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.

(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.

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

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

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!