I had saved a pair weeks of trip for use on the finish of 2006 since I take pleasure in taking break day throughout the Christmas vacation season. Most of the time is spent at Troy’s store (Toys by Troy) as I work on my TJ or on one in every of Troy’s undertaking. Some of these initiatives embody 16 hour wrenching classes (fortunately not too many do) whereas others are one thing so simple as altering the tranny fluid in my AW4.
On a type of trip days, I discovered myself driving round with Troy as we picked up components, welding provides, and different stuff for the store. He requested me if I had something deliberate throughout the first weekend of 2007. As I not often makes plans previous an upcoming weekend, I responded with a easy “No”. It was then and there that I discovered myself volunteering to be his and Brad Kilgore’s spotter for W.E.Rock’s 2007 season opener “Put Up or Shut Up” (PUSU) excessive rock crawling occasion slated for Congress, AZ on January 6 & 7, 2007.
I ought to have identified higher and after 5+ a long time of dwelling, you assume I’d. I’d by no means noticed in a contest occasion, I’d by no means noticed a rock buggy (loads of TJs, no buggies), however for what it’s value, it’s exhausting to show down a request to assist two good mates. So, I discovered myself half of two rock crawling groups, with a bunch of labor forward of us, to get issues in form for what would become a really thrilling weekend.
The final weekend of December, the rigs have been prepared. I had retrieved a truck load of Maxxis competitors tires (40″ Crawlers and 37″ Trepadors) from a down-town loading dock earlier within the week. The previous tires have been faraway from the beadlocked wheels and the brand new tires have been mounted. We headed to some trails north of Phoenix on Saturday AM to interrupt within the new tires and provides me a while to see what the buggies might do (they are saying it helps the motive force when the spotter is aware of the capabilities of the automobile). So….I’d have a complete Saturday by which to get aware of the rigs and their drivers. (gosh, what a deal!)
We hit a path that begins with a really wholesome waterfall. To make a protracted story brief, Troy trashed his rear Detroit on the primary try and Brad munched a portal field on his rear axle. OK….so I had about 5 minutes of path time with Troy and Brad and the day was now over (aside from limping again to the parking spot to load the rigs on the trailers). So a lot for getting the spotter in control!
My trip was over and so again to my common job I went….Troy and Brad had a rear diff and a portal field to restore earlier than PUSU that was only a few days away. I attached with them once more on Friday AM (the day earlier than the occasion) as we have been planning on driving as much as Congress on Friday, registering, after which staying at a motel in Wickenburg throughout the weekend. I caught Brad ending up the duty of grooving the forefront of the tread blocks on his tires whereas Troy made a purchasing checklist of instruments and components to place into the hauler.
Later within the afternoon, we headed out of Phoenix for the drive as much as Congress, AZ. We have been fortunate….solely about 90 minutes of driving put us on the registration trailer simply because the solar was setting. Of course, we managed to get the hauler caught going via an enormous “dip” coming into the occasion space (lengthy trailers are a ache on tight trails). The rear of the hauler bottomed out on one aspect of the dip and the three axles have been left hanging a number of inches off of the bottom. We unloaded the buggies from the trailer and used one in every of them to drag the tow rig ahead sufficient to clear the hauler’s body from the alternative aspect of the dip. (Needless to say, that very same dip was negotiated at the next fee of velocity throughout the journey going residence.)
A stressed Friday evening on the motel (for me anyway) and an early Saturday arrival on the occasion web site had us prepared for day’s actions. As luck would have it, the earlier evening’s random quantity drawings for beginning positions had Troy and Brad in the identical group operating again to again. For me, that meant 10 minutes on the observe as Troy’s spotter was then instantly adopted by 10 minutes on the observe as Brad’s spotter. For these of you which might be 20~30 years youthful than me, that won’t look like a lot….however I shortly realized that it was a tempo I used to be not bodily prepared for.
The scoring for the competitors is fairly straight ahead. You have 10 minutes to run a course. If you don’t make any errors, you get a rating of 0 (zero)…..and like golf, the bottom rating wins. If you again up, you’re awarded some extent (not good). If you again up 20 occasions throughout these 10 minutes, you get 20 factors (not good in any respect!). You must drive between pairs of orange plastic cones set out on the course. Touch a cone together with your tire, 10 factors (OUCH!)….the spotter’s foot touches a cone, 10 factors (no, I didn’t do this to my drivers). Get via a pair of cones, you get 1 level subtracted out of your rating (that’s good!). Make it via an non-obligatory “bonus” pair of cones, you get 10 level subtracted out of your rating (that’s REALLY good!). If you don’t end the course throughout the allotted 10 minutes, you max out with 40 factors for the course.
