It finally arrived after waiting a full year for the next one. We had some great sponsors this year, thanks to all who stepped up. With all the rain the week before we were running way behind schedule and I never did get a chance to build the new uphill log crawl. We also were sweating it with the pipeline people who were also running behind schedule. They finished up late friday with their project, just in time.
We had a lot of return competitors and a few new ones. Most had completed a long list of upgrades just prior to the event. We started with a driver's meeting and went over the rule changes for this year, and answered some questions. After that we started with the judging, rti ramp and the burnout contest. Most were weary burning off their high dollar rubber but a few really let it all hang out. Ray and Donny both did a real nice burnout as well as Stevie. It definitely got the crowd involved early in the show like we hoped. From there we went on to the tire pull, where it seemed like the people that took their time actually completed the challenge much faster then those who got in a hurry.
The log crawl was as tough as ever, catching small and large trucks alike. The new rules seemed to keep the speeds down for most competitors except Stevie who beat his time for last year by a full four seconds. His hood flew up near the end but it didn't slow him down any. The only thing broken was a harmonic balancer, and I hooked him up with a new one to help keep him in the show. Lots of people opted to winch, taking the 30 point penalty.
Once all completed the log crawl we moved over to the rock crawl area. It started out tough, with only five minutes to score as many points as possible many seemed to get in a rush. It made a great show for the spectators and the crowd was huge. It seemed many more could see the show with the hill as a type of grand stand. Only a few finished al four courses inside the five minute time restraint. Hats off to Ray who finished all four courses in 3:19. Donny Brown almost totalled his brand new jeep by nearly rolling from the top of the 300 point hill. It was almost dark by the time we finished the rocks and moved to the mud bogs.
While we were running the bogs I crunched numbers to determine who would move on to the second day obstacle course. It appeared that the bogs were going to be unpassable untill Fly made a full pull through with the smalles tires in the event. Tim Albert also made a full pull and a few outlaw and extremes also made full pulls. We finally finished by 11:30 p.m. and spectators, competitors, and the volunteers were all wore out from the day's activities. I tried to sip some suds but the desire to sleep was stronger and I gave out after about three beers.
Second day we got up early and started marking out the course. We worked as fast as possible to get the show going by 11:00 but didn't quite make our deadline. We took the competitors and walked the course and by noon we sent the first competitor in. Only three trucks showed up for the modified class. Dean, Chad, and Jojo. Chad went first and it was quick to see that the first mud hole would be tough for the smaller trucks. All stocks and modifieds winched the first hole. Dean slid off the hill right after the first hole and got jammed up in the trees. It was a tough extraction and took almost 30 minutes. Chad broke his steering about half course but didn't give up and pushed on another 300 yards before timing out. Jojo gave it hell and winched and fought his way past Chad's stopping point to take first place for second day in the modifieds.
Stock class was next and with five competitors it took quite a while to run them all through the course. Fly did well and winched and fought his way most of the way through the course, finally timing out at the bottom of Eddie's revenge. Most drivers and especialy spotters seemed completely finished up after thirty minutes of hard driving and winching. Smokey broke an axle early on the course and called out only a hundred yards into the course. Carlos in the forerunner was next and all eyes were on him. He picked his way through one obstacle at a time, not wasting any time Dylan spotted and worked his butt off pulling the winch cable time and time again. With just a few minutes to spare Carlos passed Fly's finishing spot and pushed on through the ravines. He made it up the corkscew and slammed hard into the first divot. He backed up and edged around it and kept pushing on. One more mud hole and then the rock hill was all that was between him and the finish line. He had to winch one last time through the last hole and he hammered on, up the rock hill and across the finish line, being the first truck to complete the course with only 45 seconds left on the clock. Smokey ran his second truck and passed his mark with the ranger with ease. He winched through the first hole and up the slick hill untill he high centered on a large stump. It appeared his motor was over heating and water was pooring out in the front. He opted to call out and made it about 200 yards into the course. Fernandez was the last stock driver to enter the course, but with a broken axle he only made it about 20 feet into the course.
