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Photos by Kelly Walker
Highriders Challenge 2013
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Story by Rich Walker, Photos by Kelly Walker
Well, yet again Mother Nature decided to make things interesting for us and our Highriders Challenge (HRC) adventure. In the weeks leading up to the race she unleashed her vicious power and wreaked havoc on Calgary and many other surrounding cities and areas in Alberta. There was major flooding all over BC and Alberta and she shut down almost all of the major travel routes between the Provinces. Just the same as last year we were doubtful we would even be able to go. Then, just days before the event, the hard working highway crews reopened the 2 main routes to AB. We packed up and hit the road.
After a fairly uneventful drive (which was surprising really), we arrived at Tail Creek Raceway and hunkered down for an excellent weekend of racing and hanging out with friends we don’t get to see nearly enough.
Saturday morning came a little quicker than planned. Turns out we shouldn’t have watched the sun come up, but catching up with old friends tends to do that every now and again.
Before long, we were lined up and ready to race. As in past years, I was co-driving for Eric Brinker from Brink Fab. Only this year there was a twist. Eric wasn’t able to finish his current build in time for HRC, so our good friend Tony lent us his buggy to race. Take a minute and think about that……..he “lent” us a buggy to “race”. Man we have some cool friends. We bantered back and forth about “treating it like a rental” or “driving it like we stole it”. Needless to say, we went out there and gave it our all. I do have to give a HUGE thanks to Tony for being so cool.
Both days of racing proved to be rather challenging. It turns out Mother Nature’s antics also played a role in changing the race course. I know it’s hard to believe, but the mud was stickier and the water holes were a lot deeper.
Saturday’s outfield runs went by pretty quick (considering there was close to 35 competitors) and there was a ton of head to head, crash and bash style racing. The infield runs however would prove to be a bit of a challenge. The Frame Twister (log section) was very difficult as the holes between the logs got deeper and slimier. Many competitors fell to the hands of the machine operator (Kelly Day who is also a competitor) as he dragged the broken trucks out. At the end of Saturday, Rocco Baldassarre was in the lead.
This will probably sound repetitive, but Sunday morning came a little quicker than planned. A quick power break (don’t ask) to shake the cob webs and we were back in the line up to race. In typical HRC fashion, Sunday’s race course was Saturday’s course in reverse.
For Sunday, it turns out the outfield course would prove to be the most difficult. The hill after the “Get Your Stink On” pit was crazy slippery and steep. Competitors just couldn’t get enough steam through the mud to carry momentum up the hill. I honestly think only a handful of competitors were actually able to shoot the hill and finish the course. There were a few rollovers on it and that was a bit of a crowd pleaser. After the true “Greatest Redneck Show On Earth” halftime show (which included burn outs and a Jeep that split in half while driving around) we moved on to the infield runs. Again, the Frame Twister was difficult, but drivers were quick to realize the only way through was to “never lift” (the gas pedal). I don’t think I have ever seen so many tires off the ground in one race in my life. The crowd loved it!
In the end, Justin Wickson was crowned HRC Champion for 2013 and became the first Pro-mod to take the overall win. I may be wrong, but I believe he was the only guy to complete all four courses over the two days. Big congrats to Justin and Team Rigid (and thanks for the shirt), they kept the trophy in Alberta for another year. I’m sure you will enjoy your new Miller welder. That’s two years in a row for AB. I think the BC boys need to step up their game!
Once again, I want to give a huge thanks to Kevin Hennel and the entire HRC crew. Each year you continue to impress us with all your hard work putting this event together. It continues to grow and we are always happy to make the trip out and enjoy the show.
See you out there for 2014!