2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Mint 400, the race in the Nevada desert that tests the strength and durability of machine and man alike over the miles. From it’s origins as a PR stunt for a hotel to the race it is today, the Mint hasn’t changed all that much: it’s still held in the desert hellscape of the lands south of Las Vegas, in that tip of Nevada situated perfectly between California and Arizona. It’s still dotted with rabbitbush, creosote bushes and the occasional Joshua tree, still home to snakes, and is still a rocky pit of dust and silt so fine that it permeates every last fiber of cloth on your person when you go from human being to being little more than the silhouette in the clouds. The Mint 400 might be glamorous and full-on Vegas when the trucks are parked in the downtown square, but the second they hit the dirt, all that beauty, all that neon disappears and glory will not return until four hundred miles have passed…or your rig breaks. Whatever comes first.

This 1978 footage from BFGoodrich follows along the two-car team of Frank “Scoop” Vessels and Bob Gordon/Gary Pace during the 1978 running. The two vehicles are Bill Stroppe-designed and built Chevrolet Blazers, and at a quick glance you can see that easily. If not, go look up the Big Oly Bronco and it’ll become more clear. There is no surprise to the action itself…man and machine take an ass-kicking courtesy of the geography of the Southwest in the hunt for prize money. What is shocking comes during the many slow-motion shots. Look at the suspension…or, rather, how little of it is moving. Our spines hurt just watching this…