Safety is closely careworn as they don’t need the spotter to get ran over by the over anxious driver. As such, the spotter can’t contact the automobile whereas it’s transferring. There are another penalty “issues” the spotter can’t do, else the staff is awarded factors….however as I mentioned, it’s all within the curiosity of security in order that’s a great factor. If you’re use to “driving” on the rockers of a tipping over automobile, you may’t do this within the competitors both.
OK…..time for some photographs.
Troy works his buggy via a gate on one in every of Saturday’s 4 programs. His rear steer could be very useful in serving to him keep away from a tire touching a cone. If a competitor makes use of rear steer on a course, he’s awarded 5 factors (not good). At least it isn’t 5 factors each time it’s used throughout the 10 minute course. There are two judges on every course actively watching and scoring your progress (and penalty factors).
I’m already on the opposite aspect of the rocks serving to Brad stand up and over this a part of the course. This was the perfect run of Sunday’s 4 programs. We completed this one with 5 minutes left on the clock and a rating of 0 factors. It was, in my view, extra technical than the opposite programs which I completely take pleasure in…..tire placement was vital in getting via this course and Brad and I labored via it very nicely.
Troy on the Saturday’s #2 course. This impediment introduced issues for lots of the groups (Brad and I included) however Troy managed it very properly. Getting your rear tires up onto that rock was not simple.
Same impediment as above….Troy made it up onto the impediment and is within the technique of nailing it coming off the rock….the exit gate is about 20 toes from the place he’s proper there. You just about needed to launch your self off of the rock so you would get the motive force’s entrance tire onto a rock that was about 3 toes away from the impediment. If you didn’t, you’ll merely roll onto your high as the motive force’s aspect dropped off the rock. Momentum and the suitable throttle response is one thing used on a regular basis in such a competitors.
Me on the left….Brad driving up onto the identical rock (as the 2 earlier photographs). As you may see…..or on this can’t see….Brad’s driver’s rear tire is to not be seen….but attempting to stand up onto the rock.
Right up thus far, we had the quickest time proper as much as this impediment of any staff who had tried it. With Brad’s smaller tires (solely 37″ tall), he wasn’t making it. He motioned to me he was going to make a run on it (learn full throttle) as we have been burning daylight attempting to complete the course. As you may see, it didn’t work and he rolled the rig. Nothing too unhealthy….a damaged schraeder valve on his rear shock that was fastened the next morning. But for sure, we didn’t end this course. In truth, he was so wedge into the spot after we received the automobile righted, the rig needed to be winched out of that spot.
W.E.Rock PUSU 2007
Troy and I have been into our third course on Saturday when his run got here to a fast finish. He was attempting to clear a pair of gates (I believe it might have been a bonus gate). The rig did a rear wheel stand because it launched up onto a rock…..when it hit, a bystander mentioned he heard the rear axle shaft snap….and the torque spun the automobile off of the rock and about 10′ down onto the bottom. The passenger rear wheel didn’t survive the touchdown, as might be seen right here.
Fast ahead a bit right here in story……after Saturday was performed and we had dinner, Troy and Brad headed again to Phoenix to get components to see if Troy’s rig may very well be fastened. I had orders to go to mattress (I’ll admit that I used to be just about used up). The following morning, all of us received up at 6:00, caught a fast breakfast, and headed out to the vent web site. By 9:00 Troy had wrenched issues again collectively much less the passenger rear brake. It was then that he found that the Detroit had additionally not survived the axle shaft break and with no rear drive, he was out of the competitors for Sunday
This was one in every of Sunday’s actually robust programs. The second pair of gates caught loads of people and simply didn’t allow them to go. Brad and I did our greatest to get via there nevertheless it simply wasn’t within the playing cards for us. We timed out with out ending the course.
This was one impediment that Brad and I weren’t fully positive of once we walked the course previous to driving it. The right line was not the plain one however the Maxxis Trepadors attached on the rock and pulled the buggy up and excessive.
