CHAD AND JOSH HALL WIN VEGAS TO RENO

For the second consecutive year, Chad & Josh Hall cross the finish line within a few minutes (6) of each other to win Class 4100 and Class 8100. Chad took the checkered flag in the #4111 Team HUMMER H3 Alpha at 11:49 PM, 70 miles in front of the second place #4101 Ford Expedition driven by John Sunderland. Chad spent about 11 hours, 9 minutes on the course and finished with an average speed of about 41 MPH.

Josh Hall finished at 11:55 PM, in the #8111 Team HUMMER H2 SUT with a 30 mile lead over the apparent second place finisher, Greg Foutz in the # 8102 Ford F-350 pick-up. Josh was out on the course for 11 hours, 25 minutes for an average speed of about 39 MPH.

At the final pit, at race-mile 410, Chad came through with a badly missing engine which was a matter of great concern after Josh had lost an engine in the H2 at the Baja 500, in June. The preliminary symptom at that time was that the engine started missing. As it turned out, the H2 had developed a problem in the fuel management system which caused cylinders 2 & 3 to run lean, a condition which, if left un-treated will cause the pistons to burn. Since the problem could not be diagnosed in the field, the cylinders burned and forced us to retire the H2 from the race. Fortunately, while the symptoms may have been the same the cause must have been different as Chad's truck climbed Pine Nut Mountain, the final obstacle between the final pit and the finish, without incident.

Currently Mike Winkle is at race-mile 415 in the #3111 H3 and has extended his lead over the #4101 Ford to 25 miles. Emily Miller is soldiering on in the H2 SUV and is at race-mile 285. Both Winkle and Miller appear to be running well and I will be tracking them until they cross the finish line.