The Way Forward: Building Pace | DRT Racing at King of the Hammers and The Mint 400
Episode 2 of The Way Forward: Building Pace follows DRT Racing through two major stops on the 2026 race calendar: King of the Hammers and The Mint 400.
For Landon, both races were about more than finishing positions. They were opportunities to get more comfortable behind the wheel, understand the pace required in desert racing, and compete in the UTV Open / UTV Unlimited class alongside some of the most experienced drivers and factory-backed teams in off-road racing.
The episode also shows what happens after the race car comes back to the shop. At DRT, lessons from the course feed back into the work happening in engineering, fabrication, and product development.
TL;DR: Building Pace documents DRT Racing gaining experience at King of the Hammers and The Mint 400 while using time on the race course to help inform how DRT develops and tests products.
Learning to Build Pace
King of the Hammers marked DRT Racing's first real open-desert race, with a course that demanded a different approach than the team's previous events.
Landon's goal was to run a controlled pace, stay out of trouble, and finish the race. As the miles added up, so did his confidence in the car. He began getting a better feel for how it reacted in different situations and where he could safely start pushing harder.
That experience also provided a clear benchmark. Racing against the UTV Open / UTV Unlimited field showed just how much pace the top competitors carry and how important it is to take advantage of opportunities to make time when the course allows it.
The team finished King of the Hammers 23rd in class and 33rd overall, completing its primary goal of getting through the race and gaining valuable seat time.
From King of the Hammers to The Mint 400
There was little downtime after King of the Hammers. The team returned to DRT, cleaned and prepared the car, and turned its attention to The Mint 400.
The Las Vegas event brought a different atmosphere, from the parade down Las Vegas Boulevard to a race field filled with familiar names from across off-road racing. DRT-sponsored athlete Blake Wilkey was also competing, adding another connection between the DRT team and the race program.
For Landon, the Mint was another chance to apply what he had learned. The plan remained simple: put together a clean opening lap, learn the course, and build pace as the race progressed.
After hundreds of miles across a course that became progressively rougher, the team reached the finish again. More importantly, Landon came away with another full race of experience and a clearer understanding of where he can continue improving behind the wheel.
Racing Helps Shape What DRT Builds
The work does not stop when the race ends.
Back at DRT, engineering, fabrication, and product design happen in-house. Racing gives the team another environment to push equipment, gather feedback, and look for ways to improve what it builds.
During the period covered in Episode 2, the team was also developing accessories for the Can-Am Defender and CFMOTO platforms. Those projects may be happening back at the shop, but the mindset carries over from the race program: build, test, learn, and keep improving.
That connection between racing and product development is a major part of The Way Forward. Every race gives Landon more time behind the wheel, and every mile gives the DRT team another opportunity to learn.
