SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Paint protection film market leader XPEL is sponsoring Shelby Hall, a third-generation member of the Rod Hall Racing Team, in the 2017 Mint 400 “Great American Off-Road Race,” which began in 1967 and returns to Las Vegas March 1-5, 2017. Shelby will be driving Rod Hall’s famous restored 1968 off-road Ford Bronco in the race.
Hall’s 1968 Ford Bronco will be protected from the elements by XPEL’s ULTIMATE(tm) “self-healing” paint protection film. The urethane film withstands the abuse sustained during off-road racing and provides a superior protective barrier for vehicle finishes and graphics that are exposed to punishing environments.
The granddaughter of the racing legend has been racing on the Rod Hall team since 2012 and will be accompanied in the high-speed competition by co-driver Amy Lerner, an experienced off-road race veteran in her own right. The duo recently placed 4th in the country’s first, all-female navigation rally, the seven-day-long 2016 Rebelle Rally.
Hall and Lerner will compete against other vintage class teams on Saturday, March 4, on a rugged course of nearly 250 miles that extends from the edge of Las Vegas to the California-Nevada state line at Primm. The event attracts 60,000 spectators and is televised to 80 million homes, giving the Rod Hall Racing team and XPEL’s paint protective film the exposure they deserve.
MORE: 2016 Mint 400 Coverage
The legendary ’68 Bronco, which was pulled out of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2015, will have XPEL ULTIMATE installed on the body panels and XPEL’s headlight protection kit. Alex Baker serves as crew chief and lead mechanic for the race team. Hall and Baker have had great results with XPEL paint protection film on the 2015 Jeep Wrangler Hall and Lerner drove in the Rebelle Rally and expects this same excellent performance on the Bronco.
“I am thankful to have XPEL on board to help keep our vintage Bronco in mint condition,” Hall said. “The Bronco holds a great place in off-road history as the only 4WD vehicle to ever win the Baja 1000 overall, piloted by my grandfather Rod Hall. After many years on display at the Hall of Fame, we decided to pull it out, do a mechanical restoration and begin racing it again. We wouldn’t trust the finish to any other product but XPEL.”
Sue Mead, a fellow off-road racer and member of Hall’s business team, added, “We are thrilled to have XPEL on board as a team sponsor. I used XPEL ULTIMATE on the 2010 Ford Raptor I raced in the 2011 Dakar. After 6,000 miles of racing, we took the protective film off the Raptor and it looked brand new. It’s not just about keeping a vehicle looking good, but about keeping your race vehicle and lights intact during the rigors of a rugged off-road race.”
XPEL ULTIMATE is a virtually invisible urethane film that uses a clear coat and special elastomeric polymers that “heal” over time to protect against impact damage and eliminate swirl marks and fine scratches, creating a much easier-to-clean surface. With a low surface energy, the film resists cracking, sand blasting and impact from gravel and rocks. It is also a tough barrier against stains from insects and bird waste.
Available for any vehicle, XPEL ULTIMATE offers outstanding strength, durability, clarity and longevity that’s perfect for racing or everyday driving. XPEL backs its paint protection films with a 10-year warranty and the support of a worldwide network of certified installers. DIY products are available from XPEL, as well as films for applications requiring installers. For a list of installers, visit http://locator.xpel.com/.