Jenson Button’s first Mint 400 test

As announced last week, 2009 Formula 1 champion Jenson Button and his new Rocket Motorsports team is coming to the 2019 BFGoodrich Mint 400 -- and we have a new video to prove it.

Produced by Mad Media, this new video was shot several weeks ago in one of the sport’s most established testing grounds, the rugged desert terrain just outside of Barstow, California. As the footage shows, the area -- just a two-hour drive from downtown Los Angeles -- mimics much of the hostile terrain off-road racing newbie Button can expect at his upcoming Mint 400 adventure. Button's excitement and awe about his next racing challenge is plain to see.

Button will be teamed with Le Mans champion Chris Buncombe and Managing Director of Singer Vehicle Design Mazen Fawaz. With support from BFGoodrich, Method Race Wheels and others, the

Rocket Motorsports effort will field a Brenthel Industries-built 6100-class truck in the “Great American Off-Road Race,” scheduled for March 6-10 in Las Vegas, Nev.

The Mint 400 has roots that stretch back to the sport’s beginning in 1968. In that time, James Garner, Steve McQueen, Parnelli Jones, Johnny Rutherford, Mickey Thompson, Roger Ward, Patrick Dempsey and Robby Gordon are just a few of the famous names to have tackled its challenges.

RACER will be providing complete race coverage and exclusive stories on this year’s BFGoodrich Mint 400 beginning next week and throughout the event.