by Norm Johnson Send Me E-mail

Well, gang, the weekend every off-road enthusiast has been waiting for has finally arrived. The classic Southern Nevada Off Road Enthusiasts (S.N.O.R.E.) Mint 400 Desert Race is back and roaring to get underway. And, like during the grand old days, technical inspection and a parade of vehicles will continue to be open to the public downtown on Fremont Street, just east of the canopy. It got underway yesterday (Thursday, March 27) and concludes tonight. The race begins at 7 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday) at Jean, NV. and winds its way through the desert, mountains and dry lake for a total of 97 miles per lap, with four laps totaling 388 miles. Yours truly will be at the start / finish line to wave the green flag, starting more than 300 vehicles on their way.

Unlike the first race in 1968, this one should go off without too many problems. I recall many incidents that occurred that first year and have written about a couple of them. I'll conclude my storytelling with the following true tales:

None of us actually knew how to figure the time it would take the racers to get from one point to the next point. And, none of us knew what to expect or how to handle a checkpoint. So, I enlisted a few executives from the hotel to handle various checkpoints and told them they should be at such a location at such a time. I remember watching the Keno manager, dressed in a suit and tie, with a beautiful pair of Gucci shoes, getting in his car and heading for Beatty. The hotel manager, nattily attired also, headed for a spot midway between Las Vegas and Beatty. Another was stationed at Ash Meadows in the middle of no where - accessed only by driving more than 20 miles on a dirt road. It was really comical watching these guys returning to the hotel (I'm sure you get the picture). They were dirt from head to toe. The Keno manager had to throw his shoes away. The executive assigned to Beatty (the checkpoint was a gas station) arrived at his assigned time, only to discover that about 12 race cars had already cleared the station. Fortunately, the station owner had written down the numbers of the cars as they passed. Today that is a thing of the past!

Another short story tells a lot about the first race and how we improvised on the spot: We had set up a tent at the start line, with an electrical connection from a telephone pole nearby. Our accounting department was responsible for marking down the time as each vehicle was given the green flag. They had hooked up a time clock and assigned each race car a card that would be used to clock them out and when they finished.

Well, let me tell you, it was confusion at its best - a car that was supposed to start 33rd somehow was in the 12th starting position. The electrical wire somehow became disconnected and the crew began writing the time down by hand, until they got the electricity back. We had to also move vehicles aside to get them in the proper order. With the help of motorcycle police and volunteers, we managed to start everyone in their proper positions. Today that would never happen.

But that is history. S.N.O.R.E. today is well organized and ready for the challenge. Don Wall, president of the group this year, has assembled a great crew to man the checkpoints and to work the race. He and his staff have worked tirelessly to make it happen. Unfortunately, there were the few unforeseen obstacles on the way, but the group overcame most of them. Las Vegas Events, the promotion arm for Las Vegas (they receive money from the room tax to promote special events) and a few other public organization could not see the value of the race this year. What a shame! But, after the final race car gets the checkered flag Saturday evening, and the checks and trophies are handed out Sunday at Primm, NV. I believe those people in charge of the $$$ will change their minds. Next year they'll come across with badly needed promotional dollars, giving S.N.O.R.E. the backing they need to make the Mint 400 once again global in stature!

THIS AND THAT QUICKLY: Went to see the Don Rickles show the other evening at The Orleans, and to watch an old friend open for him, Paul Christopher. Christopher is one of those rare entertainers who you never get tired of listening to. He has an excellent repertoire of music from jazz to Broadway to the classics of a by-gone era. Following the show we, Stephanie Nielson of Atlantic City, and I met with Paul (the three of us have been friends for more than 30 years) and headed for Turnberry Towers to see his buddy of equal years, Clint Holmes, whose wife, Kelly Clinton, was performing that evening in the Stirling Club. Paul and Clint then did an impromptu presentation of making musical notes with just their voice - called scatting and made famous by Ms. Ella Fitzgerald and Sammy Davis, Jr. It's a lost art gang! It was also a fantastic evening for this writer... We also had the pleasure of attending the official opening of a new venue for entertainer extraordinaire, Jimmy Hopper, in the Lava Room at Trader Vic's inside the Planet Hollywood Miracle Mile Shops. It had been quite some time since I last watched this fantastic entertainer do what he does - to sing as only he can! He does it all and is smoother than silk. His "Night and Day" is a killer as is "MacArthur Park." And then, who doesn't like Glenn Miller music, such as "Moonlight Serenade." Hopper is accompanied by a beautiful young violinist, Mira Khomik, who is an extremely accomplished musician with a wonderful smile. Gary Bruno is the third member of this outstanding group (he plays just about every guitar type instrument there is). Current show times for the Jimmy Hopper Show are Wednesday through Saturday starting at 10 p.m. He will be at the Suncoast Hotel / Casino this weekend with a full orchestra starting at 7:30 p.m... Also in town this weekend at the South Point Hotel / Casino is my good buddy, Tony Orlando, who closes Sunday night. We plan on attending the final show and getting to visit with him again. Big week this week! So, gang, I'll see ya at the start/finish line for the Mint 400 or at the Tony Orlando Show Sunday evening. I'm outa here!

I'm outa here!

CONTINUE ON TO...:
>It's The Norm Article Archives
>Las Vegas News - "Heard Around Town"
>Las Vegas Leisure Guide