enthusiasm, unlimited budget, and lots of driving experience. Bring those and you should be fine at a race, right? We will find out, this weekend, when Jay Leno takes on the Mint 400

His co-driver will be Ryan Millen

Leno’s Mint 400 experience will be featured in an episode of the Emmy-winning “Jay Leno’s Garage” and is expected to expose the sport to a new audience. He adds his name to a long list of celebrity drivers who have competed in Las Vegas’ treacherous and iconic off-road race.

James Garner, Steve McQueen, Lee Majors, Larry Wilcox, Patrick Dempsey, Mort Sahl, Buddy Hackett, Shecky Greene, Ted Nugent … the list of celebrity drivers who have tried to conquer the dusty environs in a humbling test of man and machine is nearly as long as the difficult journey.

Gordon Cooper, the original Mercury astronaut? In 1963 aboard Mercury-Atlas 9, and he orbited Earth 22 times. He spent 34 hours, 19 minutes, 49 seconds in orbit, traveling 546,167 miles.

“Gordo” Cooper lasted about 150 miles at the Mint 400.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/motor-sports/jay-leno-set-celebrity-run-mint-400-primm