Checkered Flag: Rod Hall

[Side-Oilers]

I knew him, and he was a helluva great guy in addition to being the winningest Baja racer of all time.  50 consecutive years of racing there.

The following statement is by Edsel B. Ford II:

Rod Hall was an off-road racing icon and pioneer. From an overall win in the 1969 Baja 1000 driving a Ford Bronco to racing the Baja 1000 fifty times to raising a multi-generation racing family, he is to be honored for his tremendous grit, driving prowess and leadership. Rod holds a special place in Ford Motor Company's motorsports heritage. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Hall family.

[Side-Oilers]

Bill Stroppe prepared Hall's racers, including after Hall went to Dodge. 

[Side-Oilers]

Mr Baja.

[Side-Oilers]

https://autoweek.com/article/car-news/desert-racer-rod-hall-1937-2019

[Side-Oilers]

True story:  In Nov 1985, I was stranded, along with a lot of other travelers, in the Reno airport, during a big snowstorm. I was trying to get to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, but no flights were leaving for at least a day.

The guy in line in front of me, also trying to get to SEMA, was Brian Redman.  I'd known him a little bit a couple of years earlier when I got a press day ride at RIR from him in his Cooke-Woods Lola T600.  So we chatted a bit while in the non-moving line. 

Then, I spotted Rod Hall and his wife, Donna, in line behind us. I'd also known Rod a little bit, and went back to talk with him. He was also trying to get to SEMA.  As we talked, Rod made up his mind to drive to Vegas, and invited me along. I asked if he'd mind having one more passenger, and introduced the two racing legends.

So, within a half hour, we four were in Hall's Dodge Ramcharger and barreling through the snowstorm toward Las Vegas. We made it without a hitch, except for some really heavy snow.  Usually a nervous passenger, I relaxed in the back seat, because I couldn't have had better chauffeurs!

[Rodster-500]

Now that's a cool story!!