W E Rock Put up or Shut Up 12-12-09
W.E.Rock Put Up or Shut Up 12-09
Article and Photos By Don McNeilly
If you have not heard of W.E. Rock you are missing out on some of the baddest rock crawling contests in the county. Their name stands for World Extreme Rock Crawling Championship Series. They split up the series with an Eastern and Western US Nationals along with some Regional series. Check them out online to find a contest near you.
The object to the contest is to have the lowest point total. Maximum points on any one course is 40. If a driver reaches 40 points his run is over. Some of the things that cost a driver points are 1 point for backing up, 10 points for touching a cone marker, 5 points for using rear steer, 8 points for using a spotter’s strap. There are a few others but you get the idea.
The Put up or Shut Up contest is not a National points race so the turnout was on the light side. There were only 14 drivers so there was not near the action as the contest at the same venue in April of this year when there were 43 drivers giving their all to see who could concur the rocks. That doesn’t mean the action was not as intense, just that they did not have all courses running at the same time.
With all the action it is difficult to pick up all the action but this contest had 2 drivers that seemed to be vying for fan favorite. They were 14 year old Waylon Campbell. That’s right 14 years old. W.E.Rock changed the rules to allow drivers as young as 14 to be able to compete as long as they could pass a driving test. Well Waylon’s dad just happens to be World Champion driver Shannon Campbell from Chandler Arizona. Seeing Waylon up close he looked so young but put him behind the wheel and he was an animal. I bet he did not sleep a wink that night after all the excitement. He placed 3 beating competitors more than double his age. Way to go Waylon.
Next was Nichole Johnson. I have seen her drive a few times and she not only looks great but she can drive as good as any of the male drivers. She really made some excitement in the finals when she launched over a huge rock out of bounds into the course next to her. I could not believe she did not flip her Jeep. At the trophy ceremony she could not hold back her tears as she brought her dad up front for a big hug. He has some health issues and they did not know if he would still be around. It was Awsome for him to be able to witness her taking 2nd place.
Robert McKinney ended up in 1st place by 35 points. He had the lease amount of points for the 2 day contest. Robert made many of the obstacles look easy. I guess picking the right line and listening to the spotter does make a difference.
Hope you enjoy the photos of the carnage.
Check back for the latest coverage of the motorsports industry.
Read MoreArticle and Photos By Don McNeilly
If you have not heard of W.E. Rock you are missing out on some of the baddest rock crawling contests in the county. Their name stands for World Extreme Rock Crawling Championship Series. They split up the series with an Eastern and Western US Nationals along with some Regional series. Check them out online to find a contest near you.
The object to the contest is to have the lowest point total. Maximum points on any one course is 40. If a driver reaches 40 points his run is over. Some of the things that cost a driver points are 1 point for backing up, 10 points for touching a cone marker, 5 points for using rear steer, 8 points for using a spotter’s strap. There are a few others but you get the idea.
The Put up or Shut Up contest is not a National points race so the turnout was on the light side. There were only 14 drivers so there was not near the action as the contest at the same venue in April of this year when there were 43 drivers giving their all to see who could concur the rocks. That doesn’t mean the action was not as intense, just that they did not have all courses running at the same time.
With all the action it is difficult to pick up all the action but this contest had 2 drivers that seemed to be vying for fan favorite. They were 14 year old Waylon Campbell. That’s right 14 years old. W.E.Rock changed the rules to allow drivers as young as 14 to be able to compete as long as they could pass a driving test. Well Waylon’s dad just happens to be World Champion driver Shannon Campbell from Chandler Arizona. Seeing Waylon up close he looked so young but put him behind the wheel and he was an animal. I bet he did not sleep a wink that night after all the excitement. He placed 3 beating competitors more than double his age. Way to go Waylon.
Next was Nichole Johnson. I have seen her drive a few times and she not only looks great but she can drive as good as any of the male drivers. She really made some excitement in the finals when she launched over a huge rock out of bounds into the course next to her. I could not believe she did not flip her Jeep. At the trophy ceremony she could not hold back her tears as she brought her dad up front for a big hug. He has some health issues and they did not know if he would still be around. It was Awsome for him to be able to witness her taking 2nd place.
Robert McKinney ended up in 1st place by 35 points. He had the lease amount of points for the 2 day contest. Robert made many of the obstacles look easy. I guess picking the right line and listening to the spotter does make a difference.
Hope you enjoy the photos of the carnage.
Check back for the latest coverage of the motorsports industry.
