Amanda Products will join thousands of Jeep drivers and spectators at Jeep Beach 2015, the largest ‘Jeep only’ five-day event in the Southeastern U.S., being held April 22-26 in Daytona Beach. Amanda Products will return with their Spectator Recovery Station, offering bottles of water to help event-goers rehydrate, plus visitors will get an up-close look at the Amanda Products’ custom-made Jeep, featuring recently unveiled prototype bumpers, doors and mirrors, and the latest models of the company’s flagship product, the SpeedHook™. (more…)
Hardcore protection for hardcore wheelers, our Rock Defense Jeep Front Bumpers are built to last. Made out of ¼” steel and brake-formed for a precision fit, these bumpers are built to withstand the harshest trails. The Rock Defense Jeep Front Bumpers feature a fully bolt-on design with zero welding required for installation. (more…)
Legendary off-road racer Rod Hall returns to Baja, Mexico, in the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame championship 1969 Ford Bronco.
Back in the 1969, Ford Broncos, custom prepped by Bill Stroppe were the hot ticket for desert racing.
A cool breeze drifted off the Pacific Ocean, carrying with it the typical morning fog that Tijuana, Mexico, is known for. Somewhere in the border town mayhem, a few dozen cars, four-wheel drives, and motorcycles lined up near the bullfighting arena.
The year was 1967, and a guy named Ed Pearlman and his crew from the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) had come up with the idea for a non-stop race down the Baja peninsula. Several time records had been set for the charge from the U.S. border at Tijuana to La Paz, but none involved multiple vehicles and side-by-side and handlebar-to-taillight competition, let alone a checkered flag at the end. By today’s standards, the vehicles were crude and low-tech, and the only way to confirm the actual time was with a telegraph wired to the U.S. via Morse code. At the starting line was a young ambitious kid named Rod Hall. He had a handful of races under his belt, even a few trophies, but this new challenge in the wilds of Baja would be the ultimate adventure thus far.
A few years have passed since Rod Hall wore an old-style open-face helmet. At 78 years of age, he still has a gleam in his eye and a youthful enthusiasm for the track.
Back in the day there were few detailed maps of the peninsula and even fewer fuel stations. GPS technology would not come about for several decades, and Hall and teammate Larry Minor would need to navigate the 1,000-plus-mile route with a compass and dead reckoning. His wife packed a few sandwiches in a cooler before they loaded a bag of tools and extra fuel cans on the back of their Jeep and headed south. Someone at the starting line said, “Rod, if you get lost just head south by southeast. You will get to La Paz…south by southeast.” They didn’t win that race, but did finish, which was a formidable accomplishment.
Two years later, in 1969, Hall was again in Baja with teammate Larry Minor; this time behind the wheel of a Ford Bronco built by Bill Stroppe. To the surprise of the motorcycle riders and buggy jockeys, Hall and Minor would roll into La Paz—beat up and nursing the Bronco on fumes—ahead of all contenders. Hall went on to race every NORRA Mexican 1000 and SCORE Baja 1000 since (46 total so far), and ultimately became the winningest off-road racer in America.
The Bronco changed hands several times before ending up in a junkyard in the Southern California desert, where it sat until drifting sands nearly buried it. It was eventually salvaged, given a paint job, and donated to the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF) museum in Reno, Nevada.
A few months ago the old stallion was pulled from the museum and carted over to Samco Fabrication for a full restoration. On April 26, 2015, Hall will again be south of the border and behind the wheel of his championship Bronco for the 1,200-mile NORRA Mexican 1000.
The strip-down revealed more than they were expecting. The floorboards were rusting, the drivetrain was ready for a metal recycler, and the roll cage had deteriorated to the point that it was better suited as a coat rack.
Fortunately, Rod is loved throughout the world, the Hall of Fame has a loyal following, and support for the project has been overwhelming. Ford Performance stepped up with a 347ci crate motor, Currie Enterprises supplied axles, and Summit Racing Equipment and Tifco have provided a pallet of parts, accessories, and fittings. Samco sourced a set of retro slot mags (Ansen Sprints) from American Racing, which will roll on BFGoodrich KM2 tires. Other support has come from KC HiLiTES, Wild Horses 4×4, Fox Racing, and Mastercraft Safety.
Assuming navigational duties for Hall will be Dakar Rally class champion Sue Mead and Overland Journal’s Editor-in-Chief Chris Collard. There is even a rumor that Damien Michelin might be suiting up and running with Rod. Sticking with the “all Ford” concept, the chase vehicles will be none other than a pair of Ford Raptors. For more information, or to support ORMHOF’s efforts (they are selling race T-shirts, koozies, and swag) go to www.ormhof.com, follow them on Facebook, or get Twitter updates (#rodhallracing).
We’ll be bringing you more when the restoration is complete and the team will be testing the old Bronco in the deserts of Northern Nevada. Hall said, “I’m 78 years old and I might not have to many races left in me. The guys are doing a great job on the restoration and it’s going to be fun to drive my old Bronco in Baja again.”
Photos courtesy of Trackside Photo and ORMHOF
The old Bronco was in rough shape when it was hauled into Samco on a trailer. After Hall raced it in 1969 and 1970, he sold it to Myron Croel, who had earned (according to Rod) the nickname of Myron “Roll” for turning the Bronco rubber-side-up a few times. Many of the body panels had been replaced but the floorboards and body mounts were in rough shape.
