The Mint 400 - March 7, 2025
Our team traveled to Las Vegas, NV March 2, 2025 for the Great American Race. With two vehicles and 10 people along for the ride, we made it on March 3.
(Dinner & Craps at the Air BNB- Jordan, Meghan, Austin, Cindy, Clarissa)
Our amazing friends and race sponsors, Tyler (Kombustion Syndicate) and Josh (Must Be Nice Performance) were already in Vegas. They came and picked up the trailer with the race car in it, and started handling logistics for the week.
On Wednesday- we staked out our pit, in Primm Nevada- with Tenacious Racing, our amazing friends/family from Colorado!
Later in the day was pre-tech to inspect the car and safety gear! With one minor fix, we passed! Then it was time to line up for the parade. It was such an amazing experience.
The race team! Christian (co-driver) Austin (driver), Jordan (co-driver)
Austin & his mom! Proud mama moment! She knows how much this race meant to him, and was so proud to see it finally happening.
(After the parade! We also waited here and bought Christian's new race car- his Polaris RS1)
Wednesday night, Austin & Marci met Tyler & Josh downtown and talked all things life and racing!
(Austin, Josh, Tyler)
(Josh, Tyler, Austin, Marci)
Thursday, March 6th was actual "Tech" day on Fremont Street. Because we already passed tech, there wasn't too much to do but wait our turn to drive through Fremont Street.
(Christian & Marci)
(Campana Racing x Kombustion Syndicate x Must Be Nice Performance team)
(Nana & Taylor)
(Kelsey, Tyler, & Jake)
(Christian & his Uncle Ryan)
(Emily, Clarissa, & Marci)
(YORR Family! Josh, Christian, Erin, Austin, Tyler, Kelsey, Jake, Marci)
(Campana Ladies! Clarissa, Cindy, Emily, Marci)
Friday, March 7th was race day. Austin, Christian, and Marci got out to Primm early to get ready for the race.
(Christian & Austin before the race)
(Pit Logistics before Tyler, Josh, Erin, Kelsey, & Jake headed out to the Gonzo Pit)
(Waiting for them to go across the start line)
(Gonzo Pit- Jake, Tyler, Erin, Josh)
(Main Pit- Tenacious Racing Crew)
(Jordan- Austin radioed in that they wanted Jordan to swap out with Christian at the Gonzo Pit. Right after took off, we loaded up the car, and Jordan, Meghan, & Ryan headed to Gonzo. They got there 5 minutes before Austin & Chrisitan arrived, for the switch out)
(Ryan facetimed Marci everytime they went through Gonzo, Marci was in Main Pit. - Here is Christian getting out of the race car)
(Jordan getting in at Gonzo Pit)
(Christian facetiming with Mom when he got out at Gonzo)
(Main Pit, waiting for U999 to roll in for the first time)
(Jordan & Austin in Main Pit)
(Go-Pro footage. The course was extremely rough)
(Emily & Clarissa taking a nap in the enclosed trailer. It was actually really chilly that day in Primm)
(When our Go-Pro disconnected, all we had to track them was Racing Trax)
(Pit Stops)
Jordan was able to do an entire lap, and Christian got back into the car and finished out the race. The course was rough. Austin held first place for the entire race! Going into The Mint, his goal was just to finish the race. Breaking down is so common. We didn't want to jinx him, so we didn't tell him. Waiting for them to finish the race, the entire Campana Racing X Kombustion Syndicate X Must Be Nice Performance Team waited by the stands. When Austin & Christian rolled across the finish line and the crew met them, and told them that they won! They thought everyone was joking.
(8 Hours 31 Minutes in the Car. Austin Iron-manned it, and only got out one time!)
(Marci giving Christian a kiss at the finish line)
(The racers! Jordan, Austin, Christian)
(Gonzo Crew! Jake, Kelsey, Tyler, Josh, Ryan, Jordan)
(#1 - Meghan, Clarissa, Emily, Tyler, Kelsey, Jake, Josh, Austin, Jordan, Ryan, Erin, Marci)
(Proud wife/mom- Christian, Marci, Austin)
(Christian's biggest supporter- Tyler!)
(About to go on stage)
(Champagne Pop)
(One very happy, very tired, very cold, VERY PROUD team!)
(Time to load up! No real damage done to the race car at all, which was incredible!)
(Christian fell asleep in his clothes with his glasses on that night LOL)
On Saturday- the team spent time together in VIP watching out at Primm
(Jake, Kelsey, Austin, Tyler, Christian, Marci)
(BFJ 1st place finisher hats)
(Huge thank you to our sponsors, Kombustion Syndicate & Must Be Nice Performance for going above and beyond for us! We couldn't have done it without you!)
(Tenacious Ladies & Marci: Kelsey, Marci, Abbie, Jessie)
(The garage gang! Kelsey, Christian, Austin, Shaun, Marci)
(Austin & Shaun- they spent SO MANY months together building the cars for this race! They both did SO well!)
(Marci & Erin)
(Marci & Tyler)
Sunday was awards day!
(The best family!)
HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT HELPED MAKE THIS HAPPEN. THE MINT 400 IS NO JOKE! THE LOGISTICS, TIME, DEDICATION, KNOWLEDGE, AND FINANCIAL COMMITMENT IS SERIOUS! WE ABSOLUTELY COULDN'T HAVE LIVED OUT THIS DREAM WITHOUT ALL OF YOU!