Look’s like we’ll be part of Dirt Sport’s brake guide in the upcoming July issue. Always nice to be thought of, and included, in guides like this. Our approach to brake performance is a bit unconventional, the result of working so closely with what really is an unconventional vehicle, the Ultra4. The inspiration for posting this today was to show off the shot above, which we took this week for the article.

When we were contacted about this piece, it occurred to us only then that we didn’t have a single photo of our larger diameter rotors mounted to our Pro Series Hubs (or brake hats for that matter). Not one. So, here it is in all of its 14″ diameter glory. You can check out this photo, and the rest of the Pro Series Hub photo set, on Flickr.

For almost 100 years, racers of all shapes and sizes have battled the climb up Colorado’s most famous “hill”, Pikes Peak. Since inception, this historic Colorado event has grown in popularity so much that competitors come in from all over the globe enjoying the sites, comradery, and the attempts at setting new records. For those following the news lately, it will come of no surprise Colorado has been battling wildfires unseen in these parts. Just stepping out of Spidertrax HQ, based in Colorado, there is almost no direction where a fire, or billowing smoke resulting from, can’t been seen. As such these wildfires, the largest of which are right near Pikes Peak, forced PPIHC to pospone this years race which was originally scheduled for July 8th. The new date has yet to be finalized, but what we do know is it will be sometime in the summer.

Here’s a copy of the press release sent out by PPIHC yesterday.

90th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Postponed Because of Safety Concerns And The Fires Near Colorado Springs – New Date Will Be Sought For This Summer

Colorado Springs, June 27———Faced with epic conditions and safety concerns related to the wildfires threatening Colorado Springs and nearby communities, the 90th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, scheduled for Sunday, July 8, is being postponed until later in the summer.
 
“We have been informed by the U.S. Forest Service that conditions are so extreme, along with the inability to forecast the future of the fire, and with access to Pikes Peak in jeopardy that the agency can’t permit the event to go as scheduled, “said Tom Osborne, Chairman of the Board of the PPIHC and President & CEO of the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation.
 
Osborne said that the iconic event, the nation’s second-oldest motor sports race behind the Indianapolis 500, will be staged later this summer, and that a new date will be set within a time frame that allows the option of rescheduling of a new Race Week for drivers, racers, support crews and the multitude of agencies that are required to support the race.
 
“The 90th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will be run,” said Osborne. 
 
“This race began in 1916 and it has earned its place among the world’s greatest motor sports events, and it is an important part of the sports heritage of Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region,” said Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach. “We are committed to making sure it takes place this year and that we carry on the tradition. We are disappointed, but our first concern is our city, its residents, their homes, businesses and public safety.” 
 
Sports Corp and PPIHC officials met with officials from the Forest Service and numerous agencies tasked with the safety and support of the race this afternoon that included a wide-ranging discussion and review of the possibility of staging the race on July 8, along with the numerous ancillary events that go with the event. Those include the arrivals of the 211 race crews and competitors starting this weekend, the Technical Inspections on July 3 at the Pikes Peak International  Raceway, the July 6 Fan Fest downtown, and practice and qualification times for all competitors on July 4-5-6.
 
“At the end of our meeting today, it was clear that we would not be able to go as scheduled,” said Osborne. “Our deepest concern is for the safety of the public and the competitors, and it was obvious that several agencies charged with public safety would not be able to commit the resources and manpower required to ensure those requirements because of the critical need for their resources at this time. Our city is in an unprecedented struggle right now and we are deeply sensitive to it.”
 
The race organizers will meet quickly to begin the search for the new date and it is a goal to announce the replacement date within two weeks.
 
Notification of the 211 competitors, some of them from 15 nations outside the United States, news media organizations traveling to cover the race, and fans has begun.
 
Tickets already purchased will be honored for the new date and the events for the fans and competitors will be rescheduled. All sponsor, vendor and supplier agreements will be fulfilled, according to Osborne.

America’s Mountain – Our Hill Climb

Seems like every weekend there’s a rock crawling or racing competition somewhere in the US. Last weekend, Dion Wakefield dusted off his old Spidertrax XTS buggy and headed down, from Canada, to the latest W.E.Rock rock crawling competition at Donner Ski Ranch. It’s always nice to see our older vehicles out there, it’s even nicer to see them winning.

Dion Wakefield grabbed 1st for the Unlimited class with a commanding lead of 37 points. In addition, Jason Feuilly drove his Spider 9 powered Jimmy’s buggy to 1st in the Pro Modified class. Keep the good news coming!

Sorry to say we missed this latest rock crawl event as well, having still been driving back from TORCs short course competition in Crandon. The shot above is of Dion Wakefield at the 2010 W.E.Rock Grand Nationals , courtesy of Chad Jock. No doubt Dion’s still got it. Results from the 2012 W.E.Rock Round #3 competition are below, courtesy of W.E.Rock.

We took this shot of Loren Healy back in April, which marked the first Mountain Dirt Riot race of 2012. Unfortunately, due to other race commitments we have missed attending the Colorado Springs Dirt Riot races in person for the last three years straight. It’s really too bad as this course is the single closest event to Spidertrax HQ.

Oh well, our lack of attendance certainly doesn’t take away from the event, or the results. We’re happy to say Loren Healy drove his Spider 9 powered Ultra4 to victory, claiming 1st out of 14 racers for this years Colorado Springs Dirt Riot Mountain #2 competition. Congrats to Loren for a well deserved win. Results from this 2nd mountain series Dirt Riot race are below, courtesy of W.E.Rock.

Finally finished up our photo set from Crandon, available now on Flickr . All photos are licensed under Creative Commons, so feel free to download and share. Next up, Badlands.