Falken Tire, a leading high performance choice for driving enthusiasts on pavement and off-road, has just announced further expansion of its motorsports involvement in the popular and demanding off-road King of the Hammers event, running a new vehicle built by Off Road Evolution of Fullerton, CA, that will compete in the highly competitive Ultra4 Class. The Falken Tire factory team race vehicle will feature the Wildpeak A/T 37×13.50-R18 tire.

King of the Hammers, known as the “toughest one-day off-road race,” according to series organizers, will run for the sixth time on public lands in Johnson Valley, CA. Over the first five years the race has run, it has evolved from 12 teams to more than 150 teams competing before thousands of fans both live and online. The race will be run on Friday February 10, 2012.

The custom tube chassis vehicle will be piloted by Falken Vice President of Marketing Andrew Hoit, an experienced off-roader, along with his co-driver, Ryan Hagel from RCH Designs in Huntington Beach, CA. The car is powered by an LS1 engine making more than 400hp, with a Turbo400 transmission and Atlas transfer case. The team is prequalified for the race but will set its starting position on Wednesday February 8th.

This is Falken’s first serious effort into off-road racing. The high performance tire manufacturer has already shown its dominance in the professional world of drifting and claimed two wins in last year’s hotly contested GT class of the American Le Mans Series. Falken is also supporting two other teams in this year’s event, the husband and wife team of Race Prep Racing, also in the KOH Main Event as well as the Savvy Off Road/Currie Enterprises Jeep Wrangler competing in this year’s Every Man Challenge event on Sunday February 5th.

“We feel this is a perfect venue to showcase the durability and versatility of our Wildpeak tire line,” stated Nestor Cabrera, Falken’s Off-Road Supervisor. “We are confident we’ll perform well in this demanding event.”

KOH, as King of the Hammers is known, will feature over 150 vehicles competing, while 71 Last Chance Qualifier contestants will attempt to secure the 20 remaining spots and conquer the 165 mile course.

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

The Ultra4 series was born out of the hugely popular King of the Hammers race, (KOH), held inJohnsonValley, Ca. each February. Ultra4 race vehicles are designed to handle extreme rock crawling and traverse open desert terrain at speed but the versatile 4 wheel drive rigs have been known to show up almost anywhere to race. For the season finale they would tackle a brutal course at Glen Helen that proved to be just as punishing as anything the racers have seen yet. The course included a quick lap of the Lucas Oil track and then it was straight up the ridgeline into the natural terrain that makes Glen Helen so special. Drivers had to negotiate perilously steep hills, twisty fire roads, motocross style table top jumps and a trip around the huge American flag on top of mount Glen Helen to complete a full lap.

The four hour grand prix style race was run in 2, two hour segments with an hour between to make quick repairs and to refuel. Moments before the scheduled break, word came over the radio that Shannon Campbell, blinded by dust, had plunged off the ridgeline into a deep canyon and rolled. The course would be red flagged until they could recover both Shannon and his car. Luckily, a few of the rigs were still equipped with their rock crawling winches which were used to haul the number 5 car back up to safety. In an amazing (but not uncommon) show of sportsmanship, second place in the points championship Ben Napier was helping to recover points leader Campbell’s rig from the bottom of the canyon.

The extended break due to Campbell’s mishap would allow both drivers and cars to cool off a bit before they hit the track again for round two.  After a quick drivers meeting it was decided that the course would be shortened to bypass the ridge where Campbell went off. The result of the shorter course was two hours of frenetic action with the reinvigorated drivers racing bumper to bumper and up to three wide at times to beat the clock and each other. After the dust settled there were four drivers who finished on the lead lap having completed 28 times around the ruthless course. First over the line was Loren Healy followed by Jason Picket and JT Taylor with Nick Nelson in fourth. One lap down with 27 completed was Brad Falin in fifth and Tony Pellegrino in sixth.

After the race there were a lot of sore muscles, broken rigs and some hurt feelings but there was no shortage of ear to ear grins on dirty faces. It seems wherever the Ultra4 series chooses to line up for a race the result is some amazing action and a great time for all. If you’ve never been to an Ultra4 event you are missing out but don’t worry, the 2012, King of the Hammers race is just a few months away.

[Show as slideshow]

Photos by: Mike Ingalsbee, Kelly StClair and Simon Saines

PLACERVILLE, CA   SEPTEMBER 28, 2010:  After two days of intense W.E. Rock crawling where the lead changed more times than can be counted, the final scores crowned Brent Bradshaw the Unlimited Class National Champion, Troy Bailey the Pro Modified National Champion and Duane Garretson the Stock Class Champion.   The W.E. Rock Grand National Championships were held at the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT where the East Coast competitors met the West Coast competitors to determine the National Champion at the season finale.   “The Grand Nationals is always the one of the best events of the year where all the competitors come together and put their battles on the rocks,” said Rich Klein, W.E. Rock promoter.  “There were so many lead changes it made it exciting for everyone watching and involved, each course had to be executed perfectly to take the win.”

The Unlimited class champion Trail Tough Brent Bradshaw and spotter Chris Poblano managed each of the 9 courses like a methodical team, but at the end of day one it was Torchmate Racing Jesse Haines ahead by 11 points.  These two teams have been battling all season and Sundays competition heated up even more when Bradshaw took the lead early in the day when Haines made moves that landed him on his roof, unable to complete the course.  In the meantime, Monster Energy Wayland Campbell and Shannon Campbell consistently finished each course.  After the shootout that only Bradshaw and Campbell were able to successfully complete, the National Title belonged to Trail Tough Brent Bradshaw and Chris Poblano. Second place went to 15 year old Monster Energy Wayland Campbell, Third to Torchmate Racing Jesse Haines, Fourth to BFGoodrich Tires Robert McKenney, Fifth to Raceline Wheels Justin Hall and Sixth to Yukon Gear & Axle Todd Young.

The Pro Modified class champion Maxxis Tires Troy Bailey and Scott Dillard would never have believed that the National Title would be theirs after day one with the intense battle from the beginning with Maxxis Tires Kenny Blume who had the lead at the end of day one.  The lead changed in the Pro Modified class at least three times including having DynoMax Nick Campbell taking the lead after an amazing flip and save by spotter Jason Berger.  After the shootout where the points counting was important, Maxxis Tires Troy Bailey and Scott Dillard would take the National Title.  Second place went to Tom Wood’s Custom Drive Shafts Kenny Blume, Third to DynoMax Nick Campbell, Fourth to Jimmy’s 4×4 Jason Fueilly, Fifth to Pro Comp Justin Lawson and Sixth to PSC Steering Shelby Gilstrap.

The Modified Stock Class was truly an East vs West battle where the class champions from each series went head to head.  Come Get Ya Some Duane Garretson and Jeff Spear would take on each course and complete them.  Second place Krawl Tec Victor Burness and John Jacobs attempted each course and challenged the clock for the finish.

The Grand Nationals is the final event for the 2011 W.E. Rock event series.  The 2012 schedule is available at http://www.werocklive.com/2011/2012-event-schedule/.

Video Recap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FKS6FfF_Gw

W.E. Rock Grand National Final Results

Unlimited Class

1.     Brent Bradshaw / Chris Poblano

2.     Wayland Campbell / Shannon Campbell

3.     Jesse Haines / Gabe Strouse

4.     Robert McKenney / Ian Wilson

5.     Justin Hall / Mark Hall

6.     Todd Young / Marisa Young

Pro Modified Class

1.     Troy Bailey / Scott Dillard

2.     Kenny Blume / Chuck Carlson

3.     Nick Campbell / Jason Berger

4.     Jason Fueilly / Cody Folsom

5.     Justin Lawson / Cody Keller

6.     Shelby Gilstrap / Billy Gilstrap

Modified Stock Class

1.     Duane Garretson / Jeff Spear

2.     Victor Bunness / John Jacobs

Marketing Partners: Maxxis Tires, Torchmate, Master Pull, Raceline Wheels, Trail Gear, King Shocks, Losi R/C, Eastside Custom Trucks, Slime Tire Sealant, Spider Trax, Nash Fuel Propane Conversions, Pirate4x4.com, Magnum Ink, Tom Woods Custom Driveshafts

About W.E.ROCK Events, LLC.
W.E.ROCK Events, LLC. A Placerville, CA based company, sanctions, promotes, and hosts specialty off road events, including the W.E.ROCK Rockcrawling US Pro-National series, Dirt Riot Racing Series and 13 international and sub-sanctions. Attracting thousands of spectators to each event, W.E.ROCK reaches a broad demographic of off-road enthusiasts and casual motorsports fans. The sport of rockcrawling has grown by giant leaps in the last decade and is now host to over 300 registered national-level competition teams. Major competition supporters and partners include Red Bull Energy Drink, Monster Energy, NOS Energy Drink, Home Depot, MAXXIS Tires, Cooper Tires, and Crown Royal. With the off road industry exceeding 4 billion in sales annually, the sport of rockcrawling leads the way in print media and advertising for the sport’s 12 major publications. For more information, visit www.werocklive.com

July 19, 2011 –Tooele, UT: In what can only be described as the biggest upset of the 2011 Ultra4 Season, Team GenRight’s Kevin Sacalas overtook this year’s King of The Hammers winner and current Ultra4 Series leader, Shannon Campbell to claim the win at the American Rocksports Challenge held at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT. Saturday’s race started off with more than 40 Ultra4 drivers competing in a new style of race that combined a rock-crawling obstacle course with a short course track. Throughout the day 44 drivers competed against each other in a series of 12 races until the top drivers remained.

