It’s that time of year again where new builds take form and old vehicles get overhauled, all in the name of next years competition season. For some time now, we have been offering contingency programs that pay out cash for top place finishers. Sure, it’s fun to race, but there’s nothing wrong with getting paid for something you love to do either. For 2010, we have revamped our contingency programs with some great changes that make getting paid even easier. Plus, with a 2010 King of the Hammers Grand Prize contingency pay out of $2500, this is one program you don’t want to miss!
We have two programs in place for 2010, one for King of the Hammers and one for XRRA & W.E.Rock. Details for both programs are available under the “Terms of Business” section of the Spidertrax Store. To save you time, here are direct links to both programs:
In summary, the newly revamped programs improve on those past in two key areas. First, we now give the option of running 3 different size Spidertrax decals, namely 12”, 18”, or 24” long. This allows the freedom of running the decal that fits your vehicle best. Of course, the larger the sticker the higher the payout. Second, vehicles are now required to run just one Spidertrax branded product to qualify. This way, you can be running just a Spidertrax Pro Series Knuckle set and still be part of the contingency program.
As if that wasn’t enough to get you pumped for next years competitions, we have something else to share. Crawl Magazine just released their latest print issue (Issue #19) that has a great article in it called, you guessed it, “Get Paid to Race!”. They asked us (Spidertrax), Ballistic Fabrication, & Pit Bull Tires questions about sponsorship and Crawl was kind enough to post their entire “Get Paid to Race!” print article right here for FREE! It’s a great read, so be sure to download your free copy today. If you like what you see, check out the rest of Issue #19. It’s sure to impress.
Kevin Sacalas makes history as the 1st Ultra4 class winner.
It was a few weeks after the 09’ King of the Hammers competition when I had first heard rumors of rock racers entering the BITD Vegas to Reno desert race. At the time, the idea of rock racers running a 1000 mile desert race seemed novel and not exactly realistic. After all, I had just watched a race where nearly half of the field didn’t make it to the rock section of the course where they were supposed to excel! Well, fast forward a few months and we have a group of 11 rock racers building and preparing cars for this long desert event. Although this race would not be the first time that a rock racer has entered a desert comp it would be the first time that rock racers would have their own class and would attempt to complete 1000 miles.
In the months leading up to the race, several drivers contacted us about the Spider 9 axles inquiring if the components were up to the task of a thousand miles of harsh desert abuse. Most of the concern was directed at the Spidertrax 1 Ton Unit Bearings and their reliability. I know that some people that have bad experiences with unit bearings, (most folks in the desert racing community regard them as junk), but we were pretty confident that the domestic grade unit bearings we use could survive. Spidertrax has spent many hours testing, dissecting and evaluating the quality of the F450 unit bearings made by different manufacturers and are convinced that the Timken brand unit bearings that we modify are of the highest quality and up to the task. Out of the field of 11 Ultra4 competitors, Spidertrax axles and components were on 6 of the vehicles. To date, all of the tests that we have done on the components were in rock crawling, rock racing and the KOH events. To say that this race would be a true test of a product that was developed for rock crawling would be an understatement.
Unfortunately the timing of the race did not allow us to attend the competition in person. Instead, we followed live updates (via text, pictures, & GPS tracking) provided by Pirate4x4 and BITD. While these sources of information were great, it could not replace the excitement and action that only being at the race could provide. We followed along for 3 days of racing, watching the Ultra4 (4400 class) battle the desert environment, learning about the problems that the cars were encountering from the heat and terrain. Not only was this a test of man and machine but a testament of the dedication of the chase/pit crews to recover, fix and push on in an unfamiliar atmosphere.
As the third day of racing came to a close, car number 4435 (built and driven by Kevin Sacalas) was 1st in the 4400 class and 69th overall. Kevin’s team was the only Ultra4 to finish all 3 days and 1000 miles of the race!!! This was exciting for Spidertrax, as Kevin’s car was running complete Spider 9 axles, front and rear. In the week following the race, we contacted Kevin to congratulate him on the win and to find out how the Spidertrax components performed. We were pleased to discover that his Spider 9 axles performed beautifully & that his Spidertrax 1 Ton Unit Bearings were as tight as when originally installed.
Hearing the post race stories from the event can be almost exciting as the race itself. Reports of how the rock racers assisted one another, before and during the race made me proud to be involved in the sport. The race for the Ultra4 wasn’t about individuals doing whatever they could to win, but a class wide effort for all to finish the race. I wish that I could end this story by saying that all of the competitors in the 4400 class finished, but unfortunately that was not the case. Some teams fell victim to the 110+ degree heat, whereas others dealt with the abuse that a 1000 mile desert race puts out. What I can say is that these competitors fought hard to survive, worked together and that the lessons learned are invaluable to our sport. Congratulations to every team that entered, as their representation in the Vegas to Reno race puts a mark in the win column for all of us in the rock crawling community.
