is race car-inspired cantilever suspension made from aero tubing angled forward at 30-degrees to increase downforce. Speedway coil-over shocks are mounted horizontally along the inside of the body.

The braking is handled by more 300ZX take-offs including the aluminum hubs, calipers, master cylinder, and booster. It worked for Nissan. It works for Luis.

Luis hand-formed the fuselage using 6061 aluminum sheets attached to the sub-structure with 3,000 aluminum airplane rivets. The sectional canopy tilts up from the rear allowing ingress and egress and was likewise hand-formed using Lexan and features a remote, keyless entry system.

…it’s comfortable to drive until you hit the gas and it opens up.

The steering is a narrowed dune buggy rack-and-pinion unit that connects to a collapsible column and a generic 14-inch, quick-release, wood-rim classic-style wheel. Other cockpit accouterments include a 300ZX pedal assembly, a Toyota MR2 shifter with an STI knob, and a generic race seat fitted with an RCi quick-release four-point harness. The heads-up instrumentation is from Autometer.

The front and rear wheels are 17-inch RAYS Volk Racing forged monoblock CE28Ns fitted with 255/45-17 Sumitomo tires up front and M&H 275/50-17 drag radials at the rear end.

Externally, Luis’ street jet fighter is decorated very much in the style of a fighter plane from its vintage-style “Slightly Dangerous” nose art, through the NO STEP sign on the side pods, to the words “Honor Those Who Serve” that say everything about Luis’ reason for building this project.

Despite being built on a budget in a tiny garage, Luis’ 2JetZ will be made into a Hot Wheels that you can buy in any Walmart.

What Is the Every Man Challenge?

The Ultra4 Racing King of the Hammers (KOH) is the off-road experience you can’t miss out on, but there is a need to qualify for it. Fortunately, for those on a tighter budget, the Every Man Challenge is around to let stock and lightly modified rigs race on a similar course as the big one.

How The King of the Hammers Got Started

As cliché as it sounds, KOH started in 2007 with a group of guys lead by Dave Cole and Jeff Knoll who decided to have a race on a Friday in the middle of Means Dry Lake. From the group of 50 to 60 drivers that were sent invites, 12 drivers showed up with rock crawling rigs. They weren’t specialized as we see now, and many were just trucks built for fun and hobby driving. Some rigs just had air shocks and leaf springs, something you don’t see now except maybe in the 4600 Stock Class. Of the 12 racers that showed up, John Reynolds with Randy Slawson co-driving won the first ever KOH.

For years to come, the King of the Hammers was an invite-only event with NO media, spectators, and vendors. Of course, when you make something hard to get, you make more and more people want to join. As the race grew in spectacle and in the spotlight, more and more people wanted to enter the race with their own rigs, including stock and lightly modified vehicles.

The Every Man Challenge

In the middle of 2011, Ultra4 announced that a new event would take place the Monday before the 2012 King of the Hammers—the Smittybilt Every Man Challenge (EMC) now the 4WP Every Man Challenge. This was the opportunity for non-professional drivers to race on the same course as the big event but slightly modified for the smaller tire restrictions.

…it’s not impossible to race a street legal rock crawler and potentially win in Modified Class.

It was originally open to only 100 vehicles and the list was filled before the start of 2012. The entry list has increased over the years along with the addition of 2 more classes in 2014: the Legends Class for older 4400 cars that were not as competitive and a new Spec Class.

Can Someone Really Just Show Up and Run?

When it comes to the EMC at KOH, that’s somewhat how it works. Obviously, you still need to register but you can enter with your street-driven rig and race on a similar course to the Unlimited class in KOH. Doing this in the stock 4600 class is a little more realistic for a street-driven truck or Jeep, but it’s not impossible to race a street legal rock crawler and potentially win in Modified Class.

4600 Stock Class

The Stock class rules are simple—and probably the most restricted at the same time. You can basically run your trail rig as long as it meets the following characteristics: stock OEM frame, factory engine, factory transmission, 35-inch DOT tires, single 2.5-inch diameter shocks per corner and mechanical steering.

If you’re looking to make a better-than-stock rig, there are two classes for you:

4500 Modified Class

Essentially, the 4500 Modified class is the next step up from Stock. It’s limited in what you can do but it’s far more open and budget-friendly than the 4400s. It’s a 37-inch tall DOT tire class that also requires rigs to be steered directly by the driver. That means that there is no hydraulic steering, you’re not moving a valve to turn the tires. You can have a hydro-assist, but the steering wheel must be connected to a steering box that’s connected to the wheels.

…it’s far more brutal than the mileage indicates.

You’re also limited to two shocks per corner that are 2.65-inches in diameter with a stroke of 14-inches. They must also be connected directly to the axle, so you can’t make a cantilever suspension or anything that would give it a mechanical advantage to increase the suspension rate to increase wheel travel.

