Adam Householder Wins Second Straight BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 Unlimited Race
For the second year in a row, defending UNLTD Off-Road Racing champion Adam Householder came out on top of the BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 in a high-attrition Unlimited Race. As most of his top competition fell out early, Householder recovered from adversity of his own in the form of multiple tire changes on course to become the only driver to complete all four laps in under seven hours.
“I’m whooped—that was brutal!” Householder said after crossing the finish line. “The pace we were running was so fast, and we were pushing. It was basically go until whoever breaks, and then the last two laps we were in conservative mode. Even in that, the rocks would come out of nowhere, and trying to avoid them was very difficult, but all we had to do was be smooth and make it to the finish line. Back to back, I’ll take that!”
From the moment that top qualifier Dale Dondel left the starting line by himself in Primm, this year’s Mint 400 course chewed up and spit out top racers throughout the day. Mechanical issues for defending Unlimited Truck SPEC winner Kyle Jergensen and a rollover for Thor Herbst would have them out of contention on lap one. Dondel and Whetstone would trade the top spot early, but extended stops for both would yield the top spots on the podium to Ryan Arciero, Householder—despite an early flat—and Ethan Ebert at the end of the first lap.
At first, it looked like Arciero and Householder would renew the battle that made last year’s Unlimited Race so compelling, with Arciero controlling the pace and Householder looking to make up time. But two stops on course within 15 minutes would take Arciero from first to second to out of the race completely, once again denying the sentimental favorite his first Mint 400 win.
Ebert would temporarily inherit second before an exhaust crack that required welding in the pits and later an engine issue would put an end to his charge as well. The continued attrition opened the door for Dave Mason Jr. to take over second on course and in Unlimited Truck 2WD, and he’d hold that spot behind Householder for the duration.
Instead, the drama would shift to the closely matched Unlimited Truck SPEC class, which had seen most of its top qualifiers within seconds of one another. Coming to halfway, top qualifier Conner McMullen, Jason Coleman, and defending UNLTD champion Brent Fox were separated by just 40 seconds, with names like Justin “Bean” Smith, Troy Grabowski, and Jordan Brenthel well within reach of the lead as well.
Coleman would roll shortly before halfway and Smith would fade to the back of the top five, eventually setting up a battle between Fox and McMullen for the class win. Fox would briefly lose the lead to McMullen in the pits on Lap 3 after needing to remove his hood, but he’d regain it before starting the final lap. The pressure was so dramatic in the chase for the SPEC class win that the top four across the line would earn penalties that shook up the order.
McMullen and Grabowski would eventually be scored on the overall Unlimited Race podium, with Brenthel and Fox completing the overall top five ahead of Mason. Wilson Motorsports would earn its second victory in as many days as Brad Wilson earned the Class 1 victory, coming in just under a minute ahead of Jack Grabowski after taking the lead in the second split of the final lap.
2025 BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 Unlimited Race results were as follows:
- #24 Adam Householder, Unlimited Truck 2WD, 4 laps, 6:59:06.138
- #240 Conner McMullen, Unlimited Truck SPEC, 4 laps, 7:13:25.990
- #272 Troy Grabowski, Unlimited Truck SPEC, 4 laps, 7:16:18.649
- #273 Jordan Brenthel, Unlimited Truck SPEC, 4 laps, 7:19:29.160
- #200 Brent Fox, Unlimited Truck SPEC, 4 laps, 7:22:12.776
- #65 Dave Mason, Unlimited Truck 2WD, 4 laps, 7:23:42.616
- #224 Terry Householder, Unlimited Truck SPEC, 4 laps, 7:28:04.270
- #263 EJ Herbst, Unlimited Truck SPEC, 4 laps, 7:35:04.879
- #153 Brad Wilson, Class 1, 4 laps, 7:39:12.907
- #172 Jack Grabowski, Class 1, 4 laps, 7:40:04.709
The Mint 400 has held the title of the toughest, most spectacular off-road race in North America since 1968 when it was first run. Initially, the race was a public relations event promoting the Mint Hotel’s annual deer hunt, but what started out as a hotel promotion soon grew into a legitimate desert race. Since its 2008 revival, “The Great American Off-Road Race” has only gotten bigger and more prestigious, and deeper fields every year only make it tougher to win.
This year’s BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 will take place from March 5-9 in Las Vegas. More information on the event for racers and spectators is available at TheMint400.com, or follow the event on Facebook and Instagram.
Details regarding racer registration, sponsorship packages, exhibitor vending, spectator tickets, camping, and parking passes for UNLTD Off-Road Racing are live on Unlimitedoffroadracing.com.