Kelly Walker
Crawlin 9
Rich Walker
Well, I think it’s safe to say that the busy season is in full effect. It seems that there has been an event every weekend for the past 6 weeks and there will be for the next 6 weeks as well. I haven’t been to many events in person as of late, but I have been following what has happened and who it happened to.
Donner Ski Ranch had been a very popular place lately. All three of the major rock crawling series has had an event there since the last Crawlin’ Column. WERock and Calrocs actually held an event together at Donner (as mentioned here before). Imagine twice the courses and the chance to win two 1st place trophies on the same day. The weather wasn’t exactly what people were looking for, but after a short rain delay, everything went off without a problem. Lots of competitors ran both comps, but nobody actually took home two 1st place finishes in any class. Still would have been a great day to be a competitor or spectator. Fast forward another week, and Cal-Neva was back at Donner for their comp. This time the weather was a little more cooperative. Team Crawlin’BC was supposed to make it down, but a charging issue in the buggy couldn’t be resolved in time. Bummer, I know! For results, pictures, and videos from all the above mentioned comps, please visit; werocklive.com, cal-nevaextreme.com, or calrocs.com (there’s lots of info on pirate4x4.com in the forum too)
The WERock Dirt Riot events have been popping lately too. Fellow Canadian and cover boy from the last issue (Matt Nieman) was at the event in Medford, Oregon. It’s always exciting to have a new race course available and a large number of competitors showed up to challenge it. The course must have also been difficult - judging by the amount of carnage. In the end, Matt came home with a 1st place finish for his class, bringing home hardware back to Canada. Up next for Matt is the Glen Helen Ultra4 Race, followed by the grueling Vegas to Reno Best in the Desert race. Should be a lot of fun for Matt, and myself, as I will be joining the team for both races. Wish us luck!
On a more serious note, I’m sure many of you out there are familiar with Longfield Super Axles. Bobby Long, the creator of Longfield, is a legend in the 4x4 world and has revolutionized many areas of the sport. His products, his customer service and his support for the sport are second to none. I am sure many of you also know that Bobby has had some major back issues involving many surgeries from a tumor on his spine. He has had 4 surgeries just in the past year and a total of 11 since it all started. The next step is to install a pain pump on his spine near the tumor to relive the pressure causing so much pain. This is something that will not be covered under insurance and Bobby and Tina will have to endure these costs plus any medication. I am asking that you please take a few moments and make a donation to help Bobby. He has given us so much and it’s time to give back. I’m sure I don’t have to say it, but every little bit helps. It really does. Please log onto any of the local forums (Crawlin’BC, Pirate4x4, NWWheelers, etc), find the topic and follow the Paypal or other banking option link. Thanks in advance.
Until next time, stay safe, and see you on the trail!