GREG ADLER SEIZES VICTORY IN ICONIC MINT 400 OFF-ROAD RACE
Compton, California (March 7, 2017) – 4 Wheel Parts President and CEO, Greg Adler, raced to the 4400 Class win in this past weekend’s Mint 400 off-road race in the grueling desert just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. Teaming up with off-road racing icon, Rob MacCachren, the duo attacked the three 116-mile loops in a blistering time that saw them completing the 348-mile race nearly an hour ahead of their nearest competitor. The victory came just three weeks after they battled to the finish line in the King of the Hammers event in Johnson Valley, California.
“I can’t say enough about our team,” said Adler. “We made the decision to run the Mint 400 after Hammers and Brian Kirby and Justin Bodewitz busted their tails preparing to get us ready to race. Racing over 500 miles of some of the most grueling terrain imaginable in the last three weeks, this car has taken a ton of abuse. The guys gave us a great car and we had zero issues the entire day.”
Taking the start, MacCachren set a pace that saw the #4444 quickly put a 20-minute gap on the field before turning the car over to Adler for the second and third laps. As the course deteriorated and became littered with vehicles that had succumbed to the desert and attrition, Adler increased the lead with each subsequent lap in bringing home the Team 4 Wheel Parts Ultra4 to the checkered flag and a resounding class win.
“We had a lot of fun racing today,” Adler said. “We hopped in the car with a nice lead and set off to find our pace, keep moving forward and not make any mistakes. As the race went on, the course got rougher, but as we were counting down the miles to the finish, it started to sink in that we were headed to our first Mint 400 win. Some of my first races in the early ‘90s were at the Mint 400, so to come back here and bring home a win is extremely special. This really is a bucket list moment for me.”
For Adler and Team 4 Wheel Parts, the triumph put the exclamation point on a week of Mint 400 festivities that exemplified the renaissance of the iconic event as it has returned to its former glory. The week kicked off with the 4 Wheel Parts vehicle procession that saw the #4444 leading the field of competitors down the famed Las Vegas strip on Wednesday and continued through Friday with a festive contingency party.
“The Martelli Brothers have brought The Mint 400 back from the ashes to become the biggest desert race in the nation,” said Adler. “They have restored the Mint 400 to glory with its pageantry and a nod toward tradition. Honoring the history of the sport and paying homage to the legends that laid the foundation, not only for this event, but for off-road racing, make it a truly distinctive experience. We’re proud to be a part of this historic race and look forward to attending for years to come.”
Follow Greg Adler Motorsports on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Team4WheelParts.com.
Greg Adler Motorsports is Supported by:
4 Wheel Parts · BFGoodrich Tires · ODYSSEY Battery · MagnaFlow Exhaust · AMP Research / AVS · LUND · Rigid Industries · G2 Axle & Gear · Bushwacker · Makita Industrial Power Tools · Impact Racing · MasterCraft Safety · King Shocks · K&N Filters · FiberwerX · AAM
About 4 Wheel Parts
4 Wheel Parts is the global leader in truck, Jeep, SUV and off-road performance products. With 78 locations across the U.S. and Canada and growing, 4 Wheel Parts Service Centers install all the products they sell. Maintaining the nation’s largest inventory of off-road tires, wheels, suspension products, and accessories, 4 Wheel Parts serves customers across the country and around the globe. Life is Better Off-Road™. Visit them at 4wheelparts.com or call toll-free 877-474-4821.
GREG ADLER AND TEAM 4 WHEEL CONQUER KING OF THE HAMMERS
Compton, California (February 15, 2017) – 4 Wheel Parts President and CEO, Greg Adler, stepped out from behind his desk and into the driver’s seat to take his #210 Ultra4 Jeep to the finish line of what is widely considered the world’s most challenging single day off-road race – The 2017 King of the Hammers – this past weekend. The annual off-road pilgrimage drew tens of thousands of enthusiasts to the Johnson Valley Lake bed to race, cheer on competitors and celebrate off-road culture and lifestyle during the weeklong festivities.
For Adler, his focus of leading the Transamerican Auto Parts significant marketing efforts throughout the week quickly shifted on Friday as he competed in the nearly 200-mile competition in which he faced a course that combined the high-speed challenges of open desert racing with technical rock crawling through canyons and over boulders in seemingly unpassable conditions. With the race’s opening miles covering an extensive desert portion of the course, he enlisted desert racing icon and multi-time winner of the Baja 1000, Rob MacCachren, to share duties behind the wheel and while MacCachren lived up to his reputation as one of the fastest men on four wheels in the dirt, the team faced its initial challenge of the day as the #210 approached the first serious rock obstacle.
“We got off to a strong start with Rob Mac tearing through the field and putting us to a top five position, but a fitting broke inside the fuel cell and stopped the car at race mile 60,” said Adler. “The team got the situation fixed and we were up and running, but by then we were almost three hours off the pace. At that point, we decided to shift into finish mode and make sure we brought it home to the finish line.”
Now on the move, MacCachren found a pace that would set the tone for the day as he found the race pace with his meticulous driving style and expertise.
“We learned a lot from Rob throughout the week,” said Adler. “Of course, he’s fast and can drive anything, but he has an incredible attention to detail. He’s taking on this challenge with the same painstaking approach he takes to everything he races. It’s been a tremendous experience pre-running and racing with him.”
At about the halfway point in the race, Adler began his stint behind the wheel and immediately began attacking the signature trails that have become an iconic feature of the event. As he made short work of Backdoor, Sledgehammer, Jackhammer and Chocolate Thunder, he headed toward the final and most challenging obstacles that stood in the way between him and the finish line. In those closing few hours, Adler was able to work his way through the final set of challenges before he made the last turn toward home, finishing with a time of eleven hours and twenty seven minutes. Of the 122 Ultra4 vehicles to take the start that morning, he was one of just 50 official finishers in this year’s edition of the epic race with a final position of 31st.
“This certainly wasn’t where we wanted to be in the final standings today,” said Adler. But in a race like this, where the odds are stacked against you, to finish is a great accomplishment for this team.”
For Team 4 Wheel Parts, the result capped a week that saw Greg Adler’s brother, Kevin bring home his #4830 Legends Class Car to the finish line in the prior day’s Smittybilt Every Man Challenge. Kevin Adler was also one of 50 cars to complete the race among a crowded field of 133 vehicles.
“What a week,” said Greg Adler. “I couldn’t be more proud of my brother, Kevin. We brought home two cars and had a great time racing together and that’s what being out here is all about.”
Follow Greg Adler Motorsports on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Team4WheelParts.com.
Greg Adler Motorsports is Supported by:
4 Wheel Parts · BFGoodrich Tires · ODYSSEY Battery · MagnaFlow Exhaust · AMP Research / AVS · Lund · Red Kap · Daystar Products · G2 Axle & Gear · Bushwacker · Makita Industrial Power Tools · MasterCraft Safety · Fox Racing Shox · K&N Filters · Fiberwerx · GoPro · AAM
About 4 Wheel Parts:
4 Wheel Parts is the global leader in off-road truck, Jeep and aftermarket performance products. With 78 locations across the U.S. and Canada and growing, 4 Wheel Parts Service Centers install all the products they sell. Maintaining the nation’s largest inventory of off-road tires, wheels, suspension products, and accessories, 4 Wheel Parts serves customers across the country and around the globe. Life is Better Off-Road™. Visit them at 4wheelparts.com or call toll-free 877-474-4821
