Today, Rod Hall is in Mexicali for the start of the NORRA Mexican 1000. The competition is a tribute to the original edition that took place in 1967. This year’s race is a fully supported on and off-road rally open to vintage and alternative fueled vehicles.
Hall is teamed up with Ron Johnson of Tacoma, Washington and as going to be driving the 1970 442 Olds that was originally built for James Garner. Johnson acquired the car in 2007 and began restoration on what he described as a “incredibly beat up body.” Today the car is in show-worthy condition and even has the original race engine found by Mondello Racing. However, that is where the catch is. Although an "original race motor" sounds great in theory, the team encountered a major setback when taking it for it's final test before loading it on the transporter. They lost the race motor, forcing them to pull out of the race. So as of today, people will have to be content to just see the car at tech and contingency where it is on display. The 442 Olds will be on display next at the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame located inside the famed National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada. The tentative plan is the team will then enter the Extreme Outlaws 250 race in Reno on June 19th for a shakedown run.
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