Andy McMillin CLAIMS 3 Overall Victories in a Row
2008 BITD Henderson 250, 2009 BITD Parker 425, 2009 SNORE MINT 400
The year was 1988 when a McMillin racer last captured the victory at the epic Las Vegas MINT 400. Back then it was Mark McMillin who claimed the victory. But two decades later, Scott McMillin led his son, Andy, and his daughter, Jessica, to the overall victory in what will long be considered another milestone in the incredible history of McMillin Racing.
Scott McMillin and his daughter, Jessica, were first to tackle the challenging 100-mile MINT 400 racecourse, which is the same course derived from the mid-90's. For the first time in over a decade, racers returned to a silt-ridden course that would test the determination of the best off road racers in the world.
The #31 Geiser-built race truck charged off the start line with Scott McMillin behind the wheel and Jessica calling out the navigation from the Lowrance GPS. Scott paced the field and picked off several trucks as they fell victim to the brutal conditions of the Nevada desert. The BFGoodrich Tires shod Trophy Truck continued to push towards the front of the pack gaining momentum as the race went on.
Scott led the race after the first 100-mile lap and it wasn't long before he put the FOX Racing Shox 4.4-inch bypass shocks through the paces, blasting through some of the biggest holes seen in recent years. He began to open up a wider lead between him and the other trucks until he suffered a cracked header near the 40-mile mark.
Scott nursed the race truck through the last 60-miles not pushing too hard, but maintaining his lead over the entire field of race trucks. He arrived to the main pit and the team performed a driver change, full fuel, tires and welded the cracked header at the exhaust flange...all in 7 minutes!
Andy 'Bebo' McMillin cinched himself into the Sparco race seat as Navigator Todd Tenbroek chatted with 'Bebo,' strategizing while waiting for the signal from the crew to launch into the Nevada wilds.
Soon enough they throttled through the start/finish line and began a journey that they will not soon forget. Nearing race mile 30, Andy banged his way through some massive holes and tore back the front skid plate. As they continued through the big G-outs along the far side of the racecourse, they felt a vibration they thought might have been a driveshaft going out.
'Bebo' brought his #31 McMillin Racing trophy truck into the main pit for a fuel, tires and a driveshaft change. The young McMillin racer commented, "We were in the pits long enough that Cameron Steele got around us and we left two minutes after him. We caught up to him around race mile 10 and we ran in his dust for about 20 miles. We were pushing fairly hard and Cameron was going good, but near race mile 32, we saw that he was pulled over and we later heard he had brake issues. I was confident pushing fast with our 39-inch BFGoodrich Tires in the Nevada desert. BFG has developed the best off road racing tires ever and I've punished them to the extreme. We had no flats the entire day," commented Andy.
"Cruising around race mile 70 on the last lap, we hit two big holes, burying the truck through the deep silt and more. We got some rocks and dirt over the hood and into the throttle body and it limited us from pushing all out towards the finish line. I'm guessing we were only 65% during the last 30 miles. Andy drove great and the truck performed awesome," said co-driver Todd Tenbroek.
The finish line celebration was a roar of happiness from the entire McMillin Racing family and friends. Victory at the epic MINT 400 tops off a whirlwind of victories for McMillin Racing, as the current 3-race win streak began in December 2008 at the Best in the Desert Henderson 300 race. Then opening the 2009 season, 'Bebo' ran wire-to-wire at the Best in the Desert Parker 425, dominating the field of the most talented racers in the world with victory. Then winning again at one of the most legendary races of all-time ... the MINT 400.
"Winning is always great, but winning with both Andy and Jessica racing together in the same truck at the legendary MINT 400 is something special. It was a tremendous team effort today as both our pit crews and drivers/navigators had to overcome small issues to put this #31 McMillin Homes truck in victory circle," remarked a proud Scott McMillin.
About McMillin Racing
With over three decades of racing experience, the McMillin family represents three generations of accomplished championship racers. Founded by the late off-road racing legend Corky McMillin, McMilllin Racing continues to be respected as a one of the most successful desert racing teams of all time. They are supported by a long list of dedicated family, friends and employees of McMillin Companies, all who make up an incredibly talented group of steadfast supporters. Since 1976, they have raced at the highest level of competition in the deserts of North America. Together as a family, they have multiple series championships, along with significant race victories in both the United States and Baja California.
McMillin Racing symbolizes the ultimate passion in off road racing.
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