Race Thru Hell

The Hummer off-road legacy is soaring high in both military and civilian use. After 14 years of making Hummer with a record of 12,000 units made, the production of the famous H1 Hummer finally ceased. The assembly plant manufacturing the H1 was converted into a facility that concentrates on the production of military grade High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles or HUMVEEs. Despite the closure, the company proudly announced that not a single employee lost a job.

Hummer is a large 4×4 off-road vehicle considered in some countries like New Zealand and Australia as a truck because its high fuel consumption do not pass the standard set for normal Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs). Originally built by AM General (the merger of American Motors and Jeep), General Motors continued to use the Hummer brand after it acquired the rights over the brand name from the former in 1999. Hummer shares that distinguished 7-slot front grill with Jeep, also a leading 4×4 off-road automobile maker. AM General continued to produce the Hummer in South Bend, Indiana. Hummer is now officially a division of General Motors.

The Hummer was featured in ESPN in 1990 for a documented off-road trek from London to Beijing, passing by the rough terrain of the former Soviet Union. Its reputation as a reliable 4-wheel drive vehicle reached its peak after its noted performance in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

Today the H2 and H3 2008 models, the civilian versions of the Hummer, are widely sought after in the large- and mid-size SUV market. Arnold Schwarzenegger became so delighted by a parade of HUMVEEs during the filming of the Kindergarten Cop in 1990 that he became one of those who called on AM General to produce a civilian version of the Hummer.

The 2008 H2 is a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) and its variant, the H2 SUT is a Sport Utility Truck with a six-foot pick-up extension that extends the flexibility of your H2. Powered by a 6.2-liter V8 engine, the H2 can deliver 393 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque to its 6-speed Hydra Matic 6L80 automatic transmission.

It has a 9.7-inch high ground clearance and traction is managed by an automatic Traction Control System capable of applying brakes selectively to individual wheels. The Panic Break Assist is a unique feature that makes this vehicle an outstanding off-road companion.

The new 2008 H3, meanwhile, is a mid-sized SUV with variants such as the ordinary H3, H3 Alpha and the H3x. H3 is basically a smaller Hummer, more nimble and fuel efficient, easier to drive than the original H1. H3 Alpha is mounted with a more powerful Vortec 5.3-Liter V8 cast Aluminum block and cylinder head engine, capable of delivering 300 horsepower at 5,200 rpm. The ordinary H3 has a Vortec 3700 3.7-Liter cast Aluminum engine.

The H3x is a city version of the H3, a mix of generous chrome accent in the body and the wheels, a roof rack crossbar and more comfortable accessories. The H3 is available in 5-speed manual and 4-speed Hydra Matic 4L60 Transmission. The H3 Alpha is only available in 4-speed automatic transmission.

Hummer committed to embrace bio-fuel technology in developing its future models. Schwarzenegger has converted his own Hummer to bio-fuel capable engine. Join the Hummer caravan and let everyone know you are traveling tough yet in business class comfort. Show them you own one with your Hummer Keychains. Flawless metal designs are engraved with the “Hummer H2″ or “Hummer H3″ text. Join Baja 1000 race champ Rod Hall in driving Hummer and celebrating his 40-years in off-road racing.

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Irritated with your Jeep muffler? Or just can’t get through a terrain?

Allow your off-road travel to be intimidated by movies to give you the drive in getting your Jeep through a tough terrain.

“On Any Sunday”

This historical documentary pays tribute to motorcycle fanatic Steve McQueen. It takes a very close look at racers and enthusiasts. Directed by Bruce Brown and released in 1971, it features capturing the thrill and freedom of what was happing with racing in the late 60s, and off-road adventure itself.

Rick Deremo, ex-professional-motocross-rider-turned-rock-racer, says he likes the fact that this movie brings out his competitive nature as this was one movie that got him pumped to go wheeling.

“Dust to Glory”

This documentary directed by Dana Brown caught the Baja 1000 fever. This features combined talents in the off-road world that resulted to superb footage of the famous (Robby Gordon, Jimmy Vassar, Mario Andretti) and the unknown for an affliction to the toughest desert racers in the world. This was filled with motorcycles, buggies and trophy trucks, and was able to capture the beauty, isolation and magic that surround the rotten desert race any off-roader dreams of doing.

Dirt Sports Editorial Director and author of the race chronicle book “1000 Miles to Glory” Marty Fiolka, is the associate producer of “Dust to Glory”.

