HUMMER Sweeps Production Classes at Vegas to Reno

25 Aug 2008 , DETROIT : Rod Hall Racing’s Team HUMMER demonstrated its stock class desert racing dominance as the team swept the production classes at Friday’s 2008 Best in the Desert “TSCO Vegas to Reno.”

Despite the grueling conditions of the 457-mile race, Team HUMMER owner Rod Hall and sons Josh Hall and Chad Hall finished the race with three class victories from their production class H3, H2 SUT and H3 Alpha. Team driver Emily Miller earned a 3 rd place in the full-size SUV stock class H2 and completed her quest to become the first woman to drive the entire race.

Team HUMMER competes in the stock class, which features production-based vehicles with stock frames, stock suspension designs and production-based engines. Vegas to Reno marks the second consecutive Best in the Desert race in which Team HUMMER has swept the production classes.

“HUMMER production trucks give us a competitive advantage in desert racing,” said Rod Hall. “Our ability to win each of the production classes at the past two races demonstrates the durability of these trucks in long-distance, grueling conditions.”

Repeating his success from the 2008 SCORE Baja 500, Chad Hall piloted the #4111 H3 Alpha across the finish line as the first production class vehicle to finish the race and first in the stock full-size SUV class. Hall and navigator Thad Stump finished the race in 11:11:00 hours, averaging a speed of 40.8 miles per hour. Hall’s win extends his BITD season points lead in the stock full-size SUV class.

Team HUMMER #8111 H2 SUT pilot Josh Hall and navigator Sam Cothrun finished first in the stock full-size truck class, despite a broken track bar bracket early in the race at mile 34. Hall was able to drive the H2 into the pits where the Team HUMMER crew welded the part back into place. Hall and the H2 proceeded to finish the race in 11:25:30 hours, recording an average speed of 39.9 mph. Hall’s win extends his lead in the stock full-size truck class and marks his 5 th consecutive Vegas to Reno class win.

Rod Hall teamed with co-driver Mike Winkel and navigators Rob Henderson and Rob Winkel to earn the stock mini-SUV class win behind the wheel of the #3111 H3. The H3 team finished the race in 13:12:30 hours at an average speed of 34.5 miles per hour. Hall’s win marks his first victory at Vegas to Reno behind the wheel of the H3 and places him in first place in the stock mini-SUV class season points championship.

Emily Miller entered Vegas to Reno behind the wheel of #4110 H2 SUV, in her attempt to become the first woman to drive the entire 457-mile trek.

The desert was quick to test the resolve of Miller and navigator Jake Povey, as a severe impact with a hard surface near mile 80 ripped off the passenger side front wheel. The Team HUMMER support crew and Povey were able to rebuild the front end and get Miller back on course with only eight minutes to spare before pit closing time. Miller and Povey made up time from that point on, finishing the race in 16:40:30 hours, at an average speed of 27.3 mph.

“Driving the entire race much more arduous than it appears,” said Miller. “Its grueling enough when things are going well, but when things go wrong, it becomes even more difficult to stay focused. I could not have finished this race without the Team HUMMER support crew.”

Team HUMMER’s next race is the SCORE International Terrible’s Primm 300, September 5-6, 2008.

About HUMMER
HUMMER is a division of General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer, which employs about 321,000 people globally. HUMMER is a premium off-road vehicle manufacturer with sales in 37 countries and a product line-up that consists of the H2, H2 SUT, H3, H3x, award-winning H3 Alpha and all-new H3T. Information on HUMMER products is available at www.hummer.com.

About Team HUMMER
Team HUMMER was founded by legendary off-road racer Rod Hall in 1993. Since then, Rod and his sons Josh and Chad have compiled 13 class wins at the SCORE Baja 1000; countless podium finishes in the Best in the Desert (BitD) Racing Association series; two SCORE class championships; and five BitD class championships. Team HUMMER competes with the H3, H2 SUT and H3 Alpha in the stock class, which features production-based vehicles with stock frames, stock suspension designs and production-based engines. For more information about Team HUMMER, visit www.rodhallracing.