Rock Bug W.E.Rock Update for Round 3 Day 2
It’s amazing what the Rock Bug can do with a perfectly tuned Scat v4. Tracy Jordan and the Rock Bug were absolutely on fire on day 2 (not literally) and secured a well deserved Pro Mod 1st place spot with a final lead of 40 points! Once again, teams running Spidertrax Spider 9 axles and/or components also proved they run with only the best axles on the planet. All in all, Spider 9 axles & components took home 7 of the top 12 positions in Unlimited & Pro-Mod classes. Here are your top 6 winners from both classes:
W.E.Rock Round 3: Unlimited Top 6
1st: Jesse Haines – 67 pts *
2nd: Cody Waggoner – 101 pts
3rd: Matt Messer – 115 pts *
4th: Matt Heimsoth – 116 pts
5th: Brent Bradshaw – 142 pts *
6th: Jason Paule – 184 pts *
W.E.Rock Round 2: Pro Mod Top 6
1st: Tracy Jordan – 99 pts *
2nd: Troy Bailey – 139 pts
3rd: Brad Lovell – 139 pts *
4th: Craig Thompson – 152 pts
5th: Bill Kunz – 176 pts *
6th: Nicole Johnson – 192 pts
(*) Teams running Spidertrax Spider 9 axles and/or components
Enjoy the Rock Bug videos below from Day 2 which includes all 4 courses plus the final shootout. Tip: If you have a fast connection and computer, hit the “HD” button in the video window when playing to watch the movie in full High Definition.
Course A3
Course A4
Course A1
Course A2
Course Shootout
Rock Bug W.E.Rock Update for Round 3 Day 1
It was an awesome first day here in the Sand’s Regency Hotel & Casino of Reno, NV. The weather, for the most part, was great and the crowd was awesome. Although building a man made course in the confines of a casino parking lot has its size limitations, the excitement of being in the “Biggest Little City in the World” made up for any small shortcomings.
As expected, courses were very tight and extremely technical. Due to the extreme level of traction with the man made course, carnage was also on the high side. The hardest roll of the day definitely goes to Team Tsuda Racing of Japan. This team of 4 flew out from Japan and purchased Tracy’s Twisted Customs chassis from last year to compete in this event. On Team Tsuda’s last course of the day, they launched the rig clear off an obstacle and landed straight on their roof. The impact was so intense the entire chassis deformed on impact. Luckily, both drive and spotter are alright and have managed to get the vehicle running again for more action tomorrow.
As for Tracy and The Rock Bug, the day went great. The Dana 300 is still acting up (that story seems to never end), but all in all they were both in great form and finished the day in 1st place. Troy Bailey finished the day right behind them so it is still anyone’s game in Day 2.
If you were following along on Twitter, chances are you noticed a lag in my updates. Unfortunately, my iPhone died right as the event started, forcing me to update with only my laptop. I’m happy to say my iPhone is back in action and should be ready to go on Day 2. In the meantime, enjoy the course videos below of the Rock Bug from Day 1 and we’ll see you back here again for Day 2s wrap-up. Also, be sure to check out the final scores of both The Unlimited Class and The Pro-Mod Class from Day 1.
Course B3
Course B4
Course B1, Part 1
Course B1, Part 2
Course B2
W.E.Rock’s Round 3 Heads to Reno, NV
Just a quick reminder on what’s coming up this weekend. The Rock Bug is heading out to Reno, NV for W.E.Rock’s Round 3 competition at the Sands Regency Casino. You read it correctly, for this event W.E.Rock is sectioning off a massive chunk of the Sands casino parking lot to hold, what may very well be, the best man made course of the year!
If you can’t make it out in person, no need to worry as there are many places online to follow this weekends action. We wrote a detailed blog post awhile back titled “5 Must Visit Websites for Following W.E.Rock” so be sure to check that out if you are interested in following along. Also, don’t forget that Saturday, day 1 of Round 3, is set to be a night event so the Pro-Mod & Unlimited class will start at 4:00 pm. Sunday, day 2, will start in the morning at 9:00 am.
