Spec Truck Upsets Unlimited Rigs at Mint 400

Kyle Jergensen wins the 2026 BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 in a Spec Truck, overcoming larger and more powerful Unlimited class vehicles.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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In a surprising upset, Kyle Jergensen driving a Spec Truck won the 2026 BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 off-road race, defeating larger and more powerful Unlimited class vehicles. Jergensen trailed the two-time defending race winner Adam Householder's Unlimited 2WD truck for most of the race, but took the lead on the final lap when Householder's truck suffered a mechanical failure.

Why it matters

The Mint 400 is one of the most prestigious off-road racing events in the United States, and this victory by a smaller and less powerful Spec Truck over the Unlimited class vehicles highlights the importance of reliability, strategy, and driver skill in off-road racing. It also demonstrates the continued popularity and competitiveness of the Spec Truck class.

The details

Jergensen and his #222 The Beast/Camburg/Magnaflow Spec Truck trailed Householder's Unlimited truck for the first three laps of the four-lap race. However, Jergensen was able to close the gap significantly, cutting Householder's lead from over a minute down to just 8 seconds by the end of the third lap. On the final lap, Householder's truck suffered a failure of the lower A-arm, allowing Jergensen to take the lead and secure the victory by over 4 minutes.

  • Jergensen trailed Householder for the first three laps of the four-lap race.
  • On the third lap, Jergensen cut Householder's lead from over a minute down to just 8 seconds.
  • On the final lap, Householder's truck suffered a mechanical failure, allowing Jergensen to take the lead and win the race.

The players

Kyle Jergensen

The driver of the #222 The Beast/Camburg/Magnaflow Spec Truck who won the 2026 BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400.

Adam Householder

The two-time defending champion of the Mint 400 who was leading the race in his Unlimited 2WD truck until a mechanical failure on the final lap.

Ryan Arciero

The driver who finished third overall in the race.

Brett Sourapas

The top finisher in the Unlimited Truck 4WD class, who finished second overall.

Jimmie Johnson

The seven-time NASCAR Cup champion who returned to off-road racing at the Mint 400 as part of the Terrible Herbst Motorsports team.

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What they’re saying

“We made no mistakes—no flats, no nothing, the truck was perfect, the team was perfect. That's what won us the Mint today, no mistakes.”

— Kyle Jergensen (autoweek.com)

“I feel like every single year we race here we say it was rougher than the previous year, but this was no joke. Lap 4, you can't even get on top of anything.”

— Brett Sourapas, Top finisher in Unlimited Truck 4WD (autoweek.com)

“Today went fairly well. I lost third gear, our high gear, so the third and fourth lap, the fastest I could go was like 90, 95 miles an hour. We had no top speed and we were just hoping for attrition at that point.”

— Ryan Arciero, Third-place finisher (autoweek.com)

What’s next

The American Off-Road Racing Championship (AORC) will hold its next race, the Silver State 300, on April 22-26 in Tonopah, Nevada.

The takeaway

This upset victory by a smaller and less powerful Spec Truck over the larger and more powerful Unlimited class vehicles at the prestigious Mint 400 race highlights the importance of reliability, strategy, and driver skill in off-road racing. It also demonstrates the continued competitiveness and popularity of the Spec Truck class.