The Rock Bug as Seen in Dirt Sports June 2009 Issue of Masterpiece in Metal
“Masterpiece in Metal”, a monthly feature by Dirt Sports magazine, has been at the forefront for debuting the cleanest & most innovative off-road rigs ever to hit the the market. Starting last November, we worked countless hours creating our own masterpiece dubbed “The Rock Bug”, a concept vehicle aimed at changing the way we all look at lightweight off-road performance. When Dirt Sports recognized this innovation and asked the Rock Bug be part of Masterpiece in Metal, our long efforts had officially been recognized.
Little did we know, what goes on behind the scenes to make the Masterpiece in Metal feature so amazing is nothing short of insane. The Rock Bug would have to be taken to the private California studio of ace photographer Boyd Jaynes for an exclusive 12 hour long photo shoot. In addition, the Rock Bug would have to be “brand new” or “unused” so all detail in workmanship could be preserved for the feature. Although both of these requirements make perfect sense, getting ready for King of the Hammers 2009 and scheduling time for a photo shoot before hand is something of a challenge. Luckily for us, Boyd fully understood these struggles and patiently worked around our schedule. We finally had our session with Boyd on February 20th, just one week before the start of King of the Hammers 2009, and spent the entire day in his studio prepping the Rock Bug.
Then, three months later, the June 2009 issue of Dirt Sports would hit the stands and mark our official place in Masterpiece in Metal history. On page 52, subtitled “In the mad pursuit of everything lightweight, Spidertrax produces a stunner”, Craig Perronne writes the incredible story of what came to be the Rock Bug along side the amazing photography work of Boyd Jaynes. Now, thanks to Jim Ryan of Dirt Sports, you can download the entire Rock Bug Masterpiece in Metal article right from our blog free of charge! So enjoy the article, which is available below in both low & high resolutions, and if you haven’t already subscribed to Dirt Sports magazine be sure to check it out.
Although the title clearly gives away the ending, the story that leads up to this is nothing short of incredible. I’ve decided to mix up this blog entry a little different to those past. Instead of an overall summary followed by a days worth of videos, this time around I’ll walk you through each course, as it unfolded, all the way up to the Shootout.
Course B4 | Saturday @ 10:13 amBy the luck of the draw, Tracy & The Rock Bug would be the first to run B4. Before the event started, it was projected that B4 would be the crowd favorite due to a massively difficult climb called “The Terminator” (6:30 in). However, because this climb was optional and worth only 5 bonus points going over and 10 bonus points going back, Tracy started the trend off early and decided not to run either bonus for fear of losing more points then gaining. This trend would then be followed by the entire Pro Mod class, eliminating “The Terminator” from this competition. Tracy finished the course with a +8.
Course B1 | Saturday @ 11:21 amPulling up to this next course, word was no one had completed B1 yet. Unfortunately, this fate would not change as B1 got the best of Tracy & The Rock Bug. Although they didn’t complete the course, they did manage to secure a few progression gates and finished with a +37. In the end, only 2 teams on Saturday were able to complete this course, Brad Lovell and Shannon Campbell. The best score, held by Shannon, was +29 which was just 8 points better then Tracy. So despite the lack of finishing, this course would not knock Tracy out of the competition. Check out the video at 3:25 in where the Rock Bug shows off its incredibly low CG in a near roll.
Course B2 | Saturday @ 1:37 pmOnce again, pulling up to the next course B2, not one person had completed the course yet. As if to prove something from the last run, Tracy was on a mission with the Rock Bug and would not only be the 1st to complete B2, but would end the day with the 2nd best score for the course of +2.
Course B3 | Saturday @ 2:20 pmThe last course of the day and so far so good as Tracy and The Rock Bug were in amazing form. Our old XTS rig, driven by Rick Mooneyham, was running on the adjacent course and there is a nice surprise for you at 1:00 in. Tracy finishes this course with a solid score of –3 and ends the day in 3rd place with +44. Brad Lovell ends the day in 1st with +33 and Becca Webster in 2nd with +37.
Course A4 | Sunday @ 10:52 amBecause Tracy drew 1st on Saturday, today he would have the chance to watch some rigs run first which helps plan your attack. Tracy would end up with the 2nd best score of the day on A4, a +1. Becca Webster, who was on fire on Saturday and in 2nd place going into today, finished this course with the best score of the day –1. Although Tracy & The Rock Bug were doing great, the pressure was on to catch up with both Becca and Brad.
Course A1 | Sunday @ 11:55 amAdding to the “urban war zone” course decor, A1 starts off by driving into the back of an old beaten Military truck bed! Personally, I thought is was pretty innovative so hats of to the Kleins’ for creating such a unique course. What made this course so challenging was maneuvering through the military truck bed. It was so slippery in the bed that getting in and out all while avoiding cones was near to impossible. Tracy finished with a good score of +16. However, Becca got hung up in A1 and finished with a +39. So in just one course, Tracy jumped ahead in points with Becca and the competition got that much more interesting.
