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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Pirate4x4.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!

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

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

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

The smell of competitive rock crawling is back in the air with W.E.Rock kicking off their first event of the year in Tucson, AZ. Tracy & the Rock Bug have had some time together both on the trail and in the shop getting ready for this day. Today marks the Rock Bug’s ultimate debut and we are happy to report Tracy and the Rock Bug were both in amazing form, securing the top spot of the day!

Before reviewing today’s competition, it deserves mention that yesterday we had the first chance to weigh the Rock Bug. Keep in mind, this recorded weight includes a rear steer axle and an oversized radiator, both of which were designed and intended specifically for King of the Hammers. We planned on swapping these out for a lighter solid axle and smaller radiator, in total shaving over 160 lbs. As mentioned in our last update, time did not permit this change for this first event but we should be making these improvements for the next W.E.Rock competition.

Having said all of that, the Rock Bug with all fluids and fuel weighed in at 2,510 pounds. This puts the Rock Bug’s approximate weight with a solid rear axle right around 2,350 pounds. Keeping in mind the Rock Bug is a full bodied two seat Pro-Mod rig, it is currently on track to weigh less then Tracy’s legendary Scrapper single seat moon buggy which weighed 2,360 pounds.  It is also worth noting once these weight saving changes are complete, the Rock Bug should easily be the lightest vehicle competing in today’s W.E.Rock Pro-Mod class.

Back to the competition, day 1 of this 2 day event is now finished and as mentioned above Tracy and the Rock Bug have secured the top spot with a total of -16 points. The point spread is close though so it is still anyone’s game tomorrow. Videos do the Rock Bug far more justice then my writing, but I will make a quick mention on the video below of course B2.

On B2, Tracy hits a cone and is called on it by Judge #1 but he and his spotter clearly do not hear the call. You will see Tracy continue to negotiate this cone with another judge, who we will call Judge #2, watching his progress from above. The crowd, including myself, begin yelling at Tracy as he is clearly consuming enormous time on a cone that Judge #1 called him on. When Tracy and his spotter hear the crowd, they ask the closest judge, Judge #2, if the cone was hit and this judge says no. So, they continued negotiating the same cone which consumes the time needed for the course’s bonus climb. Once the course was finished, Judge #1 said they hit the cone for 10 points in addition getting 4 points for backups while negotiating this already hit cone.  Needless to say, this did not go over well with anyone and the final call by Lil Rich gave Tracy back 4 points of his potential loss of 10 (for missing the bonus that the majority of teams completed). In the end, it was a raw deal for everyone with no clear winners. Luckily, Tracy & the Rock Bug’s solid performance carried them to 1st place for the day despite this negative run.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter as we are posting live updates of the Rock Bug and will continue to do so tomorrow during the final day of competition.  Until then, enjoy the videos below of the Rock Bug in action and be sure to check in tomorrow for the final outcome.

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 B1

Course B2

Course B3

Course B4