“Haulin’ or Crawlin’ Series”

Pat Gallagher, President and Founder of RP Films, can land a great piece of terrain action when it comes to getting the most exposure in the off-road sport of professional rock crawling. RP Films produces the fierce 4×4 off-road and rock crawling videos and DVDs dubbed as Haulin’ or Crawlin’ series – number 4 was just released this spring.

Professional rock crawler Jesse Haines says Haulin’ or Crawlin’ exudes “the best rock crawlers in the world on some of the craziest obstacle”.

“Cannonball Run”

This features scenes where Jackie Chan takes his Subaru wheeling. This wacky film stars Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, and a whole host of other misfits like Sammy Davis Jr., Jamie Farr, and Terry Bradshaw. What’s so interesting about this is that this movie was based on a series of real races started by Brock Yates of Car & Driver Magazine.

“The Road Warrior”

Set in the desolated Australian Outback, this movie is about a post-apocalypse world, where natural resources and humanity has vanished, introducing unheard modifications to monster vehicles.

Mad Max, actor Mel Gibson gets his badass 1973 XB GT Ford Falcon Coupe, called “The Pursuit Special” but also referred to as “The Interceptor” in the first movie. Here, modifications to this dark police vehicle included the Concorde front end and the supercharger bulging through the bonnet. The Road Warrior, the rear wheels, supercharger and pipes were altered. Huge petrol tanks were located in the back.

Movies can really be intimidating. But just be sure not to be over intimidated for you might just encounter danger.

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As the popularity of Extreme Sports continues its rise, the concept of Motorcycle Racing has taken on new meaning. From road racing to Grand Prix, to motocross, supercross, and freestyle competition, one thing is for sure: if you race, you are going to fall off your bike on one or more occasions.

That being said, todays motorcycle racing jackets and apparel are designed taking this into consideration, and they compensate by giving you the best possible protection in the most likely places prone to injury. The basic principal is to design garments that will pad the most vulnerable body parts, and allow for a clean slide on asphalt or dirt without bunching up or tearing to shreds.

Racing jackets will and should come with some kind of body armor either fixed inside the jacket, or removable. Armor comes in different forms, from thick foams, to plastic covered compounds, to hard, shock absorbing rubbers.

When considering the purchase of a racing jacket and/or suit, make sure the armor is CE approved. Certifique Europe is a European standard of certification that grades armor on three levels, level 1 being the least protective, level 3 the most.

At the very least, a racing jacket should have protective armor at the shoulders and elbows, and pants should have extra protection at the knee and hip. In the case of a two piece racing suit, the bottom will often be zipped to the jacket, to allow the garment to act as one piece during a slide.

Back protectors are not often found in racing jackets, but there is in some jackets a place to insert one. Since most spinal injuries are caused by blows to the extremities as opposed to direct impact to the back, the back protector is better suited for protection from flying projectiles, and thus is often made from hard plastics.

Another major consideration for a racing jacket is the comfort factor.

Motorcycle jackets are usually made from a combination of materials, the basis of which is leather. Kevlar stitching can be used to insure the strength of the seams, and patches of Kevlar or other high stress synthetic materials are used on particularly vulnerable areas like the shoulders, elbows and knees. Stretch panels of various materials are often employed at strategic locations such as under the arms and at the knee to promote ease of movement in extreme conditions.

Because black leather has a natural tendency to be hot, racing jackets tend to be more colorful than your typical black leather jacket, using combinations of colors, obviously to attract attention to a particular racer, but also in part to reflect the heat of the suns rays. Some racing jackets employ perforated leather to allow the air to penetrate the jacket, and air vents are often used to provide circulation.

With modern synthetics gaining in popularity, many racers are choosing these tough and durable materials over leather because of their coolness, light weight, and waterproof characteristics. It is not uncommon to find legitimate racing gear that forego the use of leather altogether.

Whereas todays modern day motorcycle racing apparel employ all the technological know how to keep the racer safe and comfortable, racing jackets are also popular within the traditional biker community. A little bit of extra armor never hurts, and because many jackets use removable armor, you don’t have to look so robotic at your local biker bar.

Additionally, you don’t have to be stick with basic black, the colorful styles often found in the racing jacket genre add another layer of coolness for the biker to choose from!

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Hummer is an off-road vehicle produced by General Motors and was founded in 1995 with its headquarters located in Detroit, Michigan. Hummer has three different models coming off the production line each year. They are the H1, H2 and the H3. The H1 is a modified version of the Humvee, the vehicle used by the military also known as the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). Hummer introduced the H2 and H3 as smaller civilian market versions of the H1.

