2017 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Makes Its Racing Debut
We are big fans of the 2017 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, so we were excited to hear it made its racing debut at the Best in the Desert Vegas to Reno race Aug. 16-19.
Driven by Chad Hall and Frank DeAngelo of Hall Racing, the ZR2 competed in Class 7300, which encompassed stock production mid-size pickups and SUVs. The 540-mile race traversed deserts, dry lake beds and mountain passes that climbed as high as 8,000 feet.
The stock ZR2 was modified by Hall Racing to incorporate sanctioned safety items such as a roll cage, a 44-gallon racing fuel tank and racing seats with safety harnesses. The ZR2 also sported KC HiLites racing lights, a GPS system and two-way radios.
The truck kept the stock ZR2's 3.6-liter V-6 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission; its Multimatic Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve damper technology and springs were slightly modified for the race.
The ZR2 was the only entrant in Class 7300, so it won its division, finishing the endurance race in 18 hours, 50 minutes and averaging 28.6 mph. Only 204 of the 336 teams that started the race crossed the finish line. The ZR2 team suffered some setbacks during the race due to a few slashed tires and some rear suspension fixes.
Hall Racing is likely to compete with the ZR2 in other Best in the Desert races to provide more performance data for the GM engineers in Michigan. Ford used the same strategy when it teamed up with Foutz Motorsports two years ago to test the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor. We suspect we could see more manufacturers use these punishing races to improve off-road technology in pickups.
Manufacturer images
Comments
Finished 1st in its class!
Finished 1st in its class...in a class of one vehicle.
@MKL
maybe Nissan and Toyota were afraid to show up...
"maybe Nissan and Toyota were afraid to show up..."
Posted by: papajim
Yeah--I'm sure that's exactly what happened.
"its Multimatic Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve damper technology and springs were slightly modified for the race."
What changes were needed? Can't complete the race on 100% factory suspension?
Those aren't the factory Duratrac's either... Looks like BFG KM2s.
@tyler
All of the "stock" class trucks use "retuned" shocks and what not to offset the weight of the rollcage. Its the norm everywhere Raptor and Tacoma TRD pro when they ran in past races.
HAHA, funny Papa, I agree, GM is only ever rated first when they are the only one.......I can see why they had tire issues, square wheel wells tend to cake stones, dirt and mud in them, its a horrible design for this type of use. I wonder if the driver was sore from having to lean to one side with the offset steering wheel.
Man just when I think I have ya'll figured out, I dont. Sounds like PApa and GMs are now turning the corner.
Great job. Another class leading product from the truck leader, GM.
@Nitro: It's lame to post using someone else's user name. You need to stop.
@gms or papa or Sierra or johny, so sorry you have to continue to defend these trucks.
TRD Pro is already an off-road champion in stock class in the desert!
Little late again for GM!
@ MKL and papajim,
Nobody competed against this GM vehicle!
The TRD Pro has already won races in stock class in Baja, so please...
First in it's class of this Special Olympics.
Apparently nobody wants to see this junk to get beat. That's why it was alone hahahahahahs.
Looks like the typical haters have already made their typical hater posts. The reality is this is a great little truck and the haters know it!
Frank is right! If anyone knows about the Special Olympics it is Frank. Here is Frank competing in the Special Olympics from a few years back...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wRwZrThGXI
Good for you Frank!
@evan I think the article should state they retuned the shocks and springs, that makes more sense. Modified sounds like they swapped parts out (AKA different coilspring).
No ricers and no Ford, wait forgot Furd's to dumb to even know how to build a midsizer to start with!! Must of got scared when they heard GM was coming to town! Great job GM!!!!!!!!!!
You gotta love these abundant, hokey race classes where a one-off, new OEM product just has to finish the race to stake claim as the race winner.
And pickuptrucks.com puts this garbage story out as if it's something special. Enough of these nonsense race stories!
Good job GM.
There was 132 trucks that never completed the course, guess there were 132 fords that entered the race.
What changes were needed? Can't complete the race on 100% factory suspension?
Posted by: Tyler | Aug 22, 2017 9:26:57 AM
The 2017 Tacoma TRD Pro built by Camburg and raced in the Mint 400 this year needed plenty of suspension components upgrades before it was ready to race. The shocks were replaced with bigger Fox Racing 2.5's, the control arms were replaced with Camburg parts, the rear leaf spring mounts were heavily reinforced, and the roll cage was used to strengthen the flimsy Tacoma frame.
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You gotta love these abundant, hokey race classes where a one-off, new OEM product just has to finish the race to stake claim as the race winner.
And pickuptrucks.com puts this garbage story out as if it's something special. Enough of these nonsense race stories!
Posted by: Ken | Aug 22, 2017 7:52:28 PM
You should do your research before you open your mouth, you just sound stupid to anyone that actually understands these races.
Class 7300 isn't a "one-off" class made for the ZR2, it's a class that was around well before the 2nd gen ZR2 was even an idea. The class doesn't have much competition because it's expensive to run and difficult to complete without lots of money. Most teams that ran in the 7300 class in the past struggled to finish because the class requires you to leave the truck nearly completely stock, so many of a give truck's weak points are left unmodified. So when those weak parts fail, you have to keep replacing those weak parts with the exact same stock (weak) parts. It sounds like there weren't many on the Hall Racing ZR2.
Nobody competed against this GM vehicle!
The TRD Pro has already won races in stock class in Baja, so please...
Posted by: oxi | Aug 22, 2017 12:09:42 PM
Where was Toyota for this race? They ran the Camburg Tacoma in the Mint 400 but were a no-show for Vegas to Reno???
Just saw a ZR2 on the street. It looks good. The front bumper that some have criticized actually looks good and blends in real nice with the front. The overall stance of this truck looks great. Has Ford got a mid size truck yet? No! Ahhh, that's too bad.
@ Brick,
Ask Jay Leno, he is the driver of the TRD Pro...
Baja racing will prove how expensive it is to adjust or change out the shocks on the ZR2 vs the TRD Pro.
I have competed in 7 desert off-road races, and yes, we all change out our shocks for 100% off-road duty, and not caring about on street performance.
Stock trucks are modded all around because they are being built for 100% brutal off-road races and not street performance.
So yes, shocks and springs are ALWAYS replaced and mounts modded from factory (if you have a domestic truck with rear lower shock mounts hanging too low).
Unless you have raced out there is a stock and license plated truck, you do not know much about this type of racing!
junk
Apparently nobody wants to see this junk to get beat. That's why it was alone hahahahahahs.
Posted by: Chingon | Aug 22, 2017 12:32:58 PM
I hear that GM didn't need to run the race because they actually won by default, the Ranger was a no show. Go figure.
first in a field of 1 is also last in the field of 1
not a very good showing if you ask me
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