Sacalas started off strong with a 2nd place finish coming in one second behind Shannon Campbell’s brother, Nick Campbell in the first heat of the day. Unfortunately for Sacalas, in his 2nd heat he blew a tire early in the race as he and the 2010 King, Loren Healy battled for position in the rocks. Sacalas was forced to complete the remaining 4 laps and one additional trip through the rocks on a flat tire. The BFGoodrich short course tire held up and Sacalas was able to cross the finish line, albeit in 2nd to last place. His combined time wasn’t enough to advance to the semi-finals and Sacalas found himself competing for a spot via the Last Chance Qualifier heat. Sacalas would have to finish in the top 2 of 12 to earn a spot at the back of the pack for the semi-finals.

As Sacalas and his Big Ugly Racing pit crew prepped the car for the LCQ they noticed the engine was misfiring. With little time between heats, they were unable to determine the cause and Sacalas was forced to race on 7 cylinders. With the reduced horsepower and the need to finish in the top 2, his chances of advancing didn’t look good. However, as the green flag dropped, Sacalas continued to amaze the crowd with jumps that had him passing 2 to 3 cars at a time and clearing table tops with ease. His jumps were so high they earned him the nick name “high flyin’ Sacalas” from the announcers and even on 7 cylinders, Sacalas ultimately took 1st place in his heat and advanced to the semi-finals.

Again, with little time to prep between the qualifier and the semi-final, Sacalas and his crew scrambled to find the source of the misfire which was finally attributed to a bad spark plug wire. With all 8 cylinders intact and his STS Turbo ready to go, Sacalas started the semi-finals in the last row and fought his way into a 5th place finish in what would be the closest race of the day with 4 cars crossing the finish line in a span of 1.5 seconds.

As luck would have it, Sacalas’ orange Big Ugly was matched against Shannon Campbell’s Monster green machine for the first time in the final race of the day. Campbell had won all of his heats allowing him to start the final race in the pole position. By the end of the 2nd lap; Brad Lovell, Nick Campbell and Levi Shirley had all rolled their cars and the race quickly came down to Campbell vs. Sacalas. For several laps Sacalas nipped at Campbell’s heels with Campbell overtaking in the corners and Sacalas gaining in the straight aways. Campbell looked to have the advantage until Campbell’s car stopped completely and Sacalas sailed into the lead. In the last lap, the tables had turned and it was Campbell chasing down Sacalas as the two attacked the last few turns of the race. It appeared Campbell was on the verge of overtaking Sacalas when Campbell’s car again stumbled and Sacalas secured the lead and flew across the finish line 3 seconds ahead of Shannon Campbell.

“What a fun day of racing!” exclaimed Sacalas when asked about his win. “I wasn’t so sure we were going to make the finals with the misfire before the LCQ and to come from the back and take the win is just awesome. My Bilstein shocks were set up perfectly to handle the jumps, the STS turbo gave me the boost I needed and my BF Goodrich short course tires worked great, even in the rocks! I couldn’t be happier with how the car performed. I’m also proud to say I was able to continue the Team GenRight tradition of a podium finish in every Ultra4 race a GenRight car has competed in this season.”

Kevin Sacalas will next be racing Big Ugly in the Lucas Oil regional short course race at Glen Helen on August 20th where he is currently the series leader for the Ultra4 class. His next Ultra4 race will be the Ultra4 Stampede at the Exit 28 Motorsports Park in Reno, NV on September 10th.

Sponsors –GenRight OffRoad, The Orleans Casino, BFGoodrich Tires, Raceline Wheels, Hughes Performance, Novak Conversions, RCV Performance, Spidertrax and Viking OffRoad

About Kevin Sacalas – He is a 27 year old native Californian, based out of Riverside, CA who has been off roading at the Hammers for the past 6 years in his highly modified ’01 TJ. Big Ugly was his first attempt at building a vehicle from scratch. In two years of racing, Sacalas has raced 9 races and had 5 podium finishes. For more information on Kevin Sacalas and Big Ugly Racing, please visit: www.biguglyracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Big Ugly Racing

STURGIS, KY   JULY 12, 2011  Bill Baird is a retired ARCA Champion who bought a Campbell Enterprises buggy in March, finished 5^th last month at Rausch Creek qualifying for the 2012 King of the Hammers and will compete at the Rock Sports Challenge this weekend at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT.  “I didn’t know that one race would turn into the series, but I sure am glad that it has,” said Bill Baird who plans to race the rest of the 2011 Ultra4 Series in preparation for the 2012 Griffin King of the Hammers.

The Rausch Creek Qualifier was Baird’s first experience racing the car and the style of rock racing.  “The starting gate to the finish line was the hardest part.  JT (Taylor) told me where to go, and I just followed directions on what to do.  I didn’t make any mistakes and kept it out of the trees,” Baird said after the race with a muddy face.  “I came here wanting to qualify for King of the Hammers and at least finish in the top 10, but I didn’t get my hopes up.  I guess a little talent paid off.  I have spent a lot of time racing over my life, but have been away from it for years and I just like to drive fast vehicles.  Main thing, I had to finish the race, and I did and ended up a little better than thought I was going to.”  They finished 5^th.

Bill Baird’s name is well known in the ARCA Racing Series with over 68 career starts with 28 top-5 finishes and 36 top-10 finishes.  His list of accomplishments is long including the 1999 ARCA Series Champion, multiple Pole Positions, Rookie of the Year in different disciplines of racing, Most Improved Driver and more.  He is a veteran of ASA late model series, dirt modifies and UMP late models.

His history doesn’t come from the track, but rather as a stunt pilot.  He founded and developed Saturn Manufacturing, contributing to 22 patents for processes and equipment in the coking of steel.   As time allowed, he ended up in the pits at the races and gradually shifted from the air to dirt circle track to asphalt and will now start a new chapter in the rock racing segment.

Bill Baird will be racing the #5252 car Friday July 15^th and Saturday July 16^th at the American Rock Sports Challenge at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.  For more information go to www.Ultra4Racing.com

Bill Baird at Rausch Creek: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEzWnFvsUUA

Emmitsburg, MD – May 27, 2011 – Bigelow Motorsports owner and driver Doug Bigelow qualified for the 2012 King of the Hammers race at the annual Rausch Creek King of the Hammers Qualifier with a 7th place finish on May 21st. Driving his Yukon Gear and Axle sponsored Ultra 4 racer he battled not only some of the greatest drivers in rock sports, including Shannon Campbell the 2011 King of the Hammers champion, but the nasty East Coast elements that dropped 6 inches of rain on the event the night before. “We knew the race was going to battle of attrition and the finishing rate showed it. Anytime you get less than half of the field finishing an event its tough. This race was 75 miles of tough East Coast rocks and woods that was made even harder with all of the rain and mud. Rausch Creek and HammerKing have put on another great event and we are very excited to be going back to the big King of the Hammers race for the 5th consecutive year!” noted Doug Bigelow.

Bigelow Motorsports has attended every King of the Hammers race for the last 5 years and plans to have two vehicles in the 2012 King of the Hammers event. Doug Bigelow had this to say, “We qualified in the main race with our single seat moonbuggy. That vehicle is as unlimited as us comes. Its going to get a thorough going over before we hit KOH with a couple of changes and help from a few sponsors. What I am really excited about is the additional classes that HammerKing has brought forth to introduce new racers to the sport of Ultra 4 racing. Bigelow Motorsports has committed to building another vehicle for the Modified Class based upon a Jeep TJ with Chevy power. By having two vehicles at what has become one of the premier Offroad events in the country, if not the world, its a win win situation all the way around for all of our sponsors that graciously support us.”

Bigelow Motorsports has been racing professionally since 2003 and is located in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

May 24, 2011-Pine Grove, PA: The unlimited 4 wheel-drive class known as Ultra4s made their way to Pine Grove, Pennsylvania last week for the 3^rd stop in the 2011 Ultra4 Series. “This aint no desert race” was the tagline used to promote the 4WD Hardware Rausch Creek Qualifier presented by ATX Wheels, and they were not kidding.  From torrential downpours, to a tree-laden course filled with slippery mud slopes, the Ultra4 drivers were constantly reminded that they weren’t in the desert anymore.  The course spared no one, including this year’s King of the Hammers, Shannon Campbell.  By the end of the day, only a third of the drivers successfully completed all 5 laps.

Each time there appeared to be a clear leader at Saturday’s race; the brutal course would claim another casualty. After the first lap, it looked as though Ultra4 Series leader, Shannon Campbell was going to claim his 3^rd victory in as many races.  However, in one of the most spectacular moments of the day, Campbell, on his 2^nd ascent up the slippery rock slope known as Talisman, encountered the stopped 4454 car driven by JT Stephens and attempted to bypass the car by using its wheels for traction and ended up rolling backwards down the hill and onto his roof, killing the car’s battery.

Going into the final lap of the day, only 3 minutes separated Ultra4 veterans, Levi Shirley and Lucas Murphy, with Shirley in the lead.  Both Shirley and Murphy made their way through the Talisman quickly and appeared to be on track for a 1^st and 2^nd place finish.  As both drivers came into the home stretch, Shirley suffered an engine problem, and Murphy was forced to address a spindle issue, leaving Torchmate Racing’s Rusty Bray wide open to claim the checkered flag.  This was Bray’s 1^st Ultra4 win, and with his ability to endure such a difficult course, it won’t be his last.

