Pirate4x4.Com - 2001 ARCA Johnson Valley

2001 American Rock Crawl Association Carnage at the hammers

Click here to see the scores for this event.

This years first ARCA event happened at Johnson Valley on Friday and Saturday the 16th and 17th and I was lucky enough to be there armed with my digital camera, my new APS my video camera and a press pass. The trip started on Thursday and I hopped in to Jeff Fretwell's dually with cabover pulling his cruiser on down to Johnson Valley. The trip down was a long one but we were lucky enough to have EXCELLENT weather all weekend!

By the time I arrived at the event on Friday after hunting all over the area for it the action was well under way. All the Big Dawgs were there, along with a lot of trick rigs from tube chassis customs to jeeps, land cruisers, and even a mini monster truck Cherokee.

On the way out there we came across a couple people in a isuzu trooper. Thinking they might need a tug from that soft sand we stopped to see what the problem is. Turns out they had never engaged their 4wd so Jeff had the honor of teaching them how.

Unfortunately I could only be at one place at a time and I could only use one camera at a time so I did not see all the action. Bob drove very well and his newly redone rig did great, but had its share of breakage - which it seemed was like the plague and hit every vehicle out there!

The POR team's rig (Bob's) broke two steering boxes, a dana 60 stub axle, hub, and the rear 4 link system. POR's sister club, Al Berikoff of the sweaty nipples off road team (SNORT) put on a very impressive show. I believe his list of busted parts included both front axle shafts of a warn eliminator kit, about 5 297x u-joints, front driveline (what that blew he twisted around and hauled ass backwards to try to finish), lower bar from his 4-link, and one hellava beating on the new 7 day project! Check out that trail fix image to the right (Duct tape was tried first)!

After hours provided plenty of entertainment at Pirate camp. I met a ton of really cool people and if you are reading this and you asked me to mention club on the writeup email me at brandon@pirate4x4.com and I will add it, unfornately due to a really cool gas powered margarita blender I can't remember all the names of the people I met but I had a great time just the same!