Coolest Reading Baby
Reader Joe Cary believes in starting them young. He introduced his son Daniel to our magazine—what Joe calls “truck porn”—when the tyke was just two hours old. This photo was taken when the two were bonding when Daniel was all of three days old. They say readers are born in the laps of their parents. Is the same true for wheelers?
Still Time to Win!
Raffle tickets are still available to win the Jeep Wrangler that was donated to Tierra Del Sol for its 50th anniversary Desert Safari (“50 Years of TDS,” Aug. ’12). For those of you who didn’t make it to TDS, we’ll tell you that this Jeep has been outfitted with a number of accessories from Mopar and other companies, including a 2½-inch lift with Bilstein shocks, heavy-duty bumpers, custom wheels, rock rails, and a Warn winch. The drawing will take place at the San Diego Auto Show on December 30. Tickets are $4 each, with the proceeds going toward keeping lands open for responsible OHV use. You can get tickets at shows where TDS is displaying the Jeep, or visit www.tds4x4.com/jeep.
Bye Bye Compass
Though it looks good these days with its Grand Cherokee–like styling, the Jeep Compass will be discontinued after the ’14 model year. Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne made the announcement at a press event at the Belvidere, Illinois, plant where the Compass and Patriot are built. He wasn’t specific about a replacement, but rumors have been circulating that the Jeep line will soon receive new Fiat-based SUVs that will most likely be crossovers rather than true SUVs.
Gordon to Launch Stadium Truck Series
We old-timers remember how much fun Mickey Thompson’s stadium races were, especially the amazing air those trucks used to get running down the peristyle at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Now Robby Gordon hopes to bring back some of that magic with his own Stadium Super Trucks (SST) series. Plans call for a 10-race series beginning April 2013 with drivers racing what are basically spec trucks with 600hp V-8s and 20 inches of wheel travel. Teams will be able to choose their own wheels and tires and fine-tune things like springs, shocks, and steering.
Each event will also feature side-by-side ATV racing and even monster trucks (though some of us were shocked—shocked!—to see Bigfoot wearing Chevrolet body pieces at Gordon’s press introduction/demonstration at the LA Coliseum).
Gordon hopes to attract old-school stadium racers to his event, men like Ivan Stewart and Walker Evans, as well as young guns. He’s offering big purses: $40,000 for winners of the SST main event at each race and a cool half-million dollars to the overall series champion. For more info visit www.stadiumsupertrucks.com.
Calendar
• Aug. 31–Sept. 3: Superlift Fall 4xAdventure, Superlift ORV Park, Hot Springs, AR. Info: 501.625.3600, www.orvpark.com
• Aug. 31–Sept. 3: High Sierra Poker Run on the Swamp Lake Trail east of Fresno, CA. Info: cal4wheel.com/events/high-sierra-poker-run
• Sept. 1-3: Labor Day Campout by the Red Rock 4 Wheelers, Moab, UT. Info: rr4w.com
• Sept. 7-9: KC HiLites Midnight Special off-road race, Lucerne, CA. Info: www.snoreracing.net
• Sept. 8: Getting Started Off-Road Driving Clinic by Badlands Off-Road Adventures, Hungry Valley SVRA, Gorman, CA. Info: 310.374.8047, www.4x4training.com
• Sept. 8: Fall Crawl Competition, Kansas Rocks Recreation Park near Mapleton, KS. Info: www.ksrockspark.com
• Sept. 8: Chili Cook-Off by Mojave Off Road Racing Enthusiast, Lucerne, CA. Info: www.moreracing.net
• Sept. 9: Advanced Beginner Off-Road Driving Clinic by Badlands Off-Road Adventures, El Paso Mountains, Mojave, CA. Info: 310.374.8047, www.4x4training.com
• Sept. 13-15: Laurel Highlands Jeep Jamboree, Farmington, PA. Info: www.jeepjamboreeusa.com
• Sept. 13-15: Ouray Jeep Jamboree, Ouray, CO. Info: www.jeepjamboreeusa.com
• Sept. 13-16: Jeepstock by Midwest Jeep Thing, Southern Missouri Off Road Ranch, Seymour, MO. Info: www.midwestjeepthing.com
• Sept. 14-15: Lucas Oil 4Wheel Jamboree Nationals, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN. Info: www.4wheeljamboree.com
• Sept. 15: 8th Annual North East Xterra Club (NEXTerra) Back to School Run, West Oneonta, NY. Info: www.nexterra.org
• Sept. 15: Summit Truck Fest, Tallmadge, OH. Info: 800.230.3030, summitracing.com
• Sept. 20-22: Catskill Mountains Jeep Jamboree, Monticello, NY. Info: www.jeepjamboreeusa.com
• Sept. 20-22: Dead Mountains Jeep Jamboree, Laughlin, NV. Info: www. jeepjamboreeusa.com
• Sept. 20-23: National Xterra Meet, Coal Creek/Windrock Mountain, Oliver Springs, TN. Info: nationalxterrameet.org
• Sept. 20-24: Oklahoma Classic Bronco Round-Up, Superlift ORV Park, Hot Springs, AR. Info: 501.625.3600, www.orvpark.com
• Sept. 21-23: SMOR Fall Crawl’N by the Toyota Land Cruiser Assoc., Southern Missouri Off-Road Ranch, Seymour, MO. Info: www.tlca.org
• Sept. 22: HD2 Family Off-Road Expo, by Victorville Motor Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, Victorville, CA. Info: www.theGillardGroup.com
• Sept. 22-23: Iowa All-Breeds Jeep Show & Swap Meet, Story County Fairgrounds, Nevada, IA. Info: www.iowajeepshow.com
• Sept. 27-29: Maine Mountains Jeep Jamboree, Bethel, ME. Info: www.jeepjamboreeusa.com
• Sept. 27-29: Black Hills Jeep Jamboree, Deadwood, SD. Info: www.jeepjamboreeusa.com
• Sept. 28-29: Cruisin’ the Woods, by the Toyota Land Cruiser Association, Brown’s Camp, OR. Info: www.tlca.org
• Sept. 29: 4Wheel Parts Truck & Jeep Fest, Columbiana, OH. Info: 877.474.48214, wheelparts.com/events
• Sept. 29-30: Iron Range Off-Road Driving School, Iron Range OHV Park near Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. Info: www.ironrangeoffroad.com