Arizona Rock Crawlers Roll in Goodyear Extreme Event

    JOHNSON VALLEY, Calif., Feb. 19 Amid the carnage of
twisted metal and rolling vehicles, two Arizona off-road drivers beat all odds
to climb atop the Goodyear Skyjacker Extreme Rock Crawling National Series.

    Shannon Campbell, of Gilbert, Ariz., and Tracy Jordan, of Phoenix, drove
their off-road vehicles to a first place tie.

    The ever-modest Campbell credited "a bit of luck" and his new vehicle, a
1951 Willys, for the win.  Campbell had won last year's first rock-crawling
event in Farmington, N.M.

    In fact, Campbell's luck indeed may have been a factor this time.  Most
competitors encountered their share of breakdowns and vehicle rollovers, he
said.

    Jordan and his spotter brother Jason, for once, kept their Goodyear
Wrangler MT/R tires on the ground for the tying win.  Tracy Jordan, no
stranger to "tire-side-up," gave a grand show last season with two rollovers
on the same obstacle.

    If practice makes perfect, Jordan made the most of his off-season.
"Instead of putting any money into our 1971 Land Cruiser, we put in a lot of
practice -- homegrown practice," Jordan said.

    Both Campbell and Jordan are known for their extreme driving.  "They take
it to the edge -- and sometimes beyond," according to Ron Wells, marketing
manager for Goodyear light truck tires.  "They're definitely crowd pleasers
with their antics behind the wheel."

    More than once, 15,000 spectators in Johnson Valley came to life with
Campbell and Jordan driving.  Four of the top five places were riding on
Goodyear Wrangler MT/R off-road tires.

    Omaha, Neb., driver Rich Hudson finished second in his 1983 Jeep CJ-7.

    "There should be no doubt after Johnson Valley that this national series
is the ultimate in extreme.  We've never seen so many roll-overs and
breakdowns.  Quite a few teams had to drop out after the first day due to
mechanical damage," Wells said.

    Off-road legend Walker Evans removed body panels from his Chevrolet S-10
to alleviate body damage.  An obstacle called Desperate Measures rolled Evans
over the edge and he finished 11th.

    Most drivers and crewmen spent hours with the wrench this weekend.
Defending champion Chris Durham, of Travelers Rest, S.C., broke down twice and
placed 14th.

    Next stop for the carnage is May 3-5 in Las Cruces, N.M.  Sanctioned by
the American Rock Crawlers Association, the series then will proceed to Cedar
City, Utah, on July 12-14.

    Series finals will be held tentatively Sept. 27-29 at an undisclosed
location.