Derek West and Spider 9 Axles
(Photo courtesy of Rock Midget Motorsports)
Spider 9 Axles are proving themselves, year after year, as a dominant player in competition motorsports such as W.E.Rock, XRRA, and King of the Hammers. Because I have the marketing skills equivalent to a burnt piece of toast, I have neglected to share the many stories that come in from competitors and their success using our products. Just the other day, we got a great e-Mail from Derek West and a light finally went off in my head. We have to make these stories public for all to read.
For those new to the sport, here is a quick summary of Derek West’s achievements. In 2008, Derek took 1st place in W.E.Rock’s Pro Modified Series, W.E.Rock’s Grand Nationals, & XRRA’s Eastern Series. So far this year, Derek has already secured two XRRA 1st place finishes, a MOROC 1st place finish, and a W.E.Rock 2nd & 3rd place finish. In person, Derek is about as humble as one can be, but in competition motorsports he is without question a force to be reckoned with!
So when someone like Derek West chimes in, it means a lot in terms of how well our products are holding up. Here is his e-Mail, unedited, which was sent to us on 22-May-2009:
Just wanted to drop you a note with an update on my teams performance. We were able to pull off a double win at the first XRRA double header at the Gray Rock off-road park in Alabama. With the competition getting tougher every event I rely on quality Spidertrax components to stand up to the abuse we dish out. Being able to turn 50 degrees in the tight, twisty courses was a huge advantage and a major factor in our back to back victories. I cant express enough how great it is to have complete confidence in my axle shafts after breaking 5 shafts and twisting splines on 3 more of another brand last year. I absolutely depend on my axle components to not fail so I can concentrate on my next course and not be rushed fixing something. I had all of my Spidertrax axle shafts out recently for inspection and there was absolutely not signs of twisting in the spline area, what a relief. Thank you for your great support and innovative products.
Regards,
Derek West
Crush Motorsports
Thanks Derek for the kind words and to all the other competitors out there running our products. We would love to hear from everyone using Spidertrax components, so please drop us an e-Mail and let us know your thoughts. If you want to learn more about Derek West and his team Crush Motorsports, head over to his website at http://www.crushmotorsports.com.
Rock Bug W.E.Rock Update for Round 2 Day 2
Tracy & The Rock Bug were in amazing form today, dominating Day 2 and paving the way for one of the most incredible comebacks in W.E.Rock history. The Scat V4 was running great and, with the exception of the Dana 300 t-case “splitting” issue as described in Day 1, the Rock Bug was working fantastic. Tracy finished yesterday in 10th place but, by the end of Day 2, he was sitting in 5th place and secured a spot in the final shootout.
When it was Tracy’s turn in the shootout, the t-case “splitting” issue caused the Rock Bug to roll hard on a bonus descent, locking Tracy into his 5th place position. Although we’re still blown away by the amazing comeback and overall performance of the Rock Bug, the Dana 300 will be replaced by an Atlas in time for the next competition. The issue of t-case “splitting” is not just hurting the performance of the Rock Bug but is creating dangerous situations like that seen in the Shootout roll over video below. It is the opinion of the Rock Bug team that time spent swapping the Dana 300 for an Atlas is better used then trying to fix the “splitting” issue in the Dana 300 itself.
Last, but certainly not least, a special congratulations goes out to all the teams running Spidertrax Spider 9 Axles & Components. In W.E.Rock’s Round 2, Spider 9 Axles & Components have secured 7 of the top 10 spots including both 1st place positions in Unlimited and Pro Mod classes!
W.E.Rock Round 2: Unlimited Top 5 Running Spider 9 Axles & Components
1st: Jesse Haines
3rd: Jason Paule
4th: Brent Bradshaw
5th: Matt Messer
W.E.Rock Round 2: Pro Mod Top 5 Running Spider 9 Axles & Components
1st: Brad Lovell
2nd: Bill Kunz
5th: Tracy Jordan
Enjoy the videos below of the Rock Bug in action on Day 2. Tip: If you have a fast connection and computer, hit the “HD” button in the video window to watch the movie in full High Definition.
Course A2
Course A3
Course A4
Course A1
Course Shootout
Rock Bug W.E.Rock Update for Round 2 Day 1
Tracy & the Rock Bug were back at it for W.E.Rock’s Round 2 in Cedar City, UT. It was a tough start to say the least, with electrical issues haunted the Scat V4 for nearly the entire day. It all began right from the start of the Rock Bug’s first course, B2. Right after crossing the start line, the Scat V4 lost almost all power. Tracy’s incredible driving skill got the Rock Bug through the course with a solid score, but it was off to the pits immediately after.