Next was the outlaw class. Nick Rife was first in line and tore through the first mud hole like it was just a puddle. Up slick hill like it was nothing. His motor was screaming like an angry bumble bee, and he was tearing up the course with a vengeance, up three stage and then back down the ravine. That's where carnage struck and his entire wheel and spindle broke off. He was able to limp it off the course and we sent the next truck in, Jeff Hall and his blazer. He made it through the first rocks, around the bridge, and to slick hill. First attempt he was denied. Backed up, hit it harder, still denied. Third attempt and also his last. His truck slid to the right, caught a tree and folded the windshield frame back and pushed the fire wall forward over a foot, shearing off the distributor and putting the carburator into the fire wall. Chad brought the backhoe over and we pushed and picked it up and over, off the tree. Once the course cleared we sent in the next one, Jamie Consellor in his tube buggy. He tore out and floored it everywhere it was possible, clearing the mud hole, slick hill and made it across the pipeline, up stree stage and down the ravine, where the motor died. After a minute of struggle and a quick twist of the distributor he was up and running again. He tore through the course without a glitch untill the final rock hill where the engine died and would not start just a few feet from the finish line. He hurried and pulled the cable and ever so slowly he winched over the last rock wall and was the second truck to finish the course.
Next was what everyone had been waiting for, the extreme class. First up was Ricky Milstead in his v6 powered unimog axled coilovered jeep. He gave it hell and the whine of the power steering could be heard over the engine almost the whole course. He made it across the pipeline and back, down Eddie's revenge and into the big ravine untill the steering jammed. They struggled for a while and finally used the winch to free up the steering and they moved on a little further where they had to stop and put in some power steering fluid. Once he had some hint of steering there was no stopping him. He made it to the rock hill, cinched up the winch to the front diff and blasted up the rock hill on the first try, giving hime a time of 18 minutes. Next up was Donny Brown's rockwelled jeep. He went through the first mud hole with ease and up slick hill on the second try. He went through the whole course very quick untill he got sideways in the big ravine. After a quick tug with the winch they were up and going again, but with only one axle steering it was hard to make quick work of the last section of the course. He made it to rock hill and gave it a shot, stopping and hooking up the winch to finish the hill to prevent a repeat of the near diaster from the previous day. Ray was next and all eyes were on him to take the win, as he was leading in points from the first day. The course was no match for his rig, and a quick blip of the juice shot him through the first hole and up slick hill. He was making great progress and blew through the course in record time without a hitch untill the final rock hill. He shot up and the truck veered left, hooking over a large boulder
and preventing him from backing up. After wiggling a bit it broke loose and the truck shot down the hill backwards, slamming into a rock and snapping the upper wishbone of the rear suspension, ending his run less than a hundred feet from the finish line. Last in line was Stevie in his red and white jeep. Learning from years past he took his time and picked off one obstacle at a time and was making great time. he made it across the pipeline, around three stage and back when his transmission had enough and locked up, ending his run and the day's activities.
We used the tractor and extracted all the broken equipment from the woods and presented awards and money to the top three finishers in each class. In the stock class 1st place was Carlos Benegas, second was Mike "Fly" Simms, and third went to Sokey in the exploder.
First place in the modified went to Jojo in his bronco, second went to Chad Mehr in his 'yota, and third went to Dean Simms.
First place in the outlaws went to Jamie Consellor in his tube buggy, second went to Jeff Hall in his now totalled blazer, and third went to Nick Rife in the sammi.
First in the extreme class went to Ricky Milstead in his jeep buggy, second went to Ray Brunner, and third went to Donny Brown in his awesome jeep.
Special thanks go out to all our sponsors, Toyota trail teams, Gulf states Toyota, Javier's auto's Gulf coast Crawl shop, and CRC collision. Thanks for everyone's help, especially all the people who volunteered their time and effort, as well as the competitors who really put on a great show for everyone. Already looking forward to next year's event, which should be bigger and better than ever before............see y'all there!!!!!!