Each of the 2011 Ultra4 Series races are also qualifiers for the 2012 King of the Hammers race being held next February in Johnson Valley, CA.  The only driver in the top 10 already qualified for King of the Hammers was Aussie Ben Napier, which left a minimum of 9 qualifying spots available. Because the course proved so brutal, Hammerking’s executive director, Dave Cole awarded King of The Hammers spots to all drivers who successfully completed this challenging race. Below is a list of the 12 drivers now qualified for the 2012 King of the Hammers.  Among those that qualified was Ultra4 newcomer, Bill Baird who claimed a 5^th place finish in his first ever Ultra4 race. Congratulations go out to all the drivers.

For those wishing to learn more about Ultra4 Racing or King of the Hammers, be sure to check out Ultra4 racing’s web site: www.ultra4racing.com and become a fan of the Ultra4  facebook page: www.facebook.com/Ultra4racing.  The next Ultra4 Series race will be held July 16th at the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.

Official Ultra4 Results for 2011 4WD Hardware Rausch Creek Qualifier presented by ATX Wheels:

Ultra4 Racing is part of Hammerking Productions, Inc., creators of the “King of the Hammers” race termed, “the hardest one day off-road race in the world.” The Ultra4 series now includes six races, fived produced by Hammerking Productions. The 2011 Griffin King of the Hammers was the 5th event with over 150 drivers and 15,000 fans from around the globe in the desert of Johnson Valley.  Hammerking Productions has produced three full length feature films and multiple TV episodes around King of the Hammers.  For more information on Ultra4 Racing please visit www.ultra4racing.com or become a fan on facebook at www.facebook.com/ultra4racing.

RENO, NV     MAY 11, 2011  – Roger Norman took the Pro Modified Win in the Torchmate Racing Pro Mod #8 rock crawler at only his second appearance in the W.E. Rock Western Pro Nationals.  “I felt better having the one competition under my belt,” said successful Trophy-Truck racer Roger Norman.  “I came knowing this was one of the hardest sets of courses, and we just went methodically through the process of accomplishing each for the overall win.”

The obstacles on Saturday were intense including a 30ft vertical climb called the Terminator.  With a couple of tries, Norman pushed the Torchmate Rig up over the top and on Sunday he mastered it in one shot!  Norman also did about a 25ft vertical drop where he did the longest standing nose wheelie of the weekend, right into a water filled tunnel.  “The adrenaline for the entire 10 minutes is pumping!” exclaimed Norman.  “It is amazing what we are doing, and then you watch all the rest of your competitors try and do the same thing.  It makes for a great day!”  He left the competition on Saturday in the lead by well over 40 points.

When the team returned on Sunday, it was to finish with the win!  They had the lowest overall scores of the day which maintained their significant lead.  It was announced before the Pro Modified shootout that Roger Norman was the official winner of the round, but they decided to participate in the shootout anyways.  With a quick start they rolled in one of the first obstacles and they called it a day.

“It was much easier this time because I knew what I was doing.  When Lance told me to do a front dig, I knew how to do it; When he told me to put it into and out of four wheel drive, I knew easily how to, instead of having to think about what levers to pull or how to turn,” commented Norman.  Lance Clifford, his recent co-driver in the Trophy-Truck, was outside the car as his spotter giving directions via Bluetooth headsets.  There are many controls not found in a Trophy-Truck including a transfer case for controlling front wheel and rear wheel drive, front and rear air lockers and cutting brakes.  The front and rear winches are not for pulling you out of a bad situation, but rather connected to axle housings used for sucking in the suspension to account for different angles.  The BFGoodrich Krawlers had amazing traction, strength and stability on the man made course.

Roger Norman will be competing in the complete 2011 W.E. Rock West Series with the Torchmate Racing Team.  The next event will be at Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, UT the weekend of June 10-12, and the final competition round will be August 5-7 at Donner Ski Resort in the Sierra Nevadas.

Video of Roger Norman at W.E.Rock Event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UAF9ZyIxA8

Torchmate: www.Torchmate.com

Roger Norman Website: www.RogerNormanRacing.com

W.E. Rock West Schedule:

April 1-3                         Tucson, AZ                               Finished 3^rd Pro Mod

May 6-8                         Oroville, CA                        Finished 1^st Pro Mod

June 10-12                         Salt Lake City, UT

August 5-7                         Donner Ski Resort, CA

September 23-25                        Salt Lake City, UT            Grand Nationals

Next Race:

June 2-5                                    SCORE                                     Baja 500                                                    San Felipe, Baja

June 10-12                         W.E. Rock                        Rock Crawling                                    Salt Lake City, UT

RENO, NV     APRIL 7, 2011  – Roger Norman decided to compete in another discipline of racing this year: Rock Crawling.  In his rookie appearance at the W.E. Rock West Tucson, AZ event he challenged himself and finished on the podium in his Torchmate Racing Pro Mod #8 rock crawler.  “Rock crawling is tougher than it looks,” exclaimed successful Trophy Truck racer Roger Norman. “There is actually a ton of strategy and teamwork involved.”

The whole experience was different than anything Norman had participated in before.  The spotter was outside the car giving directions via Bluetooth headsets.  There are many controls not found in a trophy truck including a transfer case for controlling front wheel and rear wheel drive, front and rear air lockers and  cutting brakes.  The front and rear winches are not for pulling you out of a bad situation, but rather connected to axle housings used for sucking in the suspension to account for different angles.  The BFGoodrich Krawlers had amazing traction, strength and stability on the man made course.

Competitors complete four courses on Saturday and four on Sunday, and then enter a shootout on Sunday afternoon that can change the entire outcome of the event.  With each course timed, Norman only completed one of the four courses on Saturday.  Come Sunday, he successfully turned that ratio around to completing three out of the four courses, with one tied for the best score of the day.

“As a rookie to this sport, I have been asking everybody questions.  Many thanks to all those at Torchmate Racing who gave me advice and helped me this weekend including Bill Kunz, Jesse Haines, JT Taylor and Jake Povey,” smiled Roger Norman.  “I had Mike Shaffer, the ‘God’ of rock crawling, in my ear all weekend and some of my competitors Troy Bailey and Nick Campbell were like big brothers and gave me great advice at each stage.”

Roger Norman will be competing in the complete 2011 W.E. Rock West Series with the Torchmate Racing Team.  The next event will be in Oroville, California at Surplus City May 6-8.  The third round will be at the Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, UT the weekend of June 10-12, and the final competition round will be August 5-7 at Donner Ski Resort in the Sierra Nevadas.

Video of Roger Norman at W.E.Rock Event: http://youtu.be/PiFf1XnIk40

Torchmate: www.Torchmate.com

Roger Norman Website: www.RogerNormanRacing.com

W.E. Rock West Schedule:

April 1-3                         Tucson, AZ                               Finished 3^rd Pro Mod

May 6-8                         Oroville, CA

June 10-12                         Salt Lake City, UT

August 5-7                         Donner Ski Resort, CA

September 23-25                        Salt Lake City, UT            Grand Nationals

Next Race:

May 6-8                         W.E. Rock                         West Round 2                                    Oroville, CA

June 2-5                                    SCORE                                     Baja 500                                                    San Felipe, Baja

###

RENO, NV     MARCH 30, 2011   Torchmate Racing will be in full force at the opening round of the W.E. Rock Nationals this weekend in Tucson, AZ with Jesse Haines competing in the Unlimited Class and Roger Norman competing in the ProMod Class.  Also on the track this weekend will be Torchmate Racing Rusty Bray at the TREC series and five-year-old Gwen Garwood in a Sprint Kid Kart.

Jesse Haines bought his winning Unlimited Class buggy back and is excited to be competing in the Unlimited Class this year.  “Not many people know, but I sold my Pro Mod and will be running the Unlimited Class again,” said Haines.  JT Taylor will be spotting for Haines.  He has won an astounding twelve rock crawling competitions from Pennsylvania to California, a series championship, and had dozens of podium finishes. Between competitions, Haines has built numerous championship-winning vehicles for both himself and other competitors.

Roger Norman will be competing in his first ever rock crawling event this weekend in the Torchmate Racing Pro Mod car.  Normally the pilot of the #8 Crystal Bay Casino winning Trophy Truck, Roger Norman will experience the slow and technical side of rock crawling.  “Communication is the key.  It’s all about listening and doing exactly what the spotter says.  It’s like having a puppet master,” said Norman after practicing in Reno, Nevada earlier in the week.  “I have been on Fordyce and the Rubicon Trail before, but never as a driver, just as a passenger,” comments Norman about his previous experience.  “I am ready and excited to compete this weekend!”  Mike Shaffer will be spotting for Normans premier appearance.

Also on the track this weekend will be Torchmate Racing’s Rusty Bray racing his Ultra4 car in the TREC Series at the Badlands Off Road Park in Attica, IN.  Bray recently finished the King of the Hammers 45^th after qualifying through the Last Chance Qualifier.  The TREC series offers a 12+ mile course that has been designed around speed and endurance, not necessarily the difficulty of an obstacle including rocks, hills, mud and sand.

