RROCK Visits Hannibal High School

[alwayssmiling67]

Thanks to those that took an extra day and extra time to
pull off this very important day.
12 vehicles were on display.
Mike Jones, Chasity Jones and Steve Thornton from Team Twisted Toys brought 2 rigs.
John Toumbs of Toumbs Repair brought a rig.
Alan Grady and Thomas Grady of Team Toumbs Repair, Over the Top and On the Top Crawlers brought a rig.
Scott Carline of Axleboy Enterprises brought 2 rigs
Jim Klouzek of Team Bushogger brought a rig.
Kyle McDaniels of Team Easy and Team Axleboy brought a rig.
Ken Blume and Branden Blume of Team Rock Rod Racing brought a rig.
Garrett Huster and Cory Buerman of Team Heartland Off-Road brought a rig.
Tom and Debbie Wombles brought 2 rigs.

Vehicles were respresented from Modified Stock, Legends and Super Modified
vehicle classes.
Students were set-up in different areas around the school parking lot to greet us.

The crew spent from 9am till 2:30pm in the Hannibal High School Football Field with groups of Auto Tech, Welding, Industral Art students and more.
Several other school votech classes made the trip as well.

Many areas were covered with the students from basic Rockcrawling rules and safety requirements to the many different modifications and vehicle classifications involved.
Several hundred students participated.
Bobby Wilson, the teacher that organized the day, is very interested in having one of his classes build a rockcrawling rig in the future.

Interest has sparked in other area high schools and plans are being made
to visit them in the future.

Ken Blume was generous enough to give each student a chance to drive his Super Modified rig after Saturday's RROCK Series Finals Competition.
Lucky winner Cory Parker was super excited and him and his entire family spent the day watching Team Rock Rod Racing clinch the Series Final Championship followed by some seat time for Cory as he drove through a Rockcrawl course spotted by Ken.

The Article:
HCTC Students See Special Vehicles Up Close

By DANNY HENLEY
Of the Courier-Post


It's one thing to see a special piece of equipment in a magazine or on television. It's quite another to see it in person.

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That opportunity was afforded students on Friday as seven teams from the rock crawling and off-road trail circuit visited Hannibal so that students at the Hannibal Career and Technical Center and Hannibal High School could view in person their custom vehicles.

"We're really proud to have them take the time out to come up here and do something like this for the kids," said Bobby Wilson, an instructor at the HCTC who helped coordinate the group's appearance. "It's great for the students. It's great publicity for them (rock crawling teams)."

Seeing the vehicles, some of which cost over $100,000, was intended to be an educational experience, according to Wilson.

"There's a lot of drafting, engineering and drawing skills that go into figuring out how they're going to put it together," said Wilson. "You have to have auto technology skills of course to keep the machines running. Then their welding abilities are needed to put all the cages in and repair the parts they're definitely going to tear up when they go through some of these courses."

Wilson's students were anxious to see the vehicles which compete in the "Top Shops Team Challenge."

"They were really excited that they (team members) would take the time out to come up, visit with them, show them the machines and what all goes into it," said Wilson.

Tom Wombles, who worked with Wilson to bring the teams to Hannibal, was glad to be able to share with students a sport that he says is the fastest growing motor sport in America.

"It helps us in growing our sport by getting it out in front of the general public," said Wombles, co-owner of the Hannibal Rocks Off-Road Park located just south of Hannibal. "It lets these kids see something that is a fun, clean sport to maybe become involved in."

Ken Blume of Lowell, Ark., who is ranked sixth nationally by the World Extreme Rock Crawling Organization, smiled when asked about the reaction he was receiving from students.

"There's a lot of excitement. They're drawn to it," he said. "There's a kid in all of us, but especially the younger you are, the more you remember taking your bike and ramming it and doing all those things that made Mom and Dad a little nervous at times. They can relate."

Blume, who will be competing Saturday and Sunday at the Hannibal Rocks Off-Road Park, says young people enjoy the sport's rough and tumble nature.

"It's somewhat of an extreme sport. There's a high level of protection, but you're also doing some nutty things with your car or truck," he said. "The kids get pumped when there's a really good show."

[shopteach]

good job! when people take an interest in kids, it makes everyones future better

[alwayssmiling67]

A few pics of the lucky driver

[alwayssmiling67]

Some pics at the High School

[alwayssmiling67]

Two Rivers Jeep Club got a thank-you post on their forum:
http://trjc.proboards33.com/index.cg...ead=1161658029