After a winning effort last year, Tech Editor Holman was again invited to join Josh Hall and Team Hummer as a co-driver in the infamous Baja 1000. This year the course stretched from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas, a course distance of 1296-miles. Would he be sucessful?

This year marked the 40th anniversary of the Baja 1000 and there is only one man who has participated in a car or truck in all 40 races, and that man is the legendary Rod Hall, owner of Road Hall racing and Team Hummer. The importance of this year was great for Team Hummer and the Hall family. I felt honored to be invited back to co-drive for Josh once again.

The importance of this race was not lost on me. For one, this was the first race for Chad Hall’s new H3 Alpha race truck, which replaced his H1 Alpha race truck. Josh also retired his 2003 H2 race truck, which was the oldest in Team Hummer’s arsenal, yet still dominating the class. His new truck was a 2008 H2 SUT with the new 400hp 6.2L V-8 and 6-speed transmission.

Also co-driving for the Hall’s this year was Rick Pewe, editor of our sister publication Petersen’s 4Wheel & Off-Road. Rick and I carpooled from our Los Angeles offices down to Ensenada to join the team and watch the start of the race, we would again see each other at the finish line. Rick was scheduled to ride in one of the H3s, I was to get in the H2 around San Ignacio, and take it all the way to the finish line.

Unfortunately for me, the new Race H2 suffered a mechanical failure at mile 177, which ended the race for it. A major disappointment for myself, this meant that my race was over several hundred miles before I even had a chance to get in the truck. It also meant that I would be shifting duties from racer to chaser – chasing the team and helping out on the support side all the way to Cabo.

Rick on the other hand had a great race in the H3 Alpha, and Josh jumped in to help Rod’s truck cross the finish line in 40:04:30 hours, averaging 32.34mph and making it the second stock vehicle, of any class, to cross the finish line. The first stock vehicle to cross the finish line was Chad’s H3 Alpha race truck in a time of 36:27:25, averaging 35.56mph.

Rod Hall’s win was number 19 in his Baja 1000 career, giving him the most wins of any driver in Baja history. This win was number four for Josh, while Chad earned number six, giving the trio 29 class wins and making them the winningest family in the history of the 1000. In fact, one of the three Halls has been the driver of record on a winning Baja 1000 team for the seventh stright year and eleventh time in the 15 years of the stock class history.

Just to illustrate how grueling this year’s course was, out if the 424 entrants, only 239 finished. Team Hummer was proud to take home two first place trophies, and I was proud to be a part of the effort.

Shortly after the race, I received a message from Rod Hall in my in box to all the people who have been a part of Team Hummer and his success. It read…

“2007 gave me my 70th birthday and Team HUMMER gave me my best birthday in my 70 years. Racing has been a major part of my life, through competition, enjoyment, meeting new people and sometimes disappointment. 2007 was a great time to have your 70th and also an excellent year on the race track. Thanks to all the members that went to the races and supported HUMMER and Rod Hall Racing in my passion for racing. This gave me the best birthday I could ever expect.
 
It takes a great group of people and companies to make a machine and endeavor like this a winning team. It has been very rewarding to have Josh, Chad and Donna - important parts of this life style. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is important to the team so thanks for all the unselfish support and endless dedication to winning races.
 
A special thanks goes to the team for their efforts in winning the 40th Baja1000 and giving me my 19th win.
 
2008 who knows...so let's go racin’!
 
Rod Hall
 
 
"Many times I have lost,
sometimes I did not finish.
Time and again I have failed
that is why I have succeed."
 
...Rod Hall 2007”

Check out Team Hummer at www.rodhallracing.com.

--Sean P. Holman
Tech Editor - Four Wheeler Magazine