Gwen Garwood will be piloting the Torchmate Racing’s Sprint Kid Kart at the Crossover Series in Dixon, CA this weekend.  At 5 years of age, Gwen Garwood is the youngest member of the Torchmate Racing team and is going to go for the All-Star Karting Championship at the Prairie City Kart Track in Sacramento in her Sprint Kid Kart this year.

Track the success of each of the racers over the weekend on Torchmate Racings Facebook page, and then check www.TorchmateRacing.com next week for their full event recaps.

Torchmate Racing Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/TorchmateRacing

Norman Motorsports Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/NormanMotorsports

Torchmate CNC Cutting Machines can be purchased and more information can be found at www.Torchmate.com.

Video of Roger Norman First Time Rock Crawling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POl28fJPdbM

Video of Jesse Haines in his Unlimited Car: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDmDxQxuY1o

About Torchmate : Torchmate CNC Cutting Systems has been bringing affordable CNC plasma cutting tables and other automation solutions to manufacturers worldwide for over 30 years, and have now extended their product line to include a 2×2 table suitable for any fabricators’ garage.  Torchmate Racing has supported the offroad racing community through marketing partnerships and putting their key employees behind the wheel of the best equipment.  The Torchmate Racing Team is currently involved in racing a Class 6 in the SCORE Baja series and BITD, a Rock Crawler in CalRocs and W.E. Rock, an Ultra4 racer and also support multiple racers in other series including CHCA, TORC, LOORRS and Dirt Track.  Please join the thousands that are already part of the Torchmate family.  Call toll free today at (866)571-1066 or internationally at (775) 673-2200 and let one of the trained CNC professionals guide you through every step of the CNC cutting process.  www.torchmate.com

Mild to Wild Fundraiser Trail Ride To Benefit Blue Ribbon Coalition

Tuesday March 22, 2011

RENO, NV    MARCH 18, 2011: The “Mild to Wild” Fundraiser Trail Ride for 4 wheel drive vehicles will take place on Tuesday March 22, 2011 with all proceeds going towards the Blue Ribbon Coalition and their dedication to keeping our land open for use and protecting responsible recreational access.

Join Vendors and Industry leaders for a day of fun. “Mild to Wild” Fundraiser Trail Registration is $35 per vehicle, which also includes two event tickets to the Reno Off-Road Motorsports Expo, payable by check or cash at the Convention Center meeting place prior to leaving. Everyone will start on the same trail and then separate where “Mild meets Wild”.  Following the finish of the trail ride, participants will meet in Virginia City for a social gathering.  Please register immediately athttp://www.lockettshows.com/offroad-expo_trailrides.htm.

This day of 4 wheeling will be the kick-off event to four large shows at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Friday through Sunday, March 25-27, 2011.  The Reno Off-Road Motorsports Expo, Reno Outdoor Sports & Recreation Expo, the Spring Home & Garden Show, the Reno Pet Show and Pug Parade. “Between all four shows, there will be something for everyone to see,” said show producer Al Lockett, “plus, combining all four shows into one weekend gives show attendees more bang for their buck with the low price of only $10 per person”.

The four show event will also feature Ph.D. Antiques Appraiser and part comedian, Dr. Lori, who will give FREE appraisals at the Spring Home & Garden Show; attendees are invited to be a part of the show and bring their antique to Dr. Lori.  Splash Dog teams make waves with the fine art of dock jumping and dock diving, and you can even bring your dog to give it a try. Two-time World Trials Champion Tommi Ahvala will take on a giant obstacle course at the Reno Off-Road Motorsports Expo with live performances daily.  Bass Tubs of Oklahoma will have their 40 foot mobile aquarium to give fishing demonstrations on bass fishing techniques and the Reno Pet Show brings the Pug Parade on Sunday, March 27th at 2 p.m.; pug owners are encouraged to register early and enter their best friend online at www.Lockettshows.com. Hear the velvety smooth voice of country singer Joseph Greco and his tribute to country legends, Marty Robbins and Jim Reeves; auditions in search of the next Johnny Cash Tribute Star will take place on stage with Joseph Greco everyday register for an audition online at www.LockettShows.com.

For Exhibitor and ticket information go to www.LockettShows.com

Become a Fan on Facebook for Daily Updates:

Off-Road Motorsports Expo: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reno-Off-Road-Expo/133082050082598

Outdoor Sports & Recreation Expo: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reno-Outdoor-Expo/171572086197610

Spring Home & Garden Show: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spring-Home-Garden-Show-Reno-Home-Show/140559845992952

Reno Pet Show: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reno-Pet-Show/166163320088320

About Lockett Shows: Reno’s original show producers since 1967, Lockett Incorporated has produced successful convention center shows in Reno, Nevada for 44 years. Al and Shirley Lockett produce Reno’s original home shows—the Spring Home & Garden Show and the Fall Home & Lifestyle Show; the Reno Bridal Shows—Grand Bridal Showplace, Premier Bride Showcase, and Bridal & Beauty Expo; and more recently the Reno Off-Road Motorsports Expo and Reno Outdoor Sports & Recreation Expo.

Exhibitor Opportunities:

Please contact Lockett Shows at 775-849-8000 or email showinfo@LockettShows.com

March 16, 2011 – The biggest and best UTV/SXS enthusiast rally is back! The 2011 Rally On The Rocks Presented By Discount Tire Direct & Douglas Wheels is returning to beautiful Moab, UT on May 11th – 14th 2011. Dubbed as one of the most family friendly UTV events in the country the UTV Rally On The Rocks events brings together fun and exciting organized group rides with trails for novice, beginners, and experts alike. Whether you have never climbed the stunning rock faces of Moab before or you are a Moab regular the UTV Rally On The Rocks will give you the opportunity to experience all Moab has to offer in a safe setting with like minded UTV enthusiasts.

New rally organizers Lanse & Jared are thrilled to be able to bring this event back again this year and because they are based only a few hours away it gives them the benefit of spending plenty of time organizing and preparing the trails for a fun and exciting week of riding! The dedication they are showing to this event is second to none and they look to bring forth the best Rally On The Rocks event to date. With help from title sponsors Discount Tire Direct & Douglas Wheels this goal shall easily be accomplished!

Event details and registration is open now by going to www.RallyOnTheRocks.com. From there you can register you, your family & friends for the event.

Along with the trail rides will be the popular indoor vendor row area with the industries top vendors displaying products and vehicles and selling items you will surely want to grab at prices you wont want to miss!

If you are not yet a registered vendor and you wish to attend and display your products please contact sponsor@rallyontherocks.com for details and get registered now! Time and space is running out so hurry up and get your vendor registration in ASAP!

So don’t delay, get to www.RallyOnTheRocks.com and get registered! Don’t let this event pass you by, the scenic beauty of Moab, UT awaits. May is a gorgeous time of year for Utah, the majestic canyon walls and slick rock trails will surely you leave you begging for more! Make this the family trip you will never forget and join us for the 2011 UTV Rally On The Rocks Presented by Discount Tire Direct & Douglas Wheels in Moab, UT!

3.9.2011 – HeavyMetalConcepts: Hard at work on 2011 King of the Hammers DVD
After spending a week across the country out in Johnson Valley, California for the 2011 King of the Hammers, the HeavyMetalConcepts crew is back to the Northeast and is ready to get to the work on the 2011 KOH film/DVD upon receiving all cataloged footage.

HeavyMetalConcepts spent the week working with both Hammerking Productions and a mixed film crew including Turn2TV Prod. capturing in detail all of the various events that took place over the week on the lake bed. Both of the Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQs), interviews, even on-board camera footage, as well as the main race itself, will all be featured in this year’s official DVD. From the high-speed passes, to the traffic jams on rock trails like Outer Limits, this year’s race was even bigger than the last, and was full of action! This year’s film is meant to be a “rebirth” of the KOH story and film series, with new storytelling angles, cinematography methods, and more. Be sure to keep a look out for the official film trailer some time in March/April.

In addition, HMC spent time on the lakebed at KOH editing live in the field on video for the two Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) days, submitted to Pirate4x4TV Live last Thursday morning. Upon HMC’s return home, an “after action” video of race day was edited and submitted to Pirate as well. Both of those videos can be found on Pirate’s coverage page here: http://www.pirate4x4.com/king-of-the-hammers-2011/

For more information, please visit www.heavymetalconcepts.com

NORTH EASTON, MA    MARCH 8, 2011-   Massachusetts conjures up images of clam chowder and Nor’easters, but in the off-road world New England is known for being the home of Lucas Murphy.  Murphy qualified for the exclusive Griffin King of the Hammers race by finishing 5^th at the Quadratec Rausch Creek Qualifier, and then backed it up with a win at the Southern Missouri Off Road Ranch International Endurance Race.  Murphy then transitioned back to home life, juggling his work managing a manufacturing engineering group, raising a young family, racing on the weekends and building a new house.

Three days after moving in to his new home, three of the eleven-member Murphy’s Law Motorsports team loaded up and drove 3100 miles across the country to compete in the world’s most difficult one-day off road race.  Murphy’s home fabricated buggy finished 23^rd in last year’s King of the Hammers race, but Lucas recognized that there was still room for improvement.  “Fox Racing’s Todd Tenbrook was able to double our speed with just a few hours of tuning!”  Murphy had some great opportunities to pre-run the course, but not without fail on Wednesday when they broke the rear axle!

