Vehicle Profile - H1 Test Truck

We just wrapped up the fifth Light Truck Tire Seminar this past Friday for Michelin and BFGoodrich Tires.  Along with organizational duties and demonstration driving, I get the fun job - driving participants on a "hot lap" in one of Rod Hall's "rolling stock." The vehicle is Rod's original H1 HUMMER race truck that debuted at the 1993 Baja 1000 and won the Full Stock class. 

The truck is a GM 6.5 Liter Turbo Diesel equipped with a set of BFGoodrich Mud Terrain KM2s and a suspension package that Rod Hall Products developed and distributes to the military. H1s with this suspension package can be driven at the same performance level that we push the truck on the hot lap course, but with approximately 16,500 of total weight. This is critical for soldiers' safety who need to load their vehicles with armor, artillery and gear.  The truck's purpose when it isn't racing around the course for the LTTS program is to test durability and handling of new parts in severe conditions.

The "durability demonstration" - another term for "hot lap" is the best part of the job and great to see people's faces as we zig-zag across the course at speed and hit the new little table top jump.  Most comments range from how surprised they are the truck handles so well or how big the truck is and how small I am.  Some laugh, some yell, some sit quietly white knuckled, but most everyone walks away wanting more.  

Posted by Emily Miller

Update from Chad - Racing Class 10

I am running the 10 car this year with Johnny Harrah in all the BITD events.  We have completed two races - I start and Johnny finishes.  The first race was rough for us.  The car was finished just in time for Parker and we had minimal time to test and tune.  However, Primm was a different story and there were significant improvements in ride and handling.  

Running Primm was a real eye opener for me.  The car worked well so we could run it hard.  It is very different from driving a full stock.  It took a while for me to figure out that the whoops are really of no concern, and I can drive it as fast as the engine will pull through them.  You really just have to work on keeping it on the road and not hitting rocks.  I'm also much busier in the cockpit - shifting all the time and sometimes using the clutch.  The car also has huge body roll and wheel travel, which takes getting used to.  The HUMMER is very different - where we focus on not making any mistakes and saving the car to the finish.  Course condition has a much bigger impact on stock trucks.

The Speed team is coming into it's own.  Johnny is a good driver and we believe we will be the car to beat.  We will be testing all next week and Thad Stump will be coming up to join us.  I expect good things and am looking forward to moving into Class 1 next year.  But I'm also ready to get back in the H3Alpha for the Baja 1000 and go for another Stock Full win.

Terrible's @ PRIMM Results

This weekend, Chad Hall ran Terrible's @ PRIMM in Class 10 with co-pilot Thad Stump.  The course was a three-lap 250 mile course just outside of Las Vegas.  The event was divided into two races with the faster classes running second.  Class 10 ran in the second grouping that included unlimited 7 trucks, 1500, Class 8, Class 1 and Trick Trucks.

Chad ran the first two laps and started in 10th position.  The first lap went smooth and Chad was running in 2nd place.  On lap two, he bent a wheel and had a flat.  Lost the power steering near the end of the lap before handing it to Johnny.  Harrah had a trouble free lap and brought it home for 4th place in class and 38th unofficially overall.

Chad noted, "the car is really fast and we are ready to win."  The team will have the chance at the next race, the Vegas to Reno 1000 mile stage race - August 19-23rd.  Check out the "new and improved" BITD.com for more info.  

Have questions for our team?  Send them to info@rodhallracing.com and we'll answer them on our blog.

Parker 425 - Update #3

This just in from Chad -- He confirmed the information about the shift linkage. Took a couple hours to fix, but he did say the car was fast and they had a good run. He handed to car off to Johnny at RM 154, but about ten miles later, the car was hit and looks like it will be a dnf. Chad didn't have the details, but we are holding tight and hoping the guys are okay. More to follow as soon as we hear.....

Parker 425 - Update # 2

It's tough to stare at #1055 , see the MPH remain at zero and wonder what is happening.  But Josh just phoned in -- It's raining hard in Parker, and unfortunately Chad and Thad are stuck at Main Pit working to fix #1055.  At race mile 131, the shift lever broke at the transmission.  They were able to manually engage second gear and limp it in.  The rain started at 11:30 and now at 1 pm, it is still coming down hard.  The plan is to get the fix, hand the car off to Johnny at Graham Well and finish the race and get the points.  Best of luck to the team!