Teams battle to qualify for the KMC Wheels pit crew challenge

March 18, 2015

The KMC Wheels Mint 400 Pit Crew Challenge Presented by Mystik Lubricants has become a staple event each year at the Mint 400, and with the exponential growth of the famed race so has the number of teams wanting in on the competition to not only showcase how good their pit teams are, but also to have the chance to win some great prizes from our sponsors.

Trick Truck (1400) and Class 1500 will win a fresh set of KMC Wheels, a case of Mystik Lubricants oil, a two-piece Racer Crew Suit and Helmet by Impact Safety, a set of FOX OEM shocks for each winning competitor, and custom Mint 400 gloves by 212 Performance Gloves.

This year because of the increased interest, a qualifying session was held today and was open to all classes. The Trick Truck (1400) and 1500 Classes each qualified for open spots in the main event on Thursday, where they will meet teams already seeded in the main event. For all other classes, the top two times will be taken to the main event on Thursday, March 12th in a do or die battle to claim the top pit crew in the class!

To make it fair to all qualifiers, teams didn’t use their own vehicles but rather a stand in truck. There was no head to head, it was every team for themselves with the fastest times moving on to the main event.

In Trick Truck it will be Strobel Motorsports, R. Acer, and Steve Olliges who will be moving to the main event and in Class 1500 Sam Berri and Ryan Hancock. Banning Motorsports who is racing a brand new Geiser built 6100 truck this race was the only team to qualify for the head to head battle for non TT and 1500 vehicles.

Stay tuned for tomorrow as more great events are happening in downtown Freemont Street at the Mint 400 Experience, starting with the Rugged Radios Meet & Greet where drivers will be signing autographs and taking photos, followed by the crowning of Miss Mint, and ending with the main event of the KMC Wheels Mint 400 Pit Crew Challenge Presented by Mystik Lubricants.