“Yukon Gear and Axle was able to overnight a rear locker to us in Yucca Valley,” Murphy explained.  “We went through contingency with basically no internal parts in the rear axle, got the parts Thursday afternoon and put it back together Thursday night, went for a quick dark run and pulled up to the start line Friday morning unproven.  Not the way we wanted to start the race to say the least!”

Lucas started 15^th in the King of the Hammers and had an excellent first lap in the 120-mile race.  At Backdoor the team almost got rolled on by a competitor attempting the obstacle in front of him, “but I shoved it into reverse and floored it!” Lucas explained.  Murphy’s Law Motorsports was in 11^th place on the course when the rear driveshaft failed after contact with a rock on Jackhammer.  A broken driveshaft is easily remedied by someone as mechanically talented as Lucas Murphy, but unfortunately the rogue driveshaft took out the transmission in the process of reversing off the rock.  “There is a reason they call us Murphy’s Law Motorsports!” a goodhearted Lucas stated after the race.

Always striving to advance, Lucas Murphy will be building a brand new car this year while running the Rausch Creek race series and select Ultra4 races.  Check Murphy’s Law Motorsports Facebook page for updates on the new buggy and team status.

Lucas Murphy at King of the Hammers You Tube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8JWZHQzc98

Facebook: www.facebook.com/murphyslawmotorsports

Murphy’s Law Motorsports: www.murphyslawmotorsports.com

Link to YouTube of Lucas Murphy: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xk0B8KAG68

More Information on King of the Hammers: ultra4racing.com

Sponsors: Yukon Axle and Gear, Fox Racing Shocks, Raceline Wheels, BF Goodrich, Griffin Radiators, Kessler Machine and Fabricating, T.F. Contracting, Northeast Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs, Deepwoods Extreme, Flexcon Industries, Irion Lumber Company, Ciotti Racing Products, Yukon Axle and Gear, Optima Batteries

About Lucas Murphy: Lucas Murphy grew up in Martha’s Vineyard as the youngest of nine children.  At the ripe age of 10, he started working for his father repairing boats and doing salvage work in the family yard of over 100 vehicles.  He started welding at 14, and would complete engine, axle and transmission swaps without hesitation.  He got into 4wheeling as soon as he could legally drive on the beaches of the Vineyard, but didn’t take a true wheeling trip until 2006 after meeting some people online.  In 2008, he built his current rig from scratch and the day he got his rig running was the day before his son Tracy James (TJ) was born.  Murphy’s Law Motorsports was started with wife Trish and co-driver Jon Hastie on board.  They have since competed in the King of the Hammers, RCRocks, Deep Woods Extreme Rock Crawl, Boulder Bash and various off-road trail rides. www.murphyslawmotorsports.com

Watch FOX Racing Shox athletes as they describe what has been called the toughest off-road race in the world.
FOX Racing Shox sponsored rock racer, Shannon Campbell, won his second King of the Hammers, becoming the only driver to win the race more than once since its inception four years ago. Campbell charged through the treacherous Mojave Desert, overcoming obstacles that stopped other drivers dead in their tracks, to take the crown with an impressive 31-minute lead over the rest of the pack.

CARBONDALE, CO     FEBRUARY 23, 2011   Stephen Watson, co-driver for brother Brandon Watson in the #4488 Offroad Design Ultra4 car, was honored with the 2011 Griffin King of the Hammers Sportsmanship Award and finished 28th. Watson helped four to five vehicles winch up BackDoor.  “I didn’t think anything about it.  It just seemed natural to help, and well, we wanted to get through too,” said Stephen Watson.  “When I heard Greg Mulkey from Raceline Wheels was looking for the guy in the red race suit and white helmet that helped people winch on Backdoor, I thought he had some recovery gear that I had left or something.  I was not expecting this award at all, it was quite a surprise.”

After an already challenging race, the Watson brothers pulled into the BackDoor obstacle behind about seven vehicles.  Stephen jumped out of the rig, pulled the winch line and got all his gear ready.  But instead of sitting back and waiting for the other competitors to clear the way, he climbed up to see what assistance he could give.

“I was at Backdoor and watched a racer running and helping at least five cars winch out, he certainly didn’t have to help and he was really moving fast,” said Greg Mulkey from Raceline Wheels.  “Every year Hammerking Productions chooses a Sportsmanship Award and I suggested that this unnamed driver in a red suit with white helmet be the recipient.  Even as of the awards ceremony we didn’t know who it was, but he eventually got the word and came over to receive his trophy.”

“I helped at Backdoor, which was a visible area no doubt, but both Brandon and I helped at Aftershock and Outer Limits too,” said Stephen.  “Brandon was out of the car the entire time we were in Outer Limits helping to get it unclogged.” Stephen also helped a dozen or so cars down a pretty non-obvious line around their broken rig in Aftershock which got competitors through smoothly and kept Brandon safe while working on the rig.

Offroad Design #4488 finished 28th with an elapsed time of 10:41:35.  The team pushed really hard in the beginning just to be a part of the hour and half parking lot in Outer Limits, then end up in Aftershock with a broken rod end on a front link arm which also took out the front driveshaft.  After being down in Aftershock for an hour repairing the rod end, they limped into main pit in 2WD where their pit crew had pulled a yoke and driveshaft end off one of their personal blazers and had a swaybar link ready to install.  The quick pit put the brother team back out on the course in less than 20 minutes!

They headed out to BackDoor where they helped fellow competitors as mentioned above, and proceeded to have a pretty clean second lap with only one driver inspired flat on their Goodyear tires.   “We were coming down a sand hill and of course there is only one rock out here and I hit it!”   They stopped and got another tire from a competitor who had finished his race at RM4.

At the remote pit they added the Baja Designs HID light bar to the rig and focused on the finish.  “At one point another competitor with smaller lights let us pass, and then tailed us, I think to use our lights.  We went back to our pre-run notes and focused on executing each trail until we saw taillights in the final desert section and decided that we needed to gain that one extra spot,” chuckled Watson.  They kicked up the pace and earned the 28th finishing spot in the 2011 Griffin King of the Hammers.

The Offroad Design team will be competing in the Grand Slam series this year to gain an entry spot into the 2012 King of the Hammers.  They will attend the Best in the Desert Silver State 300, American Rock Sports Challenge and the Grand Prix at Glen Helen.

More Information on Offroad Design: http://www.offroaddesign.com/racing.htm

Video Recap by Bower Motorsports Media: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1iUhcBOR5w

Partners: Goodyear Tires, Amsoil, King Shocks, PSC Steering, Trail Ready Wheels, Baja Designs, Tom Woods Driveshaft, Pacific Fab, Bighorn Graphics, Griffin Radiator, Superior Axle and Gear

About Offroad Design Racing: The Offroad Design racing team is a family affair with brothers Stephen and Brandon Watson in the cockpit and father James Watson as their crew chief. They have successfully finished three King of the Hammers races with strong 13^th, 17^th and 28^th finishes and finished 2nd in the 2009 1000mile BITD Vegas to Reno 3 day race.  The Offroad Design Ultra4 rig is built with the exact same race proven parts that they use to build customer vehicles. Stephen is president of Offroad Design which manufactures and sells offroad equipment largely for fullsize trucks, James is co-owner at ORD and handles the manufacturing shop and Brandon is a project manager for a large commercial and high end residential contractor in the Aspen area.

HENDERSON, NV     FEBRUARY 22, 2011  – Les Figueroa, driving the Figspeed Lucas Oil Ultra4 car, finished 9^th at the 2011 Griffin King of the Hammers, pre-qualifying for the 2012 King of the Hammers.  The very competitive Ultra4 car will be on display at the Lucas Oil Booth at the 51^st annual NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, CA Thursday February 24^th through Sunday February 27^th.  “We had a great race, and are really excited to finish 9^th and already be qualified for next years race,” said Les Figueroa. “I don’t think we made many videos because I don’t think we did anything too spectacular.  We just went out there and focused like we were prerunning.”

“The King of the Hammers race overall was great.  We didn’t really have any issues to speak of,” commented Figueroa.  The team started 31^st and was able to make it into the top 10 before mid-way in the race.  They didn’t have to change a single flat on their Goodyear Tires, in fact they still look brand new, and the Race Proven Alternators solved the charging issues that put them out of the race last year.  “We were able to work a lot of bugs out of the car in the last year and finishing 14^th in the Stampede race helped me understand the capabilities of the car,” reflects Figueroa.   His co-driver Joe Thompson was a main reason for his success this year, “he knew the limitations of the car better than I did and could push me along in the rocks.  He told me when I could hit things harder, push faster and kept telling me ‘Go! Go! Go!’” laughed Figueroa.  Last year was Figueroa’s first experience competing in the rocks, but has been competing in drag racing for 21 years.

The Figspeed Lucas Oil Ultra4 car will be on display at the Lucas Oil Booth at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, CA Thursday February 24^th through Sunday February 27^th and will then be prepped for the Best in the Desert Silver State 300, part of the Ultra 4 Grand Slam series.  Figueroa is also planning on competing in the Ultra4 Stampede and Grand Prix at Glen Helen events in 2011 in addition to his Drag Racing Schedule.

