tRustyK5 said:
I'll tell. Jesse that works at the Badlands Custom Machine Shop is a personal friend of mine, past TTC compeditor, professional rock crawler, and that day, was my good samaritan that donated his time, the shop he works in, and his sleep (and pissed off his girlfriend) to fix my driveshaft. Having donated so much time and effort to help, he wanted to spot me for the rocks. I talked to the officials and they said he couldn't, because he wasn't a member of my crew. I went to the people of
Fourwheeler, asked if it was ok that he join my crew, he did, recieved a T shirt, etc., and the guy running the whole thing disqualified me after 5 minutes because he said my spotter wasn't on my team.
We were first up, and despite the hack job driveshaft we were doing GREAT.
Later on in the rock course, the tree that held me and all the first compeditors up got knocked down. After that, everyone had to leave the course and take penalties in order to complete the course, but instead of DNF's, they just got time penalties.
The entire rock course was unfair, but at that point, after my performance in the mud pit (breakage and DNF) and slow performance in the obstacle course (nursing a VERY sick truck with a driveshaft with no CV center, just u joints and flopping around) I didn't care.
Either way I'm happy with my performance. Had my water pump bearings not failed and I'd been able to steer, I would have probably done better in the hillclimb (did ok anyway, but could have done better). The mud pit, hell, if I'd made it to the place I stopped and DNF'd and NOT broke, that would have been fine with me. I could have smoked the obstacle course, rocks, and saved about 3 minutes not taking the winch cable on the rock face of the buzzard's roost, and I personally believe I could have definitely got into the top 10...or even nudged the top 5 positions.
Hindsight is 20/20, and 2nd place is the first loser, but either way, coming in as an alternate, being somewhat unprepared for the event until 3 days before it started, and having never seriously competed before, I think I did well, and I'd gladly do it again.
Next time I really need to relax though. Damn was I nervous the whole weekend, it really cut into my driving until the 2nd day, when I finally relaxed and everything went REALLY well if you ask me. The driveshaft really cut my spirits, I have to admit.