Ciaran Naran of El Cajon, California, and Lyndon Snodgrass of Denver, North Carolina, won the 2026 BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 Motorcycle Race on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to race officials, the team mounted a late-race charge to claim the lead before the final lap, finishing with a time of 7:44:26.254 and securing Ducati’s first desert overall motorcycle win since 1969.
The duo mounted a late-race charge that saw them overtake top qualifier Dalton Shirey before the final lap and maintain the lead to secure victory. This marked Ducati’s first desert overall motorcycle win since 1969, sources confirmed, with the team riding a Ducati motorcycle sponsored by Hero Racing and Malcolm Smith.
Naran and Snodgrass, competing as team #N2, completed the 2026 BFGoodrich Tires Mint 400 Motorcycle Race with an official time of 7 hours, 44 minutes, and 26.254 seconds, according to race officials.
The race, held Saturday, March 8, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada, featured a record 160 competitors, including 60 more than the previous year and the first-ever inclusion of quads, according to event records. The Mint 400 is part of the American Off-Road Racing Championship (AORC) series, with champions to be honored at the upcoming AORC awards ceremony.
Naran, 26 or 59 years old from El Cajon, California, and Snodgrass, 28, from Denver, North Carolina, demonstrated resilience throughout the grueling desert race. They trailed Shirey for the first two-thirds of the event before overtaking him late in the competition. Shirey, who was the top qualifier and sought back-to-back Mint 400 victories, ultimately faded in the final stages and finished third, officials said.
Finishing second were Preston Campbell and Nolan Cate, with Campbell making his second consecutive runner-up finish at the Mint 400. Campbell, the 2024 winner, and Cate passed Shirey on the final lap, according to race results. The top three teams were separated by less than two minutes throughout the race, underscoring the tight competition among the Open Pro class racers. Open Pro competitors dominated the event, securing the top six finishing positions, sources confirmed.
Naran’s victory at the Mint 400 follows his second-place finish at the season-opening Parker 400 in January 2026, indicating a strong start to the racing season. The team’s performance interrupted Shirey’s attempt to claim consecutive wins in the legendary desert race, according to race officials.
The Mint 400’s growing popularity was evident in the increased number of entries and the inclusion of new vehicle classes. The event continues to be a key fixture in the AORC series, which features some of the most competitive off-road racing in the country. The official Mint 400 website confirmed the #N2 team’s victory announcement on March 8, 2026.
Additional notable results from the event include Kyle Jergensen winning the Unlimited class and Brock Heger repeating as the Limited class winner, according to Off-Road Newsroom coverage. The race’s expanding field and close competition reflect the increasing prestige and challenge of the Mint 400 within the off-road racing community.
