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Rod Hall Baja 1000 Hummer H3 - Racing With Rod

The Baja Legend Still Rides Hard
By Rick Péwé
Photography by Rick Péwé, George Thompson, Thad Stump
Hummer H3 Front View Sand
Hummer H3 Rod Hall
Rod Hall is to Baja as Dale... 
   
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Hummer H3 Rod Hall
Rod Hall is to Baja as Dale Ernhardt Jr. is to Talladega. Rod started before most racers were born, driving the Mexican 1000 (as it was then known) back in 1967 in a CJ-5. It took him and codriver Larry Minor more than 31 hours to finish, while last year's race was finished in 36 1/2 in a Hummer H3.
Hummer H3 Front View Dark
Blasting through the night... 
   
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Hummer H3 Front View Dark
Blasting through the night during the roughest course section was challenging. It seemed like the old days of racing, with steady crawling, pure brown-out situations from the silt, and having to maneuver around stuck vehicles. Once we made it through our section, we swapped seats with Hall and codriver Emily Miller, who took it in for the finish. Racing like this shows the durability of the stock H3 and the tenacity of Mike Hinkle, whom I rode with.
Hummer H3 Interior Dash
The interior is as stock as... 
   
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Hummer H3 Interior Dash
The interior is as stock as it can be, except for the addition of a safety cage, seats, belts, and a bunch of toggle switches. The screen on the right is for all engine and temperature sensors, which are logged into a computer. Above the not-windshield is the GPS, a lifesaver for course turns and corrections on the fly. Still, seat-of-the-pants navigation is a valuable skill, especially when the battery juice goes south.
Hummer H3 Suspension
The class is Stock, and that's... 
   
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Hummer H3 Suspension
The class is Stock, and that's what the suspension is. You are allowed only the most limited upgrades. The Fox shocks are about it for the front as well as the rear. Even the engine, transmission, and transfer case are basically factory items but for the limited, allowed tweaks for reliability and performance. As Hall says, you can't win if you don't finish.
Jeep Cj7 Front View
Rod Hall Racing

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