K&N-Sponsored Mitch Guthrie Jr. Wins the Mint 400 UTV Pro Turbo Class

8 Mar 2017

MItch Guthrie Jr. and his team after the 2017 MInt 400 victory

MItch Guthrie Jr. (by the K&N logo) and his team celebrate a dominating Mint 400 win

The desert north of Primm, Nevada, was Mitch Guthrie Jr’s playground as he dominated the Pro Turbo Class of the famous Mint 400. A win in “The Great American Off-Road Race” is a crown jewel for any desert racer, and Mitch grabbed that jewel with a vengeance in the March staging of the Mint 400.

The UTV classes are becoming one of the most popular segments of modern desert racing. With over 100 UTV entries for the 2017 Mint 400, it is clearly one of the most competitive classes in the field.

Guthrie Jr's Polaris UTV is protected by K&N filter technology

In the shadows of the massive roller coaster of Buffalo Bill's Casino in Primm, Nevada, Guthrie Jr. took the Pro Turbo lead from the pole with a blazing start in his Polaris RZR XP Turbo. He would never relinquish that front-running position. The benefit of a good start in a race like the Mint can't be underestimated.

“The key point for my race was the first lap,” Guthrie said. “I started on the first row and got the holeshot which gave me the chance to get away from the huge pack of cars behind me. I pushed hard the first lap and was able to gain a lot of breathing room for the second and third lap, which was huge.”

Getting that “breathing room” is vital, but the treacherous Mojave Desert can throw race-ending surprises around each turn. That fact was not lost on Guthrie as he led the hard-charging field.

“The Mint 400 course is one of the most brutal courses we race throughout the entire year,” Guthrie said. “It has a little bit of everything from big whoops, huge rocks, sand washes, and plenty of spots that can sneak up on you if you're not careful.” Clearly Mitch found that perfect balance between fast and careful that culminated in his Mint 400 victory.

Mitch Guthrie Jr's Mint 400 winning UTV at the contingency in Las Vegas, Nevada

Guthrie Jr's Mint 400 winning UTV at the pre-race contingency in downtown Las Vegas

Guthrie Jr. says it doesn’t take long for the Mint course to begin to look like a mechanical graveyard. “You can see how harsh it is throughout the race with how many cars are scattered throughout the course even after just the first lap,” he said.

Desert racing is truly a team sport, and Guthrie appreciates everyone involved in his success. “It takes a lot of sponsors and awesome people to put a race like that together,” Guthrie said. “And to have K&N, one of my long-time sponsors, supporting me and helping me get the win was very cool!”

K&N is proud to play a part in Mitch Guthrie Jr’s racing success. We congratulate the entire Guthrie Racing Team on a spectacular Mint 400 victory.

The Mint 400 win in a Polaris RZR XP is especially sweet since K&N just introduced our brand-new K&N 63-1136 Polaris intake. Check K&N's online application tool to get the perfect filter or intake system for your UTV.

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