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Rookie Rock Crawler Evans Climbs Atop Goodyear Utah Event

24 July 2000

Rookie Rock Crawler Evans Climbs Atop Goodyear Utah Event

    VERNAL, Utah, July 24 A rookie in rock crawling took a
giant leap toward legendary status at the Goodyear Extreme Rock Crawling
Championship Series near here.
    Walker Evans, 61, a legend in off-road racing, won his first rock crawling
event this weekend in a modified 2000 Chevrolet Blazer.
    Evans, semi-retired from off-road racing with 140 career victories and 20
championship titles, was the first driver in off-road racing history to win
the Baja 1000 in 1979 and Fireworks 250 in 1982.
    "This victory is sweet," Evans said. "It ranks right up there with
anything I've accomplished in my off-road racing career."
    Evans brought a new "trick" truck to Vernal with hydraulic rear-wheel
steering and pre-production Goodyear Wrangler MT/R 37x12.50R15 tires.
    Several other competitors used the pre-production tires.
    Joel Randall, of Nebraska, drove his modified 1973 Jeep CJ-5 to second
place. Chris Durham, of Travelers' Rest, S.C., finished third in a 1985 Jeep
CJ-10.
    The championship finals are scheduled for Sept. 8 and 9 in Farmington,
N.M.
    Sanctioned by the American Rock Crawlers Association, 60 vehicles competed
in Vernal. ARCA president Ranch Pratt said competitiveness reached a fevered
pitch here.
    "We expected some excitement in this first year, but the level of driving
has gone beyond our expectations. Having Walker Evans compete here certainly
has stepped up competition to a new level," Pratt said.
    The crowds in Vernal were treated to perfection as well as several vehicle
rollovers. In both cases, they showed their approval. Evans and Durham
finished with perfect scores on the first day.
    Meanwhile, Tracy Jordan, an Arizona driver, certainly is on a roll. He
rolled his Toyota truck not once but twice. He's improving, though; he rolled
a few times at a previous event.
    Ron Wells, marketing manager for Goodyear light truck tires, said the
championship series has proven to be an ideal avenue to promote the new
Wrangler MT/R off-road tire, which features Durawall sidewall construction for
puncture resistance and added traction on the rocks.
    "We're pleased that the top drivers have selected Goodyear Wranglers for
their vehicles," Wells said. "We're also excited about the crowds' reactions
to the sport.
    "Initially we weren't exactly sure how people would react to rock
crawling, but these drivers are giving new meaning to 'being stuck between a
rock and a hard place.'
    "We definitely expect the competition to heat up in Farmington," Wells
said.
    Rock crawling has been called the art of negotiating an extremely
difficult obstacle. Speed's not a factor; accruing the least amount of points
is the key.
    The drivers face 14 obstacles in the two-day event. Scoring infractions
include: one point for stopping and backing up; 10 for knocking down a flag;
20 for winching with a cable; 40 for the maximum allowed on each obstacle; and
50 for bypassing the obstacle.
    Rolling over scores no points, but the crowds show their appreciation with
cheer.