sitting down at the hammers last week WB and I got into a conversation about old comps. We agreed that a "BIG DUMB TRUCK" class should be opened. Remember watching brutus and stacy brekinrich sp .. blazers with 38's competing ... smash a bang and fun to watch. Min weight set at like 4000 lbs... min tire size is a 40. belly clearence at like 30 inches... just a big dumb truck class...

Slight problem with these trucks for us promoters:

They require their own course. I say this because they have more to break, more to move, and harder to recover in super mod courses. Put them on stock courses and it is not hard enough. With these problems, and us promoters trying to get a complete comp done in four hours or less; it becomes pretty hard. Using seperate courses is hard because staff is quite limited at each event.

In Texas and Oklahoma we had a class called XXL. Basically same requirements. As much as they were fun to watch and the people driving were great, it was only able to be pulled off due to the open-ness of each location. Even for that it was still hard to deal with and prolonged our show by two hours at each event. And at TX we only had three vehicles running.

I give much respect for the group that holds real truck challenge. For me that event would be quite hard to hold. With bigger trucks, It means more weight, more breakage, harder recoveries, and bigger recovery vehicles. Something that rock-crawls cannot deal with as we are all trying to make the sport able for LIVE TV. A six hour show does not provide that ability.

Imo, the best way to get a class like that put together is to organize it yourself, with your own volunteers and rules. then pitch it to the promoters as an addition to there comps. Not speaking for anyone here just my 0.2. Run your class while they are doing tech, the day before or after the event is done for the day. Kinda like a circus side show :) Good fun watching that kinda stuff.

Imo, the best way to get a class like that put together is to organize it yourself, with your own volunteers and rules. then pitch it to the promoters as an addition to there comps.

Skip the professional promoters & go to your local civic group like the Lions Club, the Jaycees, whoever is in charge of the local demo derbies, tractor pulls, & such. See if they'd be willing to take on the event in conjunction with your local 4x4 club.

TEX

There was a big dumb truck at Supercrawl III ( exhibition I believe, or wildcard or something) It was pretty cool when he made it one way over the Matterhorn then turned around to go for the other side. I remember looking quickly at his cage thinking "here comes a rollover, will he be ok?"
Then he matts the throttle on that monster motor and I think suprised everybody.
With about a 25' run at the bottom the truck comes to a dead halt when the spring shackle hits the bottom of the 'horn. Ouch!
We all just stood there with our mouths open, nobody saw that coming.
I know he rung his bell pretty good, because he kept shaking it and the reaching for the key to restart it for about two minutes.