Humvees are designed to drive off-road through difficult terrain and became more familiar when the United States military used them in Operation: Desert Storm in 1991. In previous wars that the United States was involved in the military would use Jeeps to move their war generals and other members of the troops around from location to location. The Humvee was designed to navigate rough terrain and also had some armor placed on it specially for the military. After the H2 and the H3 were introduced by Hummer, they renamed the original vehicle, used by the military as the H1. The H1 is also available on the auto market today for civilian purchase but is not as popular as the other two models.

Hummer did not go international until 2006 when they decided to use select importers and distributors in Europe and some other markets. The H3 is produced in Port Elizabeth in South Africa. There are 300 Hummer dealers in 34 countries, with 173 of those dealers located within the United States.

The Hummer is the only vehicle in the United States that is offered with off-road tires, low-range transfer and a high-ground clearance. There are no two-wheel drive Hummers offered anywhere in the world as of yet. In 1993, before the corporation became known as Hummer, the Team Hummer Racing group was formed for competitions. Team Hummer picked up 11 wins at the Baja 1000 and has established itself as one of the best manufacturing companies involved in auto racing.

There are four concerns/criticisms about Hummer vehicles. They are poor fuel economy, safety, size and ecology safety. Hummer vehicles get on average 14 miles per gallon on the highway and only 10 miles per gallon in the city. They weigh in at roughly 6,000 pounds, which makes it illegal to drive the vehicles on certain streets and highways. Hummers do not offer side airbags, child safety locks, child seat tethers and stability control. Hummers also have large blind spots because of its massive body size which makes it difficult to park and dangerous to drive at times. Because of the size of Hummers, there are the blind spots but there are also problems parking and difficulty parking the vehicle in a garage. The fourth and final concern regarding Hummers is that they are not ecologically sound. They create noise pollution, air pollution and destroy wildlife when used in off-road activities.

As of September 3, 2008, Hummer was up for sale with no potential suitors named by GM although they claim that there is plenty of interest in the brand.

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With reviews ranging from the very negative to the so-so, the film Dust to Glory is one movie one could not expect to inspire a team. But this is what the film has done for Desert Dingo Racing – a team currently set on rebuilding a vintage Volkswagen Beetle they will field in the famous Baja 1000 off-road race.

The team is composed of members from Felton, Scotts Valley, Boulder Creek, San Jose, and Washington D.C. The members of the team are currently looking to field a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle into the off-road race. The team has until November to assemble the vintage Beetle which they are not only rebuilding but also repairing.

The team was founded by Jim Graham of Felton, California after he saw the Dust to Glory movie. After being inspired by the film to enter the race, he contacted his friend Mike Aquino from San Jose. Aquino is a motorcycle racer but was not instantly sold to the idea of entering the famous off-road race – that was until he saw the movie.

“As corny and cheesy as it sounds, I absolutely saw that movie and was moved,” said Aquino. They are then joined by another friend, Cary McHugh also from San Jose. The team also includes drivers, mechanics and team managers.

For their entry to the race, they decided that they will enter the Class 11 category. The category is said to be the cheapest category at the Baja 1000 to enter. The cars in this class are vintage Volkswagen sedans. More specifically, the Volkswagen Beetle manufactured before 1982. Aside from that, the vehicle should have as little modification as possible. This means that even changing the VW wiper blade would be an issue for the team.

The Baja 1000 is held very year through Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. This is where the most hardcore off-road racers gather together to see which cars can survive the more than 1000 mile race course. There are several categories in the race. Aside from stock Volkswagen Beetles, there are also categories for motorcycles, production cars, buggies, trucks, and custom made cars.

Charlie Reynolds of Scotts Valley who was given the task of driving the 1969 Beetle said that he likes the challenge offered by the sport. “It’s more about figuring out problems and overcoming hurdles than it is about driving fast. You’re more interested in not getting stuck and defying the odds of making a little car go a thousand miles it’s not supposed to go,” said Reynolds.

Aside from conquering the terrain, teams should also be on the lookout for booby traps. Through the years, the race has been known to be sabotaged by spectators. Although spectators create booby traps for the racers, these are not intended to injure the drivers. Instead, they are only done for the entertainment of spectators. But the fact remains that these traps can lead to injuries on the part of the driver. Therefore, teams are forewarned to be careful of places where large crowds gather in remote parts of the tracks because this could mean that they, of course, may be booby trapped.

Desert Dingo Racing tough is willing to face this daunting task not only for the glory of finishing the race. This is because the team is using the race to raise funds for the International Diabetes Federation. According to Graham, they are looking to raise at least $100,000. The concern of the team for diabetic persons stem from Aquino’s Type 2 diabetes.

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