Rod Hall pulled into BFG Pit #2 at race-mile 206 15 miles behind Gavin Skilton in the #779 Honda Ridgeline. The crew discovered that the #760 Team HUMMER H3 SUV had suffered a broken front sway bar. Normally, a broken sway bar does not pose much of a problem when racing off-road so driver Mike Winkel and navigator Jake Povey got the H3 SUV back in the race without replacing the broken unit after taking on a load of fuel. Mike felt confident that he could reel the Honda in with 250 miles left to go, so it looks like Winkel and the H3 have a race on their hands.
On a sour note, the H2 SUT was determined to have suffered internal engine damage at RM 195 and was retired from the race. Josh Hall was obviously disappointed after the time and effort the crew had put in getting ready for the race only to have to retire the truck while in the lead. "I'm going to San Felipe for a big steak and a beer but I'll be back next year to win this one". I think it's more likely that he will grab a taco at a roadside stand and head over to help his father win the Stock-Mini Class.
It looks like a long night for Team HUMMER but the Baja 500 is always the most grueling race of the year.
No comments:
Post a Comment