Video Featuring Les Figueroa on Raceday at King of the Hammers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBWBgbgGtgU

FIGSPEED Website:  www.Figspeed.com

About Figspeed: Figspeed is a performance retail store in Henderson, NV and a speed-shop-on-wheels that travels to NHRA Divisional, PSCA and bracket events to support all drag racers, with special focus on the grass root levels.  Recognizing that many companies didn’t have the resources to attend all these events, Les Figueroa brought Auto Meter, Aeromotive, Comp Cams, Dedenbear, Fast, Figspeed Competition Converters, Impact, Lucas Oil, Moroso, MSD, Painless Wiring, Powerhouse, Quick Fuel, Race Pak, Ron Davis Racing Products, Strange Engineering, TCI and XRP in house and to the track.  The onsite tech and support hosts not only products, but also Figueroa’s encyclopedia of knowledge, contacts and resources to help each racer perform better at every race.

About Les Figueroa: Les Figueroa has been an avid drag racer for 23 years and has multi-NHRA National and Divisional wins and a Division Championship.  He continues to drag race in different classes while maintaining the Figspeed Support Trailer.  As a long time offroad recreationalist, he recently started competing in the Ultra4 series.  In 2010 they finished the car hours before the race but did not finish.  Figueroa came back strong at the Stampede race qualifying for the 2011 King of the Hammers.  Figueroa recently finished the 2011 King of the Hammers in 9th place, pre-qualifying him for 2012.  In 2011 he will be participating in multiple Drag Racing Events and three Ultra4 Races.

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Figspeed Partners: Figspeed, Lucas Oil, Goodyear Tire, Ron Davis Radiators, Reid Racing, Aeromotive, Optima Batteries, Walker Evans Wheels, Twisted Metal Fab Shop, Borla

Photos and Video Credit: Bower Motorsports Media

If you would like more information about this race, wish to schedule an interview, or want to inquire about sponsoring Les Figueroa and the Figspeed team, please call Charlene Bower at 714-394-1716 or email Charlene atcharlene@bowermedia.com

Date                        Event                                                            Location

Feb 6-12             King of the Hammers Ultra 4 Series            Johnson Valley, CA.      Finished 9^th

Feb 18-21            NHRA Division 7                                     Phoenix, AZ

Feb 24-27            NHRA Winternationals                                    Pomona, CA (Ultra4 Car On Display)

March 11-13            PSCA                                                             Fontana, CA

March 18-20            Famous March Meet                                    Bakersfield, CA

March 25-27            NHRA Division 7                                    Las Vegas, NV

*April 1-3            NHRA Las Vegas NHRA Nationals            Las Vegas, NV (No display)

April 15-17            PSCA                                                            Las Vegas, NV

April 29-10            Ultra4 Silver State                                    Las Vegas, NV

April 29-May 1            NHRA Division 6                                    Boise, ID

May 13-15            NHRA Pacific Jegs Sports Nationals            Fontana, CA

May 20-22            NHRA Division 7                                    Bakersfield, CA

May 27-29            NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Nostalgia Drags     Las Vegas, NV

June 10-12            NHRA Division 7                                    Fallon, NV

June 17-19            NHRA Division 6                                     Spokane, WA

July 1-3                        PSCA                                                            Las Vegas, NV

July 22-24            NHRA Division 7                                    Sonoma, CA

*July 29-31            NHRA Fram Autolite Nationals                        Sonoma, CA (No display)

Aug 13-19            Bonneville Speed Week                                    Salt Flats, UT

Sept 8-10            Ultra4 Stampede                                    Reno, NV (No display)

*Oct 14-16            NHRA Arizona Nationals                        Phoenix, AZ (No display)

Oct 21-22            Ultra 4 Grand Prix                                    Glen Helen, CA

Gilbert, AZ (February 13, 2011)- The 2011 King of the Hammers race has once again come and gone, and once again, Shannon Campbell of Team Monster Energy/Campbell Racing is the King. No stranger to holding the title, Shannon won the first King of the Hammers race in 2008 in a dominating fashion and has returned to the desert ready for the challenge in front of him and hungry for the win. Accustomed  to starting in the back of the pack, Shannon knew he had to demand the top performance out of his car to get to the front of the group before they reached the first section of rock crawling, Outer Limits, that has always had such a high attrition rate. He proceeded to punish his equipment and grind down until he attained his goal; which proved to be a significant contribution to his victory.

Shannon’s efforts along with strong support from his various sponsors and support crew allowed him to claw his way from his 62^nd starting position, to a first place finish 6 hours and 11 minutes later. Right from the start, Shannon was on a mission for winning, passing half the field by check point one and was in the lead before the start of his second lap. In true Campbell fashion, the race was full of make it or break it situations, a full on edge of your seat race from start to finish. One of the most exciting moments was the pass on Jason Scherer for the physical lead. After that initial battle, the two chased each other in the rocks and desert for the next 40 miles until Scherer eventually suffered mechanical failure. Shannon started having some issues when a bent driveshaft caused him to stay below 50mph and with a 14 minute lead, Shannon’s Dad, Don Campbell, a racing legend himself, told him,” back it off and bring it home.”

It’s been said that racing requires the minimum amount of skill and the maximum amount of courage, but Shannon and the rest of the racers will agree that the King of the Hammers requires skill, courage, and grit, accompanied with dedicated partnerships to get to the finish line. As Shannon crawled out of his car and shook the dust off, the King of the Hammers crew handed him the trophy and that’s when the reality of the race had finally set in. When asked how he made such a victorious run to the finish line, Shannon said,” I’m just the monkey behind the wheel, my team and sponsors made this win possible.”

Team Monster Energy/Campbell Racing would like to thank the backbone of our race team; our sponsors who have brought us to the podium:

Monster Energy Drink, Goodyear Tires, Currie Enterprises, ARB, Turn Key Engines, Fox Shocks, Howe Performance, Hughes Performance, Ron Davis Racing Radiators, Walker Evans, Advance Adapter, ProAm Racing, Mastercraft, Powertank, KC Hilites, Dynomax, Ultraseal Tire Sealant, Southwest Ground Control, Warn, Motive Gear, Arizona Driveshaft, MasterPull, PCI Race Radios, Superduty Headquarters.

Team Monster Energy/Campbell Racing wants to thanks to everyone that came out and worked so hard for the team:

Nick Campbell, Rob McKenney, Mitch Guthrie, Dustin Smith, Donnie Thomas, Don Campbell, Ron and Marie, Wayland Campbell, CJ Monson, Kerry Campbell, Bill Campbell, John and Steven Butts, Justin Atkins, Tom, Ben Pettersen, Tammy Campbell, Bailey Campbell, Tammy Shamhart, Larry Corum, Adam Schrand, EJ Rusiski, John Larson, John Molett, Tim Morehead, Randy Ellis, Mike Dieu, The guys from BlueTorch Fab, Dynomax crew-Scott Wagner, Jason Spiess, Richard, Rick Resh.

The AZ Undertakers, some hardcore trail wheelers took time out of their wheeling trip to run our remote pit:  Rob Finelli, Andrew McLaughlin, Jason Hurst, Andrew Knoell, Pierre Burns, Ryan Miller. “HIGH FIVE”

Photos Courtesy of:

Race-dezert.com brings you highlights and interviews from the 2011 King of the Hammers event in Johnson Valley.

In every sport there is a person who is the living breathing embodiment of what the sport “means”.  In rock crawling that person is Shannon Campbell.  Not only does he fight like a mad dog for every inch of ground at every race, but he continually strives to break new ground on vehicle design.  One hundred years from now I’m sure his name will be uttered as one of the greatest of all time.  This year, his quest to become “King of the Hammers” has been achieved.  He bested the nearest competitor by over 30 minutes and became the first man to win “King of the Hammers”  in an A-arm vehicle.  Here is an extended gallery of his efforts along with teammate Casey Currie. Photos by Jason Zyndroski of Mad Media.

[Show as slideshow]

OROVILLE, CA    SEPTEMBER 28, 2010:  The Urban Assault OHV area held the 5th Annual Surplus City Fall Mud & Crawl over the weekend of September 11-12, 2010.  The event, open to all levels of competitors, from no prior experience to the pros in the unlimited class was a great success.  From Rock crawling to mud drags on Saturday and Sunday there was plenty of action to be seen.  The Teeter Totter competition on Sunday drew a large crowd, watching to see who could accomplish such a difficult feat. Included in the weekend long events was a display of the local police, fire and military vehicles in honor of the fallen 9/11 victims.  The big hit of the weekend, for kids of all ages, was the opportunity to ride in the Airborne Ranger Monster Truck.

The Urban Assault arena’s man-made rock crawling course tested the pros and gave the new crawlers a good challenge. In the Unlimited Class, Aarron Sykes took 1^st place followed by Cody Minter in 2^nd and Jake Pendergrass in 3^rd.  In the Super Mod Class Cody Minter took 1^st, Ross Glave took 2^nd and Brant took 3^rd.  Closing out the Rock Crawling event in the Modified B Class was Damien Granados in 1^st place, Keith Brown in 2^nd and Ken MacGregor in 3^rd.

The Mud Drags were a popular and a fun event to watch with mud flinging everywhere.  The Stock Mud Drag Class winner was Kevin Burns, a brand new competitor.  In the Super Stock Class, Richard Lozano took 1^st place, with Ashley Echos and Trisha Deomasi following in 2^nd and 3^rd place.  In the Pro Stock Mud Class Gary Upton took 1^st, Kevin Burns took 2^nd and Scott Brooks took 3^rd.  The Unlimited Mud Class winner was Gary Upton, with Kevin Burns coming in 2^nd and Justin Okley in 3^rd place.  The final class, the Diesel Mud Class, went to Jerrad Compton.

