Ever since its inception, the Dinner of Champions has become one of the most elegant and exclusive parts of the BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 experience. The 2023 edition of the event, held at Oscar’s Steakhouse inside the Plaza Hotel, once again welcomed legends and luminaries of the sport for a cocktail hour and multi-course dinner prepared by Executive Chef Ben Jenkins.
As always, this year’s Dinner of Champions boasted a guest list of legendary names in the off-road space. Joining Mint 400 leadership at the event were hall-of-fame names like multi-time Mint 400 champion Rob MacCachren, legendary promoter and former Mint 400 Race Director KJ Howe, and off-road racing legend Bob Bower, as well as top sponsor representatives and numerous other members of the Mint 400 event production and broadcast team.
This year’s Dinner of Champions host venue, Oscar’s Steakhouse, is named for former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, whose wife—current Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman—had served as Grand Marshal of the Mint 400 Vehicle Parade earlier in the day. Attendees were treated to selections from the Oscar’s menu prepared by Jenkins, whose decades of experience make Oscar’s one of the premier dining experiences in Las Vegas.
“The Mint 400 Dinner of Champions has a unique place in every Mint 400 event weekend,” said Mint 400 CEO Matt Martelli. “It’s where we bring together the biggest names for the sport for an amazing cocktail hour and dining experience, and it gets more popular and exclusive every year. The whole Oscar’s Steakhouse team did a fantastic job with this year’s event, and we can’t thank them and all the attendees enough for a wonderful experience!”
BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 festivities continue today as the off-road world descends upon Fremont Street East for the return of the Mint 400 Off-Road Festival. This year’s gathering will see 100 exhibitors completely take over Fremont Street, while racers bring their vehicles through the festival to complete tech and contingency processes in preparations for Friday and Saturday’s racing. The night concludes with a free concert from country music superstar Tim Montana, who will also be competing in the event for the first time in Friday’s Limited Race.
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 8-12 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.
