For release: Aug. 21, 2006

TEAM HUMMER H3 IS A NATURAL IN OFF-ROAD RACING

RENO, Nev. - During its inaugural race in 2005, the Team HUMMER H3 earned a respectable second-place finish - and never looked back. It has since won every race entered, redefining the performance expectations in the stock classes in which it competes.

The 2006 Team HUMMER H3 competes in the challenging Best In The Desert (BITD) and SCORE off-road racing series, including the prestigious Baja 1000 race in Mexico, where it runs in competes in the BITD 3100 and SCORE Stock Mini classes. The racing H3 is driven by legendary off-road racer Rod Hall, who forged Team HUMMER's sterling racing reputation more than a decade ago. It follows on the heels of the successful H2 racing vehicle, which won every race entered during 2005.

"The H3 has been a phenomenal performer, right out of the gate," said Thad Stump, engineering liaison for Team HUMMER. "It's rare that a stock-based vehicle adapts so quickly to the requirements of racing, but it says a lot about the production vehicle's underlying strength and off-road acumen."

Following the rules of BITD and SCORE stock classes, the H3 racing vehicle is based on a regular production model and altered only in ways to make it conform to safety regulations and other open areas of the rules, such as shocks, springs and tires - items that don't alter the fundamental layout, design or performance of the vehicle, but enable it to withstand the rigors of racing long distances at high speed.

"The rules are quite strict, but that's an advantage for the H3, because so many of its factory-installed parts are suited to the demands of racing," said Stump. "In fact, we retained many factory parts that even the rules permit to be changed - the factory parts simply perform better."

The racing H3 began life as a regular production model, before being taken off the street and pressed into racing service. The deviations from stock, whether in the interior, under the hood or on the chassis, are designed to help the racing H3 conform to the standards and requirements for the racing classes.

The Team HUMMER H3 looks like a production model, but is outfitted with graphics and decals. The body is stock, but the windshield and other window glass are removed - allowing increased frontal ventilation during a race and an easy exit in case of a crash. Side door windows have Plexiglas inserts. Reinforcements are made to the underside of the front-end sheet metal in order to provide additional support and protection of the radiator and other vital components - components that take the brunt of abuse when driving through washes and over jumps in the desert.

The H3 racing vehicle also is outfitted with a bank of auxiliary HID lamps that literally light up the desert during night racing. All the stock lamps, including the tail lamps and brake lamps, are functional. The H3 also carries mandatory amber and blue lamps on the rear of vehicle, which are always illuminated during a race. The amber light is carried by all competitors for increased visibility and the blue light is required for the H3's racing class.

Another indicator of the racing H3's production roots are the factory 16-inch aluminum wheels, which are matched with 35-inch-tall BFGoodrich production Baja T/A tires. The wheels and tires help retain a stock appearance.

To conform to the rules, the chassis and suspension on the Team HUMMR H3 are very close to stock. No frame enhancements are allowed; the racing H3 rides on the same welded steel frame as all production H3 models. It also uses the factory control arms, front and rear axles - including axle ratios - transfer case, locking rear differential, power steering system and electronically-controlled brake system. The antilock feature of the brake system is disabled for racing, along with the StabiliTrak stability control system.

Racing shock absorbers can be used and different springs can be used, as long as they are the same type as stock, i.e. leaf springs, coil springs, etc. For the Team HUMMER H3, Fox Shox hydraulic racing shocks with external fluid reservoirs are used. The front racing shocks are considerably taller than stock versions, requiring modification of the mounting location on the frame. One shock is used at each of the four wheels.

"The shocks are the front line of an off-road racing vehicle's performance," said Stump. "If they can survive the pounding that comes with the terrain, then it's up to the rest of the vehicle to remain strong during the race."

As for the springs, the Team HUMMER H3 uses higher-rate front torsion bars than stock and the rear leaf springs are stock components. The vehicle's factory 16-inch wheels provide a stock appearance, but to accommodate the taller-than-stock 35-inch-tall tires, the body was raised on the frame by 1 inch, using solid body mounts.

The racing H3's engine is based on the production 3.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine. Per the rules, Team HUMMER made minor internal changes while retaining the original cylinder block and head. A raised compression ratio boosts horsepower to 248 and torque to 238 lb.-ft. The compression change enables the engine to perform well on 100-octane racing fuel. Also, the engine-driven cooling fan was replaced with electric fans, freeing up some horsepower. The engine draws air through a stock air cleaner mounted in the cab and sends exhaust through a custom, low-restriction exhaust system.

The H3's factory-installed Hydra-Matic 4L60 four-speed automatic transmission is used, with only slight calibration adjustments. It sends torque to the stock transfer case and axles, which use the factory 4.56:1 gear ratios. The stock oil and transmission coolers are used, but an auxiliary trans cooler also is employed.

The most dramatically altered area of the racing H3 is the purpose-built interior. It has been stripped of all its upholstery, trim and convenience features and replaced with only safety items and racing control items. The trim panels, carpeting and other accoutrements are removed to help offset the weight of a custom, protective roll cage, which crisscrosses the interior. Also included in the interior is a fire suppression system routed to the engine, several fire extinguishers and a 44-gallon fuel cell.

A pair of front racing seats replaces all of the H3's stock seats; one for the driver and the other for the co-driver. Racing five-point safety harnesses also replace the factory safety belts (the air bags are deactivated for racing). Air conditioning is eliminated to save valuable weight.

The H3's instrument panel is stock and all the original gauges are functional, but they are complemented by a custom control panel and a PI Research data logging system, which provides feedback on key powertrain operations. A tracking system provides real-time positioning information that allows race officials and anyone with an Internet connection to track the vehicle during a race. This helps ensure the vehicle accurately follows the course and provides location information in case of a crash.

"Performance in off-road racing isn't just about speed, it's about strength" said Stump. "The H3 has proved to be one of the strongest and that's why it continues to win - especially in races that many competitors fail to finish."

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Nick Richards
HUMMER Communications
Phone: 313-665-9292
E-mail: nick.richards@gm.com