The teeter totter and monster trucks were a big hit at the show this year.  It is always fun to watch someone try to balance on the teeter totter. The Airborne Ranger Monster Truck was allowing people the chance to ride in a monster truck, which is always a big hit with families.  Fire, police and medical vehicles were on display in honor of the fallen 9/11 victims and children were allowed the opportunity to try on a fire suit and sit in a fire truck!

Thousands of dollars in products were raffled off with all the proceeds going to the Butte County Search and Rescue team.  The Butte County Search and Rescue Team is an all-volunteer, non-profit, non-tax-supported auxiliary team of the Butte County Sheriff’s Office. The primary purpose is to provide skilled search and technical rescue services to the residents and visitors of Butte County, California.

The next Surplus City Spring Mud & Crawl will be held April/May 2011.  Keep a look out at www.cj-jeep.com for new information on the event.

Link to YouTube of Event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI_6JrDi3HE

Specific Link to More Information: http://cj-jeep.com/Events/4×4-shows-2010/September2010/september2010lead.htm

Be a Facebook Friend: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=290388355387&ref=ts

Event Dates

Date                                         Location

October 23-24, 2010               2^nd Annual W.E. Rock Haul & Crawl

April 2-3, 2011                         W.E. Rock Western US National #1

April 30-May 1, 2011               5^th Annual Surplus City Spring Mud & Crawl

About Surplus City and Urban Assault OHV Area
Surplus City has held multiple rock crawling events at the man made Urban Assault OHV Area including National W.E. Rock competitions.  The Urban Assault OHV Area is located on the banks of the Feather River at the Riffles RV Park right off Hwy 70 close to town, hotels and casinos.  The man made course has extreme 30ft vertical climbs to simple rock obstacles, multiple lane mud bogs and RC Crawling areas.  Surplus City Jeep Parts carries a complete line of parts and accessories for Jeeps.  For more information, visit www.cj-jeep.com

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA    SEPTEMBER 27, 2010:  NorCal Rock Racing comes to the Prairie City OHV Area on Saturday October 16^th for a one day, edge of your seat, spectacularly aggressive rock racing.  With a $2000 guaranteed Pro Purse, the drivers list will be stacked with high profile racers including the Trent Fab and NorCal Rock Racing buggies.

NorCal Rock Racing is short course racing with large rock piles, dirt obstacles and lots of turns that make it a perfect match for the Ultra4 cars all the way to Sportsman Class trail rock crawlers that want to prove they can go fast through the rocks too.  Entry Fee is $200 Pro Class with 100% Pay Back, and only $50 for the Sportsman class.  At $50 that is the cheapest fun around that you will be talking about for years.

This will be a great spectator event to watch these rock racers go side-by-side on the track in a double elimination racing.  $15 per person and kids 12 and under are free.  Gates open at 7am, practice starts at 10:30am and racing starts at 11am until all racing is finished.

After the race, there will be a fundraiser party benefitting the Rubicon Trail Foundation at Lake Bowl Bar and Casino.  Minimum entrance fee is $5, with 100% of the door fee and a portion of the drink sales going to keeping the Rubicon Trail open and maintained.

www.norcalrockracing.com

2010 Event Dates/Locations: October 16, 2010 – Prairie City OHV Area, Rancho Cordova, CA

You Tube Video by Yoder Media: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q34uZompSEE

Sponsors: Infint Graphics, Marco Muffler, Rubicon Express, 4 Wheel Parts, JW Jeep, High Angle Drivelines, Performance Cryogentics, Metal Cloak, Capital Curb And Concrete, Goodby Grading, No Limit Fab, Beach Hut Deli

About NorCal Rock Racing NorCal Rock Racing is a series of short course races with large rock piles, dirt obstacles, and lots of turns where rock racers battle side-by-side for $2,000 guaranteed Pro Purse.  Event Promoter, John Goodby, has been a wheeler and competitor, but also brings his dirt work expertise to the track to build an exciting environment for racers and spectators.  For more information, visit www.norcalrockracing.com

Please Add to your Calendar of Events:

What: Rock Crawling and Mud Bogging Competition

Events and Activities Include:
Modified A, Modified B, Super Modified & Unlimited Class Rock Crawl Competition
Stock Class Mud, Super Stock Class Mud, Pro Modified Class Mud, Unlimited Class Mud Bog and Diesel Class Mud Competition

Teeter Totter Event

Airborne Ranger Monster Truck Rides

Vendors Area

Vehicle Displays of Police, Fire and Military Vehicles

Giant Raffle for the Butte County Search and Rescue Team

Adults $10.00 * Children $5.00 * Children under 5 Free

When: Saturday September 10^th & Sunday 11^th

Saturday:

7:00 – 9:00 am             Show Registration and Safety Check Times
10:00am            Modified A Class Rock Crawl

10:00am            Modified B Class Rock Crawl

10:00am            Stock Class Mud Drag

TBA                        Super Stock Mud Drag

TBA                        Pro Modified Mud Drag
11:00am            Super Modified Class Rock Crawl

Sunday:

7:00 – 9:00am            Show Registration and Safety Check Times

10:00am            Unlimited Class Rock Crawl

TBA                        Diesel Mud Drag

TBA                        Unlimited Mud Drag
4:00pm                        Awards Presentation
All Times Shown are Approximate

Where: 4514 Pacific Heights Road, Oroville, CA 95965 at Riffles RV Park next to Surplus City
Participant Information: Pre-Registration is highly recommended due to the limited number of vehicles allowed in each class. Pre-Registration before September 4^th gives you a chance at a $50 cash raffle. Download Registration Here: http://www.cj-jeep.com/Events/4×4-shows-2010/April2010/September 2010 Show Registration Form.pdf

Specific Link to More Information: http://cj-jeep.com/Events/4×4-shows-2010/September2010/september2010lead.htm

Be a Facebook Friend: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=290388355387&ref=ts

Link to YouTube of Facility: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc1lcwqleV0&feature=player_embedded

Event Dates

Date                                                Location

September 11-12, 2010                         5^th Annual Surplus City Fall Mud & Crawl

October 15-17, 2010                        2^nd Annual W.E. Rock Haul & Crawl

April 23-24, 2011                        5^th Annual Surplus City Spring Mud & Crawl

About Surplus City and Urban Assult OHV Area
Surplus City has held multiple rock crawling events at the man made Urban Assult OHV Area including National W.E. Rock competitions.  The Urban Assult OHV Area is located on the banks of the Feather River at the Riffles RV Park right off Hwy 70 close to town, hotels and casinos.  The man made course has extreme 30ft vertical climbs to simple rock obstacles, multiple lane mud bogs and RC Crawling areas.  Surplus City Jeep Parts carries a complete line of parts and accessories for Jeeps.  For more information, visit www.cj-jeep.com

Event Sponsors: Please contact Bob Frank at Surplus City Jeep Parts for information on Sponsoring this and other events.  530-533-2500

EL DORADO, CA APRIL 15, 2010: CalROCS announces the 2010 schedule consisting of four events with two-day competitions for five classes. The May and June events will be held in Reno, Nevada, and the July and August events will be at Donner Ski Ranch in the Sierra Nevada Mountain of California. Reno has some of the most awesome courses the rock crawling world has ever seen, and Donner Ski Ranch is known as the crown jewel of rock crawling in the Northwest with its natural beauty and great atmosphere.
CalROCS is a grassroots rock crawling series that is sanctioned by W.E. Rock. In its third full season, the CalROCS series attracts competitors from the entire western region with some of the wildest, coolest and perhaps weirdest looking vehicles you have ever seen, from fairly stock looking jeeps to incredible “Moon Buggies”. There is non-stop action for the two-day events with each competitor running four courses with no shortage of carnage, rollovers and incredible displays of driving talent. All of the CalROCS events will also include Radio Controlled Rock Crawling Competitions.
The competition was stiff in 2009 where four out of the five classes came down to the last day to determine the 2009 Champions. In the Stock Class, Dan Patterson took first place in all four events, and will be back in 2010 to attempt to continue his domination. In the full body class, “Welder Boy” and Mike Bou both had two firsts and two seconds, and in a one round shoot-out to determine the champion, Mike Bou won by two points. The Pro-Mod Buggy class came down to a battle between Jeff Mello and teammate Brian Whitford with Brian slightly edging ahead for the Championship. The Super Mod Class also came down to the last round of competition where Derek Trent from Trent Fab took the win over Pirates of the Rubicon brothers Dustin & Tim Emick. In the Unlimited Class, where the buggys are built and the competition is strong, Brent Bradshaw in the Scrapper won at the final Donner Ski Ranch event to edge out Dave Wong in his 4-wheel steer buggy.
The line up for the 2010 year will be just as intense. CalROCS is designed to keep the costs down so virtually anyone can participate in this series, and have fun doing it. The Reno events will also feature Extreme MX and the first Donner event will feature a live band on Saturday night. More information on the specific events is available at www.calrocs.com.
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2010 Event Dates/Locations:
May 15th-16th Reno, Nevada
June 5th-6th Reno, Nevada
July 10th-11th Donner Ski Ranch
August 21st-22nd Donner Ski Ranch
Directions to Reno Events: From Reno take I-80 East to Patrick Exit (Exit 28), bear right, onto Waltham Way, Turn RT onto Wildhorse Canyon Dr. (Address: 410 Wildhorse Canyon Dr, McCarran NV 89434)
Directions to Donner Events: From Sacramento take I-80 East to the Soda Springs/Norden Exit, stay right to 19320 Donner Pass Rd. (Address: s 19320 Donner Pass Rd, Norden CA 95724)

