Sonoran Outback Challenge

Dave Frazier likes to play in the dirt. In fact, he likes it so much he has a 4x4 playground in his backyard, and from time to time sets up friendly competitions for his buddies. He had always been intrigued by the Aussie-style challenge events so he tried one himself in the Arizona desert.

The idea was to challenge participants to a variety of obstacles and see which team could come out best overall. Drivers and passengers started by taking a short written desert survival quiz as a warm-up before running a high-speed 5-mile desert loop with firm dirt roads, sandy washes, whoop stretches, and a surprise stop midway for a skeet shoot. The higher-horsepower rigs dominated the event, provided they could stay on course following navigation instructions.

Back at Dave's yard, the drivers tackled a timed obstacle course, doing the first 100 yards blindfolded while listening to directions from their codriver. The course twisted up over berms, through dirt trenches, up and down a log stairstep, and finished across a short boulder garden.

With the dusty part of the day complete, the competitors headed to the mud pit. The water truck had been brewing this bog for about a week so what lay under the claylike surface was a soupy mix. Small tired rigs got to go first and each vehicle tried its best to run the full pit. While a few of the big motor rigs churned hard and fast, no one quite made it to the exit ramp. Lighter rigs floated more readily in the slop, while the heavy rigs clawed for firmer bottom soil. One by one, the drivers ran enthusiastically, but each was extracted by a huge crane truck.

The day seemed to be a big hit with those that gave it their best at being the fastest and getting the farthest. There's already talk about a repeat event in the future. Maybe this idea will catch on and we'll see more comprehensive 4WD competitions.

First up was a written desert...        read full caption First up was a written desert survival quiz. From what we overheard, it was no cake walk. The quiz challenged participants' understanding of vehicle capability and driving skills.	Dwayne Cowen's '49 Willys...        read full caption Dwayne Cowen's '49 Willys is one of those sleeper Jeeps, save for a hint of hoodscoop. A healthy motor scooted him through the desert quickly. The downside for him was his lack of a codriver. This slowed his progress as he had to navigate as well as drive.	Dave Frazier's fullsize ride...        read full caption Dave Frazier's fullsize ride is used for desert wheeling and Tough Truck events. He lent it to Ralph Hunsley for the day and Ralph put it through its paces trying to make good time.
Eddie Soto was flying on the...        read full caption Eddie Soto was flying on the desert course. His '74 Land Cruiser was turning big Boggers and putting miles behind. Eddie placed third overall.	Off to a good start, Baldo...        read full caption Off to a good start, Baldo Soto charges the mud in his topless Blazer, then slid a little sideways, straightened up, but finally lost momentum as the brown muck sucked his Boggers under.	The log pile descent was a...        read full caption The log pile descent was a little tricky, especially for the short-wheelbase rigs. Kyle Fauth came down the back face quickly and bucked the rear end of his '84 Toy truck in the air.
Shaun Dunaway catches some...        read full caption Shaun Dunaway catches some good air in his '80 CJ-7. The obstacle course put the drivers through tight turns and some decent vertical challenges. Despite the vehicle flights in the backyard, carnage was fairly light for the day. Warning! Never hold onto a cage like this, unless you want to lose your fingers during a rollover.	Shaun then caught some bad...        read full caption Shaun then caught some bad air. Coming down a tricky embankment with some speed, he took a little hop and put his CJ-7 on its lid. No one was hurt, but of course the good-natured ribbing followed. The big crane truck quickly righted the Jeep and the event was on again.	Andy Gibson was the last competitor...        read full caption Andy Gibson was the last competitor to run the mud pit as he had the biggest tires in the bunch. He lay hard on the throttle and shot into the goo with the huge Boggers whirling. However, a 3-foot slush hole near the very end stopped him cold, but not before he made it the farthest for the day.
Somebody handy with a backhoe...        read full caption Somebody handy with a backhoe dug some serious trenches, making for an interesting course. Gary Huen was able to place a respectable fourth in his '87 Suzuki Samurai, finishing just behind the Third Place Pinzgauer owned by Mike Nims.	Jeremy Greathouse finished...        read full caption Jeremy Greathouse finished first overall for the day in his modified Suzuki Samurai. His lightweight rig was nimble enough to make good time and his driving skill worked in his favor.