The biggest cost saver, though, is that the entry must be a production vehicle and the body must resemble an OEM body. There is also a limitation to what you can do to the frame. So, there needs to be something that replicates the cab, bed, doors, fenders, hood, and other body pieces that the original truck or SUV you’re entering as. They can be modified for clearance, but only enough for clearance. You can run any make engine and the only limitation is engine location; The rear of the engine block must be located in front of the furthest forward portion of the driver’s seat. Other than that, there isn’t much else limiting the Modified class.

4800 Legends Class

With the extreme advancement of the 4400 Class, a lot of rigs were made less competitive in a short amount of time. In recognition of that and wanting to give these rigs a place to run, the Legends class was created to allow these rigs to race. These rigs are limited to a two-seater rig with a front-engine, single shock per corner, solid axles, and 37-inch DOT tires. Other than that, there isn’t much limiting the 4800s and they are a call back to the early years of KOH.

This technically makes the 4800s a much easier step up to the 4400 class and the King of the Hammers. Adding a set of longer shocks and bigger tires for that race can make these rigs rather competitive against the 4400s. Many 4800s have been rebuilt to 4400 rules without much modification, thus making them an economical way to go from EMC to KOH. Well, relatively economical considering you’re still building a $300,000 to $500,000-plus vehicle for either class. To date, though, no rig has won the EMC and the KOH in the same week.

It’s A Start

What’s great about the Every Man Challenge, it gives those who aspire to race in the King of the Hammers a place to run and prepare themselves for that big race. Even though it may be shorter than most open desert races, it’s far more brutal than the mileage indicates.

They don’t call it the Hammers for nothing.

What’s even better, anyone can enter. If you’ve got a stock, leaf-spring truck that you drive on the road but want to race it, you have a place in the EMC and the 4600 Stock Class. Even though it is the slowest class, it is the one where you’ll learn the most about Johnson Valley and the rock features they race on.

At the very least, you get a chance to race on a compact version of the course that makes up the King of the Hammers. While having a huge budget is nice, the King of the Hammers and EMC is quite possibly the last race where you can drive your vehicle to the event, race in it, and possibly drive back home if you haven’t completely torn your vehicle to shreds. However, you might want to bring a trailer just in case.

They don’t call it the Hammers for nothing.

The Big 70

As Mark Twain once famously quipped, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” The same can be said of hot rods and custom cars if the recent Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) was any indicator. Now celebrating its 70th anniversary, the 2019 GNRS, held annually at the Fairplex Pomona, was huge, very well attended and a great show.

There are literally hundreds of vehicles of every shape and size on display but the coveted award is for America’s Most Beautiful Roadster and this year there were no less than 14—yes—14 cars competing for the 9-foot trophy. In 2018, the big trophy went to the Martin Special built for Dave Martin by Scott Bonoski’s Hot Rods and Hobbies in Signal Hill, California.

…there were no less than 14—yes—14 cars competing for the 9-foot trophy.

No show rod, this handcrafted roadster was based on a ’31 Ford which competed in the 2017 Silver State Classic, averaging more than 100 miles per hour for more than an hour. After the GNRS, it was shipped to Europe where Octane magazine road tested it before it went on to compete in the Bernina Mountain Climb outside St. Moritz, Switzerland. If that’s not a hot rod then I don’t know what is.

This year’s winner was a very different roadster but nonetheless a stunning example of amazing craftsmanship. Based on a 1936 Ford Roadster, the so-called  ‘3 Penny Roadster’ was built for rodder and land speed racer George Poteet, Memphis, Tennessee, by Eric Peratt’s Pinkee’s Rod Shop, Windsor, Colorado. Incidentally, George is one of the world’s fastest men having gone over 450 mph in his ‘Speed Demon’ land speed racer.

George is one of the world’s fastest men having gone over 450 mph in his ‘Speed Demon’ land speed racer.

Another well-known name in the world of hot rodding is that of Chip Foose of TV’s “Overhaulin’’ who was honored at this year’s GNRS with the ‘Builder of the Decade’ award. Chip had half a dozen of his most famous cars on display including his rear-engined “Hemisfear.”

Over in Building 9, there was a fantastic display of more than 100 Model A Fords celebrating the car’s 90th anniversary. To some a 90-year-old Model A Ford might appear archaic nevertheless, watching them all drive out of the building was magical.

…the trend is slowly shifting away from early Ford-based hot rods to muscle cars…

Finally, as you would expect because the trend is slowly shifting away from early Ford-based hot rods to muscle cars, the show floor was littered with muscle cars of every shape and size. Two of the most interesting were the ’69 Nova fitted with ’69 Camaro fenders from Steve Strope’s Pure Vision Design and the Dodge Charger of Speedkore Performance Group that had a complete carbon fiber body.

The GNRS has something for everybody and this year did not disappoint. For more info on this and other shows go to www.rodshows.com