$104,689 Raised in the Mint 400 Military Challenge

Mint 400 Race Teams Raise Over $100,000 for Military Foundations
16 race teams representing 11 military foundations take part in the inaugural Mint 400 Military Challenge

The Mint 400 is proud to announce that its race teams competing in the inaugural Mint 400 Military Challenge have raised $104,689 for charities and foundations that focus on the needs of its active duty members and veterans, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to each foundation.

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Together, 16 teams representing 11 different foundations came together to raise awareness and financial support for military veterans and highlight the military’s ongoing involvement in off-road culture. Teams of retired and active duty members of all five branches of the United States Military raced in The Mint 400 Military Challenge.

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Mint 400 Military Challenge Race Teams:

#U951 Bloody Ridge Race Team (U.S. Marines) – Marine Raider Foundation

#180A Green Beret Racing (U.S. Army) – Special Forces Foundation

#U962 Team Full Speed Ahead (U.S. Navy) – SEAL Family Foundation

#U945 These Things We Do That Others May Live (U.S. Airforce) – Pararescue Foundation

#U969 Richie Pilozo’s Coast Guard Foundation Fundraiser (U.S. Coast Guard) – Coast Guard Foundation

#U902 Team Wingman – Wingman Foundation

#U932 Miles for Remembrance – Special Operations Memorial Foundation

#305 Outlaw Desert Racing/End Veteran Suicide – Outlaw Desert Racing

#U922 Team Warfighter – Warfighter Made

#M22 Team Warfighter Made  – Warfighter Made

#M444 Team Warfighter Made  – Warfighter Made

#5132 Warrior Built Foundation – The Warrior Built Foundation

#T232H Warrior Built – The Warrior Built Foundation

#T713A Alpha 3 Racing – Gary Sinise Foundation

#M13 5th Special Forces Flyer GMV 1.1

#M73 5th Special Forces Flyer GMV 1.1

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The Mint 400 launched the Military Challenge with the goal of raising awareness and financial support for military veterans and highlight the military’s ongoing involvement in off-road culture. The idea was to create a public facing “race-a-thon” where companies and the general public could donate to the team of their choice for every mile completed or a flat donation.

The Mint 400 Military Challenge grew out of the success United States Marine Jody Lynch and UFC fighter Josh Koscheck had using their participation in the 2019 Mint 400 as a fundraiser for the Marine Raider Foundation. They, their support crew from Zero 1 Off-road and The Martelli Brothers saw the potential and were inspired to build on this success and do the same thing for foundations from each branch of the military

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The Mint 400 Military Challenge was largely supported by Zero One Off-Road, who fielded seven vehicles, Oak Grove Technologies, who has committed $25,000 in financial support, Aamco contributed to the purchase of PPE used by some racers for this race and will be available to use in the future though Resilience Racing Foundation, and Polaris RZR, who has committed $10,000 in financial support. Oak Grove Technologies also made additional donations to each charity involved as “prize” money amounting to $30,000.

In the end, #U951 Bloody Ridge Race Team topped the fundraising leaderboard, raising $23,216 for the Marine Raider Foundation and #U969 Coast Guard Foundation Team won the top finisher in the UTV Rally Class, taking home the Military Challenge Race win.
As an extension of this challenge, The Mint 400 created a specific Military Class, where actual military vehicles could compete in the race. Green Berets with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) also raced their Ground Mobility Vehicle 1.1s fully loaded out to show the American people what they look like when they’re out there fighting and defending this nation.

The team specializes in long range desert missions in the Middle East and entered The Mint 400 to recreate real life situations out of their comfort zones to better themselves as a unit and challenge the breaking points of their equipment and men. Overall, the team completed two 107-mile laps and received an honorary finish award as most of their time on the course was spent assisting other racers by pulling them out when stuck, or even slowly towing other race vehicles through the remainder of a lap to be fixed in the pit.

In addition to their UTV Rally effort, Warfighter Made entered two vehicles in the Military Class. The first vehicle was Warfighter Made’s own Vintage Military Light Strike Vehicle (LSV), know as Flyer 22. Flyer 22 was designed by RaceCo in the late 80s and RaceCo was later bought and turned into Flyer Defence. During sometime in the early to mid 90s, the Flyer LSV competed for, and lost, the special operations vehicle contract, to the Chenowth 3 seat dune buggy.

After its loss, it was parked in a bone yard with four other Flyers, and it sat in the elements for 20 some odd years. Warfighter Made acquired its Flyer in 2016, and tore it all the way down to its bare frame, making it race legal, and started racing it in Baja, Mexico with veterans both driving and co-driving. Flyer 22 took the Military Class win at the 2020 Mint 400.

Warfighter Made’s second Military Class entry was a 1988 AM General, M998 High Mobility Multi Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) aka Humvee. Warfighter was approached by Rothsport Racing who offered their HMMWV for use by the vets of Warfighter Made. The HMMWV was entered into the Mint as an on course chase vehicle for the RZRs of the Military Challenge teams.

The Rothsport Racing HMMWV had three drivers, Force Recon Marine and Scout Sniper (retired) Rob Blanton, Navy Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman veteran, Steve Bonting and Navy SEAL (retired) Brian “Trott”. The team also had a special guest, National Guard woman, Dystiny Helbig, riding in the “3rd seat” for two full laps. The HMMWV finished 2nd in the Military Class with about 15 minutes to spare before the track officially closed.