At this point, no one knew what was going on with the Scat, so a call was made to use 45 minutes of breakdown time. With everyone focused on the motor, a bad coil pack was found causing the Scat to run on only 3 cylinders. So, the coil pack was swapped and the Rock Bug was back in action. Or was it?
Now up on B3. Once again the Rock Bug crosses the start line and once again the Scat begins running on 2 or 3 cylinders. Tracy does his best but can’t get the Rock Bug through the course. Immediately after the Rock Bug exits, the team quickly replaces the rest of the coil packs in fear of further problems.
Now up on B4. The Rock Bug crosses the start line and guess what? The Scat begins running on 2 to 3 cylinders! Tracy works his magic and manages to get the Rock Bug all the way through the coarse with a fair score. After finishing, Tracy races back to the pits hoping to shed some light on this never ending problem.
Well, in the haste of constantly installing new coil packs between courses, one of the spark plug wires ended up contacting the header, destroying the cable. This was easily fixed and finally allowed the Scat to run the way it should have from the start. Now up for the last course of the day, B1.
As it stood, only 2 teams were able to complete this coarse so Tracy still had a great shot of ending the day strong. Both he and his spotter Jason gave it their all, but luck would still not be on Tracy’s side. The Dana 300 t-case shifters unexpectedly “split” toward the end of the obstacle, causing the front to be in low range and the rear to be in high range at the same time. There was not enough time for Tracy to compensate for this problem and time did run out.
Somehow, despite all of these troubles, Tracy and the Rock Bug still managed to place 10th for day 1. The event is not over either. Tomorrow marks day 2 of this two day event and it is still anyone’s competition. We will be back again competing at 10 am, MST and don’t forget you can follow along live as described in our post “5 Must Visit Websites for Following W.E.Rock”. Enjoy the day 1 course videos below of the Rock Bug (despite all of the motor issues) and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow.
Course B2
Course B3
Course B4
Course B1
5 Must Visit Websites for Following W.E.Rock
With round 2 of W.E.Rock just around the corner, it’s a great time to talk about how to follow the competition without actually being at the competition. Granted, nothing is better then physically being at the event, but following along LIVE at home or work certainly is the next best thing. So, here are 5 “must visit” websites for following upcoming W.E.Rock events.
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Twitter - Spidertrax’s Twitter page is a great place for getting quick, rapid fire text updates as they happen. These updates come live from the event & are typically posted right on-course. What’s great about Twitter is it doesn’t require you to login or register and works from almost any computer or phone.
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Facebook – Although Facebook requires you to login & register, it is without question the most popular spot for finding out the latest. All Twitter updates from above are posted live on Spidertrax’s Facebook page as well as extended information like links to end of day pictures & videos. So, if you already have a Facebook account or were thinking about setting one up (you know you want to), add “Spidertrax Off-Road” as a friend and follow along.
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The Blog of Spidertrax – Spidertrax’s blog is a great place for an “end of day” summary complete with story, pictures, and videos focused around teams running Spidertrax products. To get a taste of how this looks, check out our previous W.E.Rock coverage of Day 1 and Day 2 from round 1.
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WE-Rock.cc – This is W.E.Rock’s official website where you can listen to live streaming audio of announcer Dustin Webster. The main page can get a little crowded, but look for the link titled “Streaming Audio: Windows | Apple“ under the title of the event, typically toward the top of the page.
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Pirate4×4.com – Look for a W.E.Rock event link at the top of the main page to get an “all-in-one” package deal of streaming audio, live blogging, photos, and videos all broadcast live from the event. While you’re there, also stop by the “Competitions and Events” forum page for user generated updates and insight of the event.
There you have it, 5 “must visit” websites for following W.E.Rock. Don’t forget, W.E.Rock’s round 2 (Cedar City, UT) starts May 2nd @ 10 am. See you there…or better yet see you online!
Spider 9s Dominate Series Open
Just a quick post recognizing all of the teams supporting Spidertrax and Spider 9 Axles this competition season. Round 1of both W.E.Rock & XRRA are now behind us with Spider 9 Axles & Components securing 12 of the top 15 spots!