After stripping the old stallion down to its bones, the team at Samco Fabrication began the arduous process of repairing and replacing damaged components. The team is in the process of refitting the vehicle with a 347ci crate motor from Ford Performance, Currie axles, a Wild Horses suspension and Fox shocks, and American Racing Ansen Sprint slot mags with BFGoodrich KM2 tires. Summit Racing and Tifco have provided tons of parts and accessories, and KC HiLiTES, Bestop, and Mastercraft Safety will be fitting the Bronco with the best parts available in their genre.
Wrapping up the team will be chase team masters Steve Medley and Matt Hoey in two Ford Raptors—fitting support for an old Bronco.
Look for an upcoming documentary on Rod Hall and the project on the Off-RoadMotorsports Hall of Fame website (www.ormhof.com)
Dirt Riot Endurance 4×4 Racing Saturday April 18th Starting at 9am at Chaos Offroad outside Capon Bridge, West Virginia
BLACKFOOT, ID APRIL 15, 2015: The Dirt Riot series will be at Choas Offroad, one of three new locations to the Dirt Riot nationwide race series. Racing will start at 9am on Saturday April 18th with Pro Class qualifying, followed by multiple classes of racing until approximately 3:30pm when the top 3 drivers in each class will be awarded trophies and cash winnings. The winners of each race is determined by the most number of laps completed in a set amount of time. (more…)
– New epoxy sticks include ‘Plastic Bond’, ‘Water Bond’ and ‘Steel Weld’ –
Hartford, CT… Permatex, a leading innovator in chemical technology for automotive maintenance and repair, has introduced three new epoxy sticks as a part of their full line of stick epoxies. The new epoxy sticks include Permatex Plastic Bond, Permatex Water Bond, and Permatex Steel Weld. These two-part, hand kneaded, putty-type industrial strength epoxies come in a convenient stick form that makes it very easy to measure and mix the correct amount and apply to the damaged area.
Permatex Steel Weld™ is a steel-reinforced, industrial strength epoxy adhesive that is NSF certified as safe to use with repair areas that come in contact with drinking water. It bonds most metals to steel, stainless steel, aluminum, iron, copper, bronze, and brass. Permatex Steel Weld sets in just five minutes and cures in one hour. The formula is temperature resistant to 300 ˚F and provides excellent moisture resistance.
Permatex Plastic Bond is specially formulated to bond with most plastics including PVC, ABS, CPVC, fiberglass, and vinyl, as well as many other hard and semi-flexible plastics. It is NSF certified for repairs that come in contact with drinking water. Permatex Plastic Bond cures in just three hours. It is heat-resistant, non-flammable, and contains no VOCs.
Permatex Water Bond™ delivers an industrial strength epoxy that can be applied to wet areas and cures underwater. It is designed to bond to most materials including fiberglass, PVC and most plastics, aluminum, steel, iron, copper, concrete, ceramics, and wood. Permatex Water Bond’s formula is NSF certified for use with repairs that come in contact with drinking water. The formula sets in five minutes and cures in just one hour.
About Permatex
Permatex is a leading manufacturer, distributor, and marketer of premium chemical products to the automotive maintenance and repair markets. Since 1909, Permatex has been an acknowledged leader in the development of innovative new products and services for the automotive aftermarket. Permatex markets a wide range of products under well-known ITW brand names such as Permatex®, Fast Orange®, Spray Nine®, the Right Stuff®, Gel Twist®, Ultra Bond® and Dr Bond®, Ultra Cherry®, and Grez-Off®.
Permatex currently operates in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the U.K. and exports products to more than 85 countries around the world. North American operations include Permatex’s headquarters in Hartford, CT, a state-of-the-art manufacturing, distribution, and technical center located in Solon, OH.
Permatex is a division of ITW (Illinois Tool Works Inc.), a US based, NYSE listed corporation, founded in 1912. ITW is a Fortune 200 diversified manufacturing company.
Crandon International Off-Road Raceway celebrates its 46th year of short-course racing action. The “Big House” is built on a solid foundation of world-class motorsports talent, equipment and support; the dedication of a not-for-profit board of directors ensuring the “Crandon experience,” the financial support of corporate partners and the devotion of raceway volunteers and organizations that look forward to the return of loyal fans each and every year. With its roots in Baja and its birth in Crandon, short-course off-road racing is known as the fastest, most punishing form of auto racing on the planet. www.crandonoffroad.com
CRANDON INTERNATIONAL OFF-ROAD RACEWAY
10104 US HIGHWAY 8 P.O. BOX 101 Crandon, Wisconsin, 54520, USA
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Bark River Lions Club hosting off-road racing in the Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. From its meager beginnings, the facility has grown to become one of the premiere off-road racing venues in the country. The Bark River Lions Club was organized on January 12, 1943 with 24 charter members. These members, led by President Joseph Gucky and Secretary/Treasurer B.E. Douglas, put in place a set of standards and goals which members hold true to this day. Since then the club, thanks in part to the contributions of the off-road community, has established an unprecedented record of community, regional, and international contributions and service.www.barkriveroffroad.com
The goal of the Midwest Off-Road Racing group is to insure affordable racing for the Midwest Sportsman Off-Road Racer by uniting racers with a common voice. By maintaining affiliations with approved sanctioning bodies, this will allow the competitor and the enthusiast to enjoy off road racing now and in the future.
