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:

Spidertrax 2010 King of the Hammers Contingency Program

Spidertrax 2010 XRRA/W.E.Rock Contingency Program

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.

 Download the full print article “Get Paid to Race!”, courtesy of Crawl Magazine.

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 Pirate4×4 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.

“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.

PDF Download 837 KB (Low Resolution)

PDF Download 7.43 MB (High Resolution)

Course B4 | Saturday @ 10:13 am

Course B1 | Saturday @ 11:21 am

Course B2 | Saturday @ 1:37 pm

Course B3 | Saturday @ 2:20 pm

Course A4 | Sunday @ 10:52 am

Course A1 | Sunday @ 11:55 am

Course A2 | Sunday @ 2:36 pm

Course A3 | Sunday @ 2:58 pm

The Shootout | Sunday @ 5:45 pm

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!

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.  Pirate4×4 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!

W.E.Rock Round 3: Unlimited Top 6
1st: Jesse Haines  – 67 pts *
2nd: Cody Waggoner – 101 pts
3rd: Matt Messer – 115 pts *
4th: Matt Heimsoth – 116 pts
5th: Brent Bradshaw – 142 pts *
6th: Jason Paule – 184 pts *

W.E.Rock Round 2: Pro Mod Top 6
1st: Tracy Jordan – 99 pts *
2nd: Troy Bailey – 139 pts
3rd: Brad Lovell – 139 pts *
4th: Craig Thompson – 152 pts
5th: Bill Kunz – 176 pts *
6th: Nicole Johnson – 192 pts

(*) Teams running Spidertrax Spider 9 axles and/or components

Enjoy the Rock Bug videos below from Day 2 which includes all 4 courses plus the final shootout. Tip: If you have a fast connection and computer, hit the “HD” button in the video window when playing to watch the movie in full High Definition.

Course A3

Course A4

Course A1

Course A2

Course Shootout

As expected, courses were very tight and extremely technical.  Due to the extreme level of traction with the man made course, carnage was also on the high side.  The hardest roll of the day definitely goes to Team Tsuda Racing of Japan.  This team of 4 flew out from Japan and purchased Tracy’s Twisted Customs chassis from last year to compete in this event.  On Team Tsuda’s last course of the day, they launched the rig clear off an obstacle and landed straight on their roof.  The impact was so intense the entire chassis deformed on impact.  Luckily, both drive and spotter are alright and have managed to get the vehicle running again for more action tomorrow.

As for Tracy and The Rock Bug, the day went great.  The Dana 300 is still acting up (that story seems to never end), but all in all they were both in great form and finished the day in 1st place.  Troy Bailey finished the day right behind them so it is still anyone’s game in Day 2. 

If you were following along on Twitter, chances are you noticed a lag in my updates.  Unfortunately, my iPhone died right as the event started, forcing me to update with only my laptop.  I’m happy to say my iPhone is back in action and should be ready to go on Day 2.  In the meantime, enjoy the course videos below of the Rock Bug from Day 1 and we’ll see you back here again for Day 2s wrap-up.  Also, be sure to check out the final scores of both The Unlimited Class and The Pro-Mod Class from Day 1.

Course B3

Course B4

Course B1, Part 1

Course B1, Part 2

Course B2

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.

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.

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