American Rock Crawlers Association ARCA - Stop, Drop, Crawl & Roll

There was a time when four-wheeling was something you did for fun with your friends. Sure, there was always friendly competition and a continual battle over what works best, but now rockcrawling seems to be diverging into several directions based on this premise.

One of these directions is all-out competition. Several event coordinators have come up with different ways of conducting and judging these competitions. Goodyear Tires and the American Rock Crawlers Association (ARCA) have added their event series to the mix. This kind of event allows competitors to put up or shut up.

At the Goodyear event in Farmington, New Mexico, the competitors started with zero points and accrued them, or not, as they traversed each obstacle. The scoring was done as such: one point for a stop in forward progress for more than six seconds, one point for reversing and an additional point for stopping (for a total of two points even if it takes less than six seconds), 10 points for knocking down or running over a gate, and 20 points for winching or using any sort of recovery tool or equipment (shovel, Hi-Lift jack, and so on). However, stacking rocks is permissible and not penalized. The maximum point total for an obstacle is 40, which is also given if a competitor times out. If the obstacle is not attempted, 50 points are given.

The obstacles were marked with small flags (gates) that each of the 60 competitors had to pass through within an allotted time. This might sound easy enough, but the gates are set up so competitors cannot take the easiest line. In fact, many of the obstacles had never been traversed before the event.

The competitors were divided into two groups of 30 and sent to two separate areas. In those two areas, competitors were divided into two sides. The 15 competitors would traverse the obstacles on one side and then switch with the other side for the second part of the day. On the second day of competition, the competitors went to the areas that had been traversed by the other group.

Obstacle number five on area two was the hot spot for action and breakage. Large crowds gathered to see the carnage. Only a handful of vehicles were able to scale the unforgiving sluice without the assistance of a winch. The finals were held in a secret location known only to the ARCA officials prior to the end of competition.

This was the first of a five-event series. The other events are tentatively scheduled.

For more information contact Ranch Pratt at 801/599-9909.