I’ve to place a plug in right here for the Brad’s tires. Since he intends on competing within the Pro Modified class, he can’t run 40″ tires. 37″ tires are the max for that class. Maxxis doesn’t make a Crawler in 37″ dimension so he went with the Trepadors. When they arrived and we mounted them on the beadlock wheels, he wasn’t all too enthusiastic about how they seemed (I believed they have been fairly rattling spectacular myself). By the tip of Saturday’s 4 programs, he was completely satisfied that the Trepadors have been hooking up rather well and doing a terrific job. I notice that these are comp tires and the compound is far softer (and stickier) than common off-road tires….however none the much less, they did a terrific job at PUSU. Congrats to Maxxis on one heck of a tire!
Another part of a course we ran on Sunday. By this level within the competitors, Brad and I have been beginning to get in sync a bit. Given that the earlier Saturday’s run lasted a complete of 5 minutes, it took us a bit to get the hold of every thing.
We didn’t use radios as many of the groups did. Troy had a set that we tried nevertheless it died on the primary course about 10 seconds earlier than we began. So a lot for that….again to visible alerts and the occasional shout to convey our intentions. Hey….it labored fairly good for essentially the most half!
A pic of Brad and myself after we had wrapped up the 4th course on Sunday. We have been fairly stoked and stored watching the outcomes because the remaining groups on the opposite 3 programs completed the runs. It doesn’t take a lot to trigger a big leap within the standings…..somebody forward of you maxes out a course and also you end one with simply a few backup factors….zap….nearly an 80 level change within the blink of an eye fixed
The 2nd row from the underside…..Brad’s line on the rating board. Far proper hand column…..201 factors…..that put us in sixth place. The ultimate course, known as the “Shootout”, is ran by the highest 6 groups….and we have been #6.
When the Shootout announcement was made, we have been shocked to NOT hear our names introduced. A fast journey to the judging trailer and we discover that as a result of Brad had registered as “exhibition” moderately than “competitor”, they weren’t permitting him to compete within the shootout. This was information to us and so far as I do know, isn’t specified within the rule guide both. So an announcement was revamped the PA system to tell the spectators that Brad and I had taken 6 place however that Dean Bullock’s staff (they have been in #7) was being moved as much as compete within the Shootout.
After the Shootout was accomplished, Dean’s staff got here in final and they also have been awarded the identical max factors as what Brad and I obtained (for not operating the shootout) and so we have been nonetheless #6 finishers within the competitors.
W.E.Rock’s website online nonetheless reveals us as being #7…..I assume updating their website online hyperlinks is simply too exhausting to do? Not positive…..however hey, we all know the way it ended.
One of the W.E.Rock workers members (Glenn) posted the next within the PUSU thread on Pirate4x4.com’s discussion board. He mentioned….
“There was an omission of a notice for the ultimate scores.
Brad Kilgore was really in sixth place on the finish of the common competitors. He was, nevertheless, solely registered for exhibition and, subsequently, was not thought-about for an try on the Shootout.
There have been a hidden 17 factors added to his rating to bump him into seventh place behind Dean Bullock. This 17 factors was the distinction between Brad and Dean. After the Shootout, and with the 50 factors added similar to all different opponents who don’t make the shootout, Brad was nonetheless in sixth place within the factors.
I do hope that Brad will get out to extra occasions this 12 months as a competitor, and even Series Registrant as he reveals nice ability and skills on the rocks. Add to that that his spotter for Saturday was doing this job for 2 totally different automobiles. Stu Olson labored as spotter for each Brad and Troy Vickery on Saturday. However, Troy broke past restore with components available and was unable to proceed for Sunday’s programs… giving Stu a little bit of a break.”
Brad and I cross alongside an enormous due to Glenn for posting up the proper occasion outcomes. It is appreciated.
I wish to thank Troy and Brad for letting me take part as a member of their staff. I by no means thought-about myself doing one thing like that (and I’m undecided I’m all that wanting to do it once more). Being a spotter for 2 folks in the identical occasion was not a good suggestion, that I can let you know. If I used to be 20 or 30 years youthful….it wouldn’t be so unhealthy.
I used to be a part of one thing that was fairly cool. 22 groups competed…..and we made a reasonably good exhibiting. Those ending forward of us have been largely Unlimited class buggies…..a number of have been the highest finishers within the 2006 comp season. Next time, we’ll attempt just a little tougher. <grin>
