With Chevrolet launching a new off-road truck this year, it was only a matter of time until the brand took it desert racing. 

The truck will debut at the “Vegas to Reno” Best in the Desert race, a 550-mile event mashing together a long distance point-to-point course, extreme elevation changes, and a wide variety of challenging terrain. More than 350 competitors are expected.

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Amongst them will be Chad Hall, debuting a modified 2017 crew-cab Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. Entered in class 7300, which comprises stock production mid-sized pick-ups and SUVs, Hall Racing’s modifications to their ZR2 include sanctioning body-mandated safety items such as a roll cage, racing fuel tank, and race seats with safety harnesses.

While hammering over the desert in a quest for victory, Chad will also be setting out to prove the stoutness of the ZR2 one can buy right off the showroom floor. The race truck retains a stock 3.6L V6 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission, along with a modified version of ZR2’s Multimatic Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve (DSSV) damper technology.

In addition to Hall Racing’s alterations, this crew cab ZR2 will act a testbed for Chevy Performance. Looking into the off-road.com crystal ball, it also hints at a range of potential parts to be offered for ZR2 and the standard Colorado. This is not the first time Hall Racing and Chevy have worked together; the duo have a long history running production-based vehicles in both this event and the SCORE series.

Compared to a standard Colorado, the ZR2 features front and rear tracks that have been widened by 3.5 inches and a suspension lifted by two inches. As we discovered in Colorado during our First Drive of the ZR2, functional rock sliders make for better performance over obstacles, while the modified front and rear bumpers improve the truck’s off-road clearance. Standard front and rear electronic locking diffs, available diesel engine, and the first off-road application of Multimatic Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve (DSSVTM) damper technology also set the ZR2 apart from its more mundane brethren.

Be sure to watch social media during the 2017 “Vegas to Reno” Best in the Desert race for updates and coverage from the racers and organizers. Catch all the dusty, high-speed action on NBC Sports Network later this year.