Course A2 | Sunday @ 2:36 pmAnother incredibly difficult course that required a lot out of the spotter. Congratulations to Jason Jordan for getting Tracy and The Rock Bug through A2 with one of the best scores of the day, +22. Tracy has now passed Becca with a healthy margin so the race was on to catch up with Brad, the leader this far.
Course A3 | Sunday @ 2:58 pmWith no line in front of him, Tracy rushes over to A3 and quickly walks the course before starting the Rock Bug. The pressure was on now as Brad was in the lead with Tracy in 2nd place. Tracy not only had to do well on this last course, but he had to do extremely well if he wanted any chance of winning this Finale. Brad had gotten a –1 on this course, which has an amazing feat, and Tracy knew he had to beat this score. As he has shown us in the past, when the pressure is on Tracy works the Rock Bug in absolute amazing form. He walks A3 and gets the best score of the day, –11!
The Shootout | Sunday @ 5:45 pmThis is it, the final Shootout. The top 6 teams this far compete in the end all of end all courses. Points are cumulative for these 6 teams, so scores from Saturday and Sunday are totaled and added to the final score of the Shootout. Tracy is now sitting in 2nd place, just one point away from Brad Lovell who is in 1st. Vehicles run in reverse order of score, so Tracy would run and Brad would follow. The Shootout was near to impossible, with only 2 teams so far making it in the Pro-Mod class, namely Shannon Campbell with a +8 and Bill Kunz with a –1. Tracy had to bring his A game if he wanted to take Brad head on. Not only does Tracy bring his A game, he completes the Shootout with the best score of the day, –12!!! Brad follows behind and suffers a devastating blow. On the 2nd set of gates, he rolls his vehicle and is unable to recover. Tracy & The Rock Bug win the Series Finale!!!
So, there you have it. Two days of non-stop action with Tracy & The Rock Bug winning the series finale and taking 2nd overall in the series for points. What an amazing year it has been! We also have to give a special congratulations to Brad Lovell and his team Lovell Rock Racing for winning the 2009 W.E.Rock Pro-Mod Series with their Spider 9 powered rig. Next up is W.E.Rock’s Grand Nationals, October 3-4 in Farmington, NM. With the Rock Bug running in top form, the Grand Nationals is going to be one event you don’t want to miss. See you there!
Oroville’s new man made course may be the toughest one yet. Construction photos courtesy of Werocklive.
Less then a month ago, Reno Rock’s hit the Sand’s Regency Hotel and quickly became the most talked about competition of the year. For Tracy & The Rock Bug, the entire 2009 rock crawling series came down to this one single event. If they wanted any chance of winning the series, they had to finish 1st in Reno Rock’s. With the pressure on, Tracy & The Rock Bug showed the world, once again, why they compete with the best out there. With an amazing 2 day performance, Tracy & The Rock Bug dominated Reno Rock’s and took home a 1st place finish.
Now, heading into the season finale, Tracy & The Rock Bug are sitting 2nd in points for the series. They have a long way to go to beat the series leader, Brad Lovell of Lovell Rock Racing, but as we know anything can happen in the finale. Here are your series standings so far for both Unlimited & Pro Modified Classes:
The only notable upgrade made to the Rock Bug, in preparation for the season finale, was the installation of 2 chromoly shift forks for the Stak D300 2 Speed Transfer Case. With the help of Ken from Stak, we manufactured a billet 4130 chromoly shift fork and normalized & heat treated the entire welded shift fork assembly. Last but not least, we opted to weld the shift fork assembly to the shift rail instead of running the factory set screw. The end result created an incredibly strong shift fork (about 8 times the strength of factory) that should hold up to the high demands of competition abuse. Only time can prove that statement though, so we’ll have to wait and see how this competition upgrade pans out.
The “Tracy Jordan” Special Edition 4130 Heat Treated Shift Fork
The W.E.Rock season finale will take place in Oroville, CA this weekend (July 18-19th) and is guaranteed to be one action packed event. For those able to attend in person, the event site will be held at Surplus City Jeep Parts and gates open at 9 am on Saturday. For those unable to attend in person, fear not as live coverage will be available online. Pirate4x4 typically broadcasts the best live coverage on the planet, so keep an eye on their main Home page for more details. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Spidertrax’s Twitter Account for additional live competition coverage. As always, I’ll post a blog entry at the end of each day of competition, complete with story and videos. If you want to get these blog updates automatically by eMail, you can subscribe to our Blog using FeedBurner. Now, I have to pack and get ready for Oroville. Good luck to all the teams this weekend!
![CRAWL_i19_GPTR_Page_2_Caption[1]](http://blog.spidertrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/CRAWL_i19_GPTR_Page_2_Caption1.jpg "CRAWL_i19_GPTR_Page_2_Caption[1]")
Photo Courtesy of Crawl Magazine
Download the full print article “Get Paid to Race!”, courtesy of Crawl Magazine.
Kevin Sacalas makes history as the 1st Ultra4 class winner.
The Rock Bug as Seen in Dirt Sports June 2009 Issue of Masterpiece in Metal
Oroville’s new man made course may be the toughest one yet. Construction photos courtesy of 
