RENO (Dec. 14) – The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF) is located on the west side of Harrah’s National Automobile Museum in Reno. It honors the pioneers that made the sport what it is today as well as current stars.
Shelby Hall points to the photo of Ed Pearlman, who started the original Off-Racing Hall of Fame. He’s one of the many inductees honored.
There are many types of off-road racing vehicles on display at the Hall of Fame
Another view of some of the various types of vehicles used in off-road racing.
This Kawasaki motorcycle won the Baja 1000 in in 1994. It was ridden by Larry Roseler, Ty Davis and the late Danny Hamel; all three have won the Virginia Grand Prix.
Shelby Hall, the ORMHOF administrator stands by a buggy like the ones races in various off-road events including the BAJA 1000.
No that rock racing has come of age there is a rock crawler on display at the Hall of Fame.
One display shows the history of lights used in off-road racing.
Shelby Hall stand by a Hummer H-1 raced by her father Josh in the Baja 1000.
Shelby Hall is the Administrator/Membership Director for the Hall and is entrusted with helping preserve the heritage of the sport.
“It originally started in ’78 with Ed Pearlman,” she said. “He started it and they kind of just nominated a bunch of people but I’m not sure if there was an induction process. I think it was just if you had a big name, and were liked then you got inducted.”
Under Pearlman the hall only inducted people from 1978 until 1980.
“Then it just sat dormant until 2003’ish when Rod Hall basically purchased the rights to NORA (National Off-road Racing Association), which Pearman owned,” she said. “So when Rod got the rights to NORA he came across this off-road motorsports hall of fame and he thought, ‘well gosh, every sport has a hall of fame so why don’t we.’
“In 2003 Rod Hall refounded it and in 2004 they started inducting again and it’s been growing every since,” she said. “As soon as Rod revamped it, he started it here.”
She added the elder Hall and his group were the ones that organized and had it placed in its present home.
Her involvement came when she asked her grandfather, Rod Hall, for some help.
“I needed to make some extra money and Rod said, ‘I will help you but I won’t just give you the money,'” she said.
He told her, “I have this Hall of Fame that really needs some attention. The person that’s running it is not local and we just need somebody that has a presence at the museum and someone that can answer e-mails in a timely manner, check the mail that kind of stuff.”
“And so I said OK that’s perfect, that was about six or seven years ago so over the time I wound up doing it all I guess,” she said.
When the Hall of Fame was reformed some of the earlier inductees had either passed away or had left the sport. So now they’re trying to get people that are still alive so they can enjoy the honor.
She added the induction procedure is pretty simple but detailed.
“Anybody can place a nomination as the only thing that’s required is an actual nomination packet that you get from the website or from me,” she said.
While there are only four questions to be answered they’re very detailed.
There is a nominating committee, that changes every year, and the packet goes to that group for a review.
Hall added this is a tedious process and it usually takes a full eight-hour day to see if the nominee meets all of the criteria. Once that’s completed its up to the board of directors to approve the application so the individual can be inducted.
Over the years the induction ceremonies have changed location to give the Hall of Fame great exposure to people involved with the sport.
“The induction ceremony started in Reno, that was before my time and they did host them here at our exhibit,” she said. “We sort of outgrew that so we moved to Pomona during the Lucas Off Road Expo. This year we thought we’d step outside of our box and do something little different, be part of a different crowd so we decided to host it as the kickoff event for SEMA week.
The annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is a huge show that covers all areas of motorsports and the automotive world. It’s an annual feature in early November that fills the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Asked about the response to having the induction ceremony at SEMA she said, “It was great. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
And what she did at the show her answer was, “Everything, I do everything.”
She also set up the crew, worked with the hotel as well as SEMA.
“I do the donations, seek donations because we always have done a silent auction at the same time as the ceremony. But this time I decided to do a silent and a live auction so I’m the one reaching out to everyone to get donations, I set up our crew, I work with the hotel, I work with SEMA, so I do everything,” she said.
Then she complimented SEMA on the help they gave as well making it possible for the Hall of Fame to have a booth at the show. One reason is that SEMA is trying to tap more into the off-road industry.
Here at the Auto Museum the Hall of Fame not only has a large and growing photo gallery of its inductees but there are also several vehicles on display that compete in different types of off-road racing.
“Some of the vehicles we actually own and other vehicles are on loan,” she said. “And really we try to show mostly loan vehicles that way we can rotate them. Actually quite a few people contact us all the time saying, ‘I have this vehicle and would you want to display it?’
The aim is to rotate display vehicles every nine months.
Hall herself is a veteran Baja 1000 racer as she’s raced her family’s team. Being at the races offers an opportunity for her to actually meet people she’s had contact with.
“I feel like with the Hall of Fame, a lot of my interaction is on the phone, or through e-mail. So when were at races I always think its kind of fun to go up and introduce myself,” she said. “It’s kind of nice to be able to interact with the people, who contribute and are helpful to the Hall of Fame.”
Her favorite part of the job is going outside her comfort zone in the quest for donations and contributions. While it isn’t always easy overcoming these challenges is what she likes the best.
“So I like that it’s a challenge and I’m always having to learn to do it different and it’s fun to succeed,” she said.
But, like with all things, there is a downside.
“Probably the least favorite part is that I do work along because I’m the only employee,” she said. “I’m kind of in my little office, dealing with everybody over the phone or over the Internet. So I’m alone a lot of the time, which has its pros and cons.”
That’s not to say she doesn’t have full day at work.
“I do a million things a day, I put out the newsletter that covers events, check the mail, do the accounting so like I’m never just focusing on just one thing throughout the day,” she said.
Asked about the future, Hall said she looking forward to some changes as well as the opportunities and challenges it will bring.
“I’m kind of excited for this year coming up. The board of directors and I sat down maybe six months ago and said we really need to look into the future and where do we want to be in five years,” she said. “So we came to the conclusion that we really want to be exposed to more people.”
After attending many events over the previous years she explained they’re going to make greater use of the Internet.
“We have teamed up with a really awesome PR group in the off-road industry that’s called Mad Media. They are building a new website for us and we’re going to be a virtual museum,” she said.
That said the physical Hall of Fame is going to stay right where it is now in the Auto Museum because she and the board feel it’s important to have a place for the cars.
“Kind of old school where you can touch it, see it and smell it. But we also want to reach people that don’t come to Reno, who don’t know we have an actual exhibit so they can just go online and see so much more. So that’s exciting for us and it’s a big project.”
One relatively new addition and possible new source for new inductees is Rock Racing. Hall explained its been around for at least 15-years, a qualification for a sport wanting consideration.
“So we are really excited in getting more involved with Dave Cole and with Ultra 4 and seeing where we can go with that,” she said.
Currently, due to the holidays, things are at a lull but she explained it’s the calm before the storm. So Hall is using this time to get things in order for next year.
“Since we’re getting going on the website, I’m going to be pretty busy getting content and all the kind of good stuff,” she said. “And the events and the traveling season really doesn’t happen until spring.”
As with anything in motorsports she is indebted to corporate sponsors that have helped the Hall of Fame succeed over the years.
On the list are Lucas Oil, B.F. Goodrich, Glen Helen Raceway, Jackson Motorsports Group as well as Harrah’s National Auto Museum. And she added the Ultra 4 series is going to be a sponsor in the very near future.
She intends the Hall of Fame to be around for quite some time.
Those wishing further information on the Off-Road Hall of Fame are encouraged to check its website at, www.ormhof.org.