Entry Fees:
35″ & Under: $200
36″-40″ Buggy: $250
36″-40″ Full Body: $200
Unlimited: $250
Super Mod: $200
All entrants must contact Glenn Bonner by phone at least two weeks prior to the Reno Event. Flyer and Entry Forms can be found on website-http://www.CalROCS.com

Sponsors:
BF Goodrich, Trail Tough Products of Oregon, Hall Style, ORI (Off Road Innovations of Reno), South Shore Bail Bonds , POWERTANK, WFO Concepts,Pirate4x4.com, CTM Racing, Graphix Inc

About CalROCS
CalROCS is a grassroots rock crawling series that originated in Northern California’s intense natural rock formations. The 2010 series consists of four events between Reno, NV and Donner Ski Ranch, CA. There are five classes to compete in: Stock Class, Full Body Class, Pro-Mod Buggy Class, Super Mod Class and Unlimited Class. All events also include Radio Controlled Rock Crawling Competitions and other event features.
For more information, visit www.calrocs.com

For Information on the series or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Glenn Bonner at 530-391-2580 (cell), 530-620-7174 (home) or Kurtis Harryman at 530-329-2847

JOHNSON VALLEY, CA, SEPTEMBER 10, 2009:
The 2010 running of the Griffin King of the Hammers race will take place on Friday February 12, 2010 in Johnson Valley, California at the legendary Hammers Trails. King of the Hammers has grown into a weeklong event in 2010 which will offer even more opportunities for drivers and spectators alike. Plans are in the works to build on last years theme of off-road industry related workshops, meet and greets, vendor area and more. To completely experience the King of the Hammers this year plan on being in Johnson Valley from Monday February 8th through Saturday Night February 13th. A formal schedule of events will be released soon.

The growth of the race has required Hammerking to expand the popular Last Chance Qualifier to a two-day format to be held Tuesday and Wednesday, February 9th and 10th 2010. Hammerking will limit the LCQ entry, but has made arrangements to accommodate as many teams as possible and will be expanding the mileage and increasing the difficulty of the LCQ. Entry for the Last Chance Qualifier opened on September 9th, and will close December 1, 2009. Registration forms can be found at www.kingofthehammers.com. Twenty main event spots have been reserved for the LCQ drivers with the possibility of more becoming available.

In just three years King of the Hammers has become the fastest growing form of motorsports racing. KOH combines the technical aspects of rock crawling with the endurance of off-road racing, with many participants calling it the most brutal one-day race on the planet. One hundred teams from across the globe will line up on February 12th for one of the off-road industry’s biggest adventure. Teams from Australia, Germany, Canada, and almost half of the United States have made their intent to race known. “The East Coast will have a stronger presence this year with a larger number of teams being able to pre-qualify,” said Dave Cole of Hammerking Productions.

With the addition of VisionX Lights as the official light sponsor of 2010 King of the Hammers, speculation has many believing that KOH will include night racing. Jeff Knoll of Hammerking Productions response stays consistent, “We do our best to keep the details of our race-course a secret until race week, but historically the race has become more and more difficult. We will continue the tradition of brutality that has become KOH. VisionX Lights coming onboard is great news for our sport, they are a company who’s product is well suited for this type of abuse.”
Hammerking Productions anticipates well over 15,000 in attendance over the course of the week. Feedback on the national coverage of the 2009 King of the Hammers event on Spike TV has been better than expected with interest spreading around the world. The media coverage from last year ranged from TV, Print, Web and Movie Production. This year there are plans to increase the coverage to an even larger scope.
Long time sponsor Raceline Wheels will return for 2010, and FOA has signed on as the official Shock of KOH. Title Sponsor Griffin Thermal Products has shown intent to return for 2010 as well as BFGoodrich Tires.

For more information concerning King of the Hammers, please visit www.KingOfTheHammers.com

For marketing opportunities please contact Charlene Bower at Charlene@BowerMedia.com or 714-394-1716

There are currently 52 qualified drivers for the 2010 Griffin King of the Hammers
The remaining 48 spots will be filled in the coming months.

1. Jeremy Toney Original 13
2. Tracy Jordan Original 13
3. Bart Dixon Original 13
4. Hobie Smith Original 13
5. Jack Graef Original 13
6. John James Original 13
7. John Reynolds Original 13
8. Scott Ellinger Original 13
9. Jt Taylor Original 13
10. Brett Porter Original 13
11. Chris Gieger Original 13
12. Scott Porter Original 13
13. Jason Scherer 2009 KOH Top 20
14. Casey Currie 2009 KOH Top 20
15. Rick Mooneyham 2009 KOH Top 20
16. JR Van Ortwick 2009 KOH Top 20
17. Brad Lovell 2009 KOH Top 20
18. Rob McKinney 2009 KOH Top 20
19. Adam Woodley 2009 KOH Top 20
20. Joachim Schewiesow 2009 KOH Top 20
21. Greg Hussey 2009 KOH Top 20
22. Wayne Israelsen 2009 KOH Top 20
23. Eric Holder 2009 KOH Top 20
24. Tom Wayes 2009 KOH Top 20
25. Stephen Watson 2009 KOH Top 20
26. Buzz Bronsema 2009 KOH Top 20
27. Jason Pickett 2009 KOH Top 20
28. Jack Adams 2009 KOH Top 20
29. Will Carter 2009 KOH Top 20
30. Kevin Yoder 2009 KOH Top 20
31. Clayton Walter Rausch Creek Qualifier
32. Adam Carter Rausch Creek Qualifier
33. Greg Stone Rausch Creek Qualifier
34. Charlie Melchner Rausch Creek Qualifier
35. Kim Sears Rausch Creek Qualifier
36. Barry Beadle Rausch Creek Qualifier
37. Doug Bigelow Rausch Creek Qualifier
38. Eric Miller Rausch Creek Qualifier
39. Lucas Murphy Rausch Creek Qualifier
40. Rob Usnick Merit Based
41. Shannon Campbell 2008 King of the Hammers
42. Brett Jerome 4 Wheeler Magazine Winner
43. Brian Shirley Lands End Qualifier
44. Ray Mandell Lands End Qualifier
45. Peter Wells Lands End Qualifier
46. Roger Lovell Lands End Qualifier
47. Levi Shirley Lands End Qualifier
48. Kevin Sacalas V2R Qualifier
49. Brandon Watson V2R Qualifier
50. Ben Napier V2R Qualifier
51. Dean Bulloch V2R Qualifier
52. Nazir Adam Dave Cole Wild Card

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Hammerking Productions, Inc. created the “King of the Hammers” off-road race in 2007 (www.kingofthehammers.com) and released its first full-length film in 2008. The 2009 running of the King of the Hammers was featured on Spike TV and in the film “Second Crusade.” In 2009, Hammerking expanded race action to include four additional regional qualifiers for the 2010 race. Over 15,000 drivers and fans from around the globe will descend on the desert of Johnson Valley for over a week of off-road related activities February 9-13, 2010.

race-dezert.com monthly video. This month features the 2009 King of the Hammers.

“It’s like Baja Racing in 1972″ shouts a spectator in excitement as the first wave of rigs approach one of the road crossings. What he probably saw was less sophisticated suspension and straight front axles on Jeeps bouncing over the open desert in rather slower speeds then your average class 9 car.

However can a 9 car or any common desert race vehicle successfully conquer 4 foot vertical rock walls? Exactly. The winning formula is a purpose built Rock-Crawler that can also drive fast in the wide open. However what works well for high speed doesn’t help in the rocks and vise versa. Balance is key.

The hot ticket was last years winner Shannon Campbell (5AZ) and he looked extremely fast until a transmission failure forced him into an early DNF. Desert and Short curse racer Casey Currie (2x) had better luck in Shannon’s old rig. He was able to finish 3rd place with ease.

After all was set and done Jason Scherer (76) proved to be the top dog of the 2009 King of the Hammers. We caught up with him at the finish line and he shared his day with us (See upcoming RDC Video of the Month for that and more). Congratulation Jason.

This years King of the Hammers event was multiple times larger then last years. The Johnson Valley dry lake turned into a temporary city as thousands of people set camp for multiple days. Jeff (KOH Producer) admitted after the event that this was probably his biggest undertaking ever. “Last year our budget limited us to a couple of hours of helicopter usage while today we have the bird for 3 days” shares Jeff proudly with us.

We liked the event and feel that most desert racers would feel the same. It’s far from the slow paste Rock Crawling you may have seen on TV and we predict that by next year it will be even more of a success.

Top Ten Finishers
1 – Jason Scherer
2 – Randy Slawson
3 – Casey Currie
4 – Rick Mooneyham
5 – J.R. VanOrtwick
6 – Brad Lovell
7 – Rob Mc Kinney
8 – Adam Woodlee
9 – Joachim Schwiesow
10 – Greg Hussey

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