Next was
a Blindfold Run which consisted of weaving through a tight trail
cut though a forested area, with of course, the driver blindfolded
and having only the word of the navigator to guide him. Most teams
did remarkably well with this part, only one hit a tree and even
then not very badly. At the end of the trees the drivers remove
their blindfolds and raced down a hill, up the other side, turned
around and flew back to the top again for the fastest time. Some
of the teams were really pushing it and caught some air on the
way back to the finish point. This part of the event was a big
hit for the spectators, many of whom found themselves dodging
the seemingly runaway trucks as they topped the hill.
Driving
blindfolded |
The downhill
speed run got quite exciting at times! |
|
|
After the
blindfold run was the log drag, which required the pulling of
logs with tow straps along a straight line, dragging each log
a set distance to the next, then swapping logs out, for the fastest
time. The logs had a tendency to slip out of the straps, making
this event a bit frustrating.
The high-speed
obstacle course run followed the log drag event. Competitors walked
the course beforehand to see where to drive, then got to drive
one practice lap before the timer started. The first part of the
course is a short uphill bump that, when taken slowly, is no big
deal. Historically however, many teams have chosen to take this
bump with a bit more speed, and this year’s competitors
were willing to give the folks on the sidelines plenty to take
pictures of. Team 14, made up of Bic Boyte and Doug King, both
previous competitors, took their Ford Ranger up the hill at what
seemed like pedal to the floor, and rewarded the crowd with some
great photos which, unfortunately, ended with Bic bending his
front axle housing, popping a tire and bending a wheel in the
process.
CONTINUED
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