XRRA Round 1: Top 5 Running Spider 9 Axles & Components
1st: Rick Deremo
2nd: Brad Lovell
3rd: Levi Shirley
4th: Dana Verdorn
5th: Joachim Schweisow
W.E.Rock Round 1: Unlimited Top 5 Running Spider 9 Axles & Components
2nd: Jason Paule
3rd: Jesse Haines
4th: Brent Bradshaw
W.E.Rock Round 1: Pro-Mod Top 5 Running Spider 9 Axles & Components
1st: Brad Lovell
2nd: Buzz Bronsema
3rd: Tracy Jordan
5th: Brian Errea
Last, but not least, we got our hands on some amazing Rock Bug photos by renowned photographer Chad Jock (http://www.chadjockphotography.com/). These were taken during the W.E.Rock Round 1 event in Tucson, AZ.
Click Here to View the Slideshow
Out By Lisbon
Discovering unfound trails in Moab has always been a highlight during Easter Jeep Safari. Our last memorable unfound trail that comes immediately to mind was “Upper Proving Grounds” which, for the clan of Samurais way back when, was about as hardcore as it got. Vehicles have become so capable these days, finding a trail that still holds this same unfound impact is near to impossible. That was my feeling…until yesterday.
A good friend of ours, Kevin Carrol, has discovered a rock boulder canyon that adds new meaning to the word “hardcore”. This trail (if you can call it that) has no known name but is referred to as the trail out by Lisbon. So, until someone comes up with a better name, we will call this new find “Out By Lisbon”.
Out By Lisbon is located 45 minutes from Moab, UT (about 30 miles) and to be completely honest, without the guide of Kevin no one can figure out how to get back to this place. This trail is suited only for competition level rigs, where rear steer is virtually a requirement to get all the way to the end. From start to finish, it takes about 8 hours to make it though, assuming of course nothing breaks. In addition, there is only one way in and one way out so breaking is not an option.
Yesterday the 7th of April, Kevin took Mark Ruffing (driving a Spidertrax XTS) & Tracy Jordan (driving the Spidertrax Rock Bug) for a day of wheeling they will never forget. Although photos never do trails like this justice, it’s the next best thing to actually being there. Therefore, please enjoy the photo set below courtesy of Shane Garrels from yesterdays trip on Out By Lisbon.
Click Here to View the Slideshow
The Rock Bug Takes 3rd in Debut Event
It was an awesome day 2 for rock crawling competition! The point spreads were so tight that no one could call a winner until every vehicle completed the shootout. Even then, the scores had to be triple checked to safely name the top finishers. All in all, Tracy and the Rock Bug had an amazing first W.E.Rock event securing 3rd place in the Pro-Mod class!
There is far more to celebrate then just the 3rd place finish. The Rock Bug looked great out there both yesterday and today, clearly demonstrating the benefits of ultra lightweight & ultra high strength designs. With the exception of some odd behavior out of the t-case shifters, the Rock Bug worked flawlessly right out of the box.
From here, the Rock Bug is heading up to Moab for the Easter Jeep Safari Vendor Show this Thursday & Friday (April 9th-10th @ the Spanish Trail Arena in Moab, UT). After which, the Rock Bug is heading back to our shop where we will be installing a heat treated chromoly Spider 9 solid rear axle as well as looking over the rest of the vehicle for general inspection & maintenance. Once we get these changes wrapped up, we’ll get a new Rock Bug weight which will most likely happen at the next W.E.Rock event.
Last, but certainly not least, we absolutely need to recognize all of the Spider 9 axle & component equipped teams out there this weekend that proved, once again, Spider 9 axles have what it takes to win. All in all, Spider 9 axles & components secured 7 of the top 10 spots:
Unlimited Top 5 Running Spider 9 Axles & Components
2nd: Jason Paule
3rd: Jesse Haines
4th: Brent Bradshaw
Pro-Mod Top 5 Running Spider 9 Axles & Components
1st: Brad Lovell
2nd: Buzz Bronsema
3rd: Tracy Jordan
5th: Brian Errea
Be sure to check out the Rock Bug videos below from day 2 of the competition. There is nothing special to comment on for these so dig in and enjoy. Note: If you have a fast connection and computer, hit the “HD” button in the video window to watch the movie in full High Definition.
Course A1
Course A2
Course A3
Course A4
Final Shootout
