THE BULL (intro - part 1)

If you could build any crawler you wanted to, what would it be?  Would it be a full-on competition machine designed with the idea of winning, winning, and more winning?  Would it be a trailrig that can run all day in comfort and with the peace-of-mind that comes from using that old saying K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid)?  Would it be roomy enough for you and a passenger and include more storage space than most trail-rigs run lately?  Would it be big on looks, but small in weight?  Would it have the highest tech parts but utilize the most common replacement items available at NAPA, Kragen, AutoZone, Checker, Pep Boys???  

When choosing the design of Becca Webster’s newest rockcrawler, the RockHer II, we decided we wanted all of that and more wrapped up into one amazing machine. The team’s newest crawler would need to built to match the WE Rock rockcrawling series Pro Modified class specifications. The following pages will include the story of how we came to make our decisions on what to build, how to build it, where to build it, and the parts, people, and companies that are making this whole thing possible.

was winding down and I was looking for another adrenaline sport that I could enjoy for years to come.  The extreme motorsport of RockCrawling was just making its way onto the national scene and I joined up with my wheeling friend, Frank Johnson, as well as Red Bull Energy Drink, Pro Comp Tires, and a number of other partners to create the Red Bull RockCrawling Team.  We built a Jeep CJ7 to the Stock Modified class specifications.

Even though it was our first attempt at competing, Frank and I chose to try our hand in the Pro Mod division of Cal Rocs (what is now WE Rock).  We were going against the odds because that Jeep was built for the entry level class.  Our thinking was even if we didn’t win, we’d have a blast along the way.  My wife, Becca Webster, saw this beautiful Jeep leave for competition once a month and would cringe as Frank and I would return with a pile of parts that somewhat resembled a junk yard vehicle.  I would ask her to write some big-dollar checks, we’d fix it all, and head out again for another round of bashing, just to return with a destroyed rig to rebuild.  Becca had not even seen a competition, yet she knew for sure that she DID NOT LIKE ROCKCRAWLING! 

 Step forward seven months and you find me telling Becca, “Honey, you need to come to just one event to see what it’s all about!”  She wasn’t excited…but reluctantly agreed.

 Again, step forward a few hours into our trip to Cedar City and you find me explaining to Becca that she was going to get the “real” experience of competition rockcrawling because not only was it Women’s Nationals, but I had signed her up to drive!  She had driven a 4x4 less than a couple hundred yards in her lifetime and here we were, headed to the Women’s Nationals with me telling her, “Hey, you’ll be fine…just do what Frank tells you, don’t run him over, and take advantage of the entire 15 minutes of practice you’ll get in the parking lot before the event begins!”  Let’s just say she was NOT ready for any of this but with entry fees paid and a number of people expecting her to show up and show the world how great team Red Bull is, she had no choice.

She kicked butt at that event taking second place, and has never looked back. Since then, Becca Webster has gained a reputation of fearlessness, the ability to make amazing saves, and finesse on the throttle that only a few of the world’s best crawlers are gifted with.  Over the years, she has captured three women’s national rockcrawling titles, and is constantly in the top 5 among the best men and women crawlers in competition.  She even had the skill to win the first true international competition outside the US, when she captured the WE Rock Australian  National Championship win.

Knowing her skills are in insane climbs and big dropoffs, we decided to accentuate that with a new crawler that has the weight, balance, and ability to excel in the technical areas of the courses.  Heading into her 5^th year of competition, Becca will get a new Pro Modified crawler that is truly at her level.

All images and text Copy Right 2006

Blue Torch FabWorks, Inc

Red Bull RockCrawling Team

Pirate4x4.com

Disclaimer