Chevrolet Powers Through the 50th Edition of The Mint 400
Chevrolet has a deep history of racing in the desert and it wouldn’t be right if there wasn’t a GM in The Mint 400.
There are more vehicles powered by a GM engine than ever before and one of the biggest users of 350, LS, and LT are the desert people. From Trick Trucks (or Trophy Trucks if you follow SCORE) to Vintage racers, the Mint 400 had a truck that was right for the GM fan to follow, even if it didn’t have a GM body on it.
The Trick Trucks are one of the fastest classes in the Mint, just after or just before the 1500 Unlimited open-wheel cars. These trucks can hit speeds of up to 140-MPH on the long, flat surfaces the Nevada desert is known for.
However, it’s also known for the silty sand that bogs most other vehicles down and is why more teams use a GM engine to power through the 118-mile loop course. It would take three laps to make up the full mileage of the Mint and these drivers needed all of it by the end as the rains would come and drench the sand and make it into a muddy mess.
The Vintage Class brought out the old iron, but one a few old timers might recognize is the 4572 S10 from Todd Richards Motorsports, it’s better known as “Little Mac”. This was a 4WD truck with the venerable 4.3-liter V6 that was re-sleeved and received a NASCAR bottom end to make it 4.0-liters for SCORE Rules.
The chassis was built by Jerry McDonald for Team MacPherson in 1993. It was first run in the SCORE Imperial 250 but it was last run in 2005. In June of 2015, Todd bought the truck to run it in the NORRA Mexican 1000 and had it ready in 13 weeks, despite its decade of sitting around and doing nothing. While Richards has simplified it to a 2WD, the same 26-year old V6 is still there.
Class 6100 is an unlimited chassis class that uses a crate engine from Turnkey Engine Supply. While you can use a Ford, many opt for the LS3 from them. It’s not only the more economical choice, but it also has 10-horsepower more than the Ford 5.0-liter. This makes the class relatively inexpensive when compared to the Trick Truck, 1500 Unlimited, and even the 7200 Turbo classes.
There was a lot of racing that happened in what would become a very long day for some drivers. We look forward to seeing more GMs racing in the desert, but for now, enjoy this gallery of Chevys and GMCs out at the Mint 400.
