Gray Rock ORV Park in Gardendale, Alabama, was home to a plethora of four-wheeling and rock racing competitions when both the Southern Four-Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA) and the Xtream Rock Racing Association (XRRA) converged there during a rainy weekend last May. Though threatened by mud, slick rocks, and looming tornados, the four-wheelers came from all across the south side of our nation for the action.
The SFWDA is an association of 4WD clubs located in the southeastern United States (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee) dedicated to promoting four-wheel drive recreation, responsible land usage, conservation, and education. If you'd like to get involved, contact them through their website www.sfwda.org. and then make plans to head out to their Dixie Run tentatively planned for somewhere in the middle of Tennessee, October 2-4, 2009.
XRRA has been putting together some of the gnarliest rock racing events in the nation, and we saw more rollovers, wrecks, and fires during the double feature of two races on Saturday and Sunday of this event than at all other rockcrawls combined. Find out more at www.xrra.com. If you're looking for the next event at Gray Rock, check them out at www.grayrockorv.com.
One second he's barreling down the hill, the next he's back in it to win it. Dan Macdonald was just one of many drivers who went belly-up, but he was one of the few who actually made it back to his tires and continued on through the course.
 From TJs to tube-cars to truggies,... From TJs to tube-cars to truggies, there are plenty of great wooded trails to explore at Gray Rock. No matter the ability of driver or machine, these southern trails have something to challenge you. |  Not everything in Gray Rock... Not everything in Gray Rock is a rock buggy. This well-built TJ was cruising the trails with Dynatrac axles, a long-arm suspension, and a bunch of Gen-Right body armor. With his girl by his side and his dog in the back, this Jeeper didn't seem to have a care in the world. |  We wonder if John "Marko"...  We wonder if John "Marko" Markovich is more stuntman than racer. Even though he only came home with a Seventh and 20th Place finishes, he definitely kept the crowd cheering. His driving style is like a controlled high-speed crash, but whether he was on his Pit Bull tires or his lid, Marko had a "never say die" attitude. |
 If you got bored watching...  If you got bored watching the racers bash their rigs, there were plenty of trails across the park for exploring. We caught up with a group of guys out of Tennessee having a good time on the muddy climbs as more rain started to fall. |  Adam Carter was the hometown...  Adam Carter was the hometown favorite in his rear-engine rock buggy running BFG tires, but try as he might, he could not get past Second Place on Saturday and Third on Sunday. Outfitted with a healthy GTO small-block and Spidertrax axles, Adam wasn't scared to hammer down on the hard stuff. |  We'd love to show you a wicked-crazy...  We'd love to show you a wicked-crazy photo of Derek West driving like a maniac with all four tires off the ground and flames shooting from under the hood, but the fact is he ran the course smooth and easy. Though he was fast, he never seemed out of control. That must be why he won-and by "won," we mean he won both races of the weekend. |