It was 1967, and Rod Hall was competing in the Inaugural Mexican 1000 with co-driver Larry Minor in a Jeep CJ5. In the early days, there was no course, no map, no GPS -- Only a tantalizing goal: To be the first to reach La Paz.

As night fell, Rod was racing across a dry lakebed when he saw headlights coming from the opposite direction. As the vehicle drew close and raced past, Rod could see that it was Parnelli Jones. Confused, Rod slowed to a stop. Was he going the wrong direction? It was then Rod remembered that a Jeep executive had given him a small pocket compass at the starting line. Rod took out the compass and put it on the hood of the Jeep, telling Larry, “La Paz is southeast, we’re going that way!”

Rod believed so much in the mission of the Hall of Fame he included ORMHOF in his estate planning, becoming the organization’s first major donor. The ORMHOF Compass Circle for major donors is named in honor of the little compass that showed Rod Hall the way to La Paz.

Hall of Fame inductee and board member Dick Landfield also included ORMHOF in his estate planning and we are proud to honor his memory as he leaves a lasting legacy, joining Rod Hall as a member of the ORMHOF Compass Circle.