High Drama Continues in Hollister: Top Truck Challenge 2014

Wednesday at the 2014 Top Truck Challenge delivered more action, destruction and excitement to Hollister Hills as drivers faced more brutality for the 2nd day of competition. Day 2 opened with the Obstacle Course, which promptly started claiming driveshafts and other parts while dashing hopes of finishing for others. It took out 3 drivers before the 4th was even able to clear the finish line. Up next was the Hill Climb event, where deep holes and ruts swallowed tires whole as drivers attempted to stay on course. Afterwards it was on to the Coal Chute, constructed of giant boulders and concrete. Once they made their way through that, there was an incredibly steep wall waiting to be cleared before crossing the finish. From the looks of the course the odds seemed unbeatable, but some drivers and their rigs had what it took to finish with impressive times.

Yes, they have to drive over that.

Video and photo updates on Four Wheeler’s Instagram page speak to the challenges these rigs faced, but no results are being announced just yet. At this moment competitors are in the midst of conquering the final and most grueling event of Top Truck Challenge 2014: the Tank Trap. As of press time none had yet to finish the course, but plenty had timed out or found their rigs succumbing to the Trap's perils. It’s been an incredible week so far, and we can’t wait to see how the points add up in the end. Stay tuned for another update tomorrow, and make sure you’re following AMSOIL on Facebook for updates live from the scene.

Top Truck Challenge Returns to Hollister Hills

The 22nd annual 2014 Top Truck Challenge event is just around the corner, kicking off June 9 in Hollister Hills, California. This Monday10 teams will descend on Hollister to prove themselves and their rigs worthy of the Top Truck Challenge Champion title. Plans have been in the works for months, culminating in a week of mass destruction for these heavily-modified 4x4’s. AMSOIL is the Official Lubricant of Top Truck Challenge, installed in each rig, ensuring that engine failure is not what takes them out.

The week features obstacle courses and trials that test the mettle of each competitor brave enough to face the gauntlet that is the Top Truck Challenge. Four Wheeler Magazine organizers go to extremes in designing the nastiest course they can dream up, aiming to take out as many trucks as possible. As they navigate through aptly named ordeals such as the Frame Twister, Mud Pit and Tank Trap, competitors strive to defeat the odds against them. Check out the list of contenders and the rigs they are working with here.

The Tow Test kicks it off.

Tow Test: Having these big, impressive rigs tow a load for 150 feet sounds easy, right? Wrong. Competitors find themselves facing an uphill climb towing a heavy load, usually a 36,000-lb cement mixer. This particular challenge has destroyed driveshafts and 2.5-ton axles in the past, while weeding out the weakest among the group on the very first event of the week.

Frame Twister: The Frame Twister always promises to deliver on its name, and it succeeds. Competitors are given 10 minutes to make it through 200 feet of seemingly-impossible obstacles. Giant boulders known as the ‘Squeeze Rock’ section, logs and deep holes made to swallow tires await the teams. The Frame Twister has destroyed many hopes and dreams along with the broken parts it’s collected over the years.

The Mud Pit is a messier kind of fun.

Mud Pit: The Mud Pit is about 135 feet in length and built to test the tires, cooling system and ground clearance. Competitors never know what awaits them underneath the bog, but Four Wheeler Magazine takes great pride making it every bit as unpredictable and difficult as years past.

Obstacle Course: Day 2 of Top Truck Challenge welcomes competitors with the Obstacle Course event that begins at the top of a mountain with only one way down; through various obstacles, tight turns and an off-camber dogleg finish. Cones are strategically placed throughout the course that will result in time-penalties if they are hit or knocked over on the way down.

Editors spend a whole year dreaming up new ways to get you stuck.

Hill Climb: After making their way through the downhill Obstacle Course, competitors move to a 600-foot-long uphill course wrought with loose dirt, twists, turns, and deep holes along the way for good measure. Competitors have 5 minutes to make their way as far as they can up a hill that averages a 60° angle without deviating off course or getting stuck as the clock ticks on.

Coal Chute: The Coal Chute made its debut at Top Truck Challenge 2013, as Four Wheeler Magazine looked for ways to make the week even more grueling. Last year the Coal Chute was approximately 525 feet long with steep walls over 7 feet high, lots of rocks and cement tubes littering the course. Four Wheeler Magazine promises even more destruction for the Coal Chute’s second year in existence.

The Tank Trap is where competitors show what they're made of.

Tank Trap: Wrapping up the week’s brutality is the dreaded Tank Trap, best described as the Holy Grail of Top Truck Challenge. Four Wheeler Magazine describes it as awe-inspiring, legendary and in a class by itself. There’s a reason it’s the last event of the week; those still standing have proven themselves worthy of a chance to make it through, and points are doubled to make it anyone’s game. From start to finish, the Tank Trap climbs almost 195 feet in elevation and forces rigs through a poison-oak lined course filled with deep water holes, dirt holes, a canyon nestled between steep walls and much more. The Tank Trap has taken down many solid rigs that withstood amazing feats prior to meeting it.

The Top Truck Challenge is filmed on location for DVD release in the coming months, but we’ll be posting updates and photos throughout the week. Keep up with the action by following us on Facebook and Twitter, or check back soon for a recap here.

Photos here are from the 2011 competition.

Win a Copy of the 2013 Top Truck Challenge DVD

Back in June, 10 teams assembled in Hollister Hills, Calif. for a week of destruction and mayhem known as the Top Truck Challenge. They brought along heavily modified four-wheeler rigs they built themselves, prepared for abuse on a course unlike any other in the world. Seemingly impossible challenges awaited them with fitting names such as the Tank Trap, Frame Twister, Mud Pit and much more. As the Official Oil of the Top Truck Challenge, AMSOIL was installed in each rig to ensure any equipment calamities were not on account of the lubricant.

The Top Truck Challenge is not open to the public, but now’s your chance to see all the action with the just-released DVD of the 2013 Top Truck Challenge. In the spirit of giving, AMSOIL is sending out free copies to some lucky loyal readers. The first 10 respondents to e-mail us at info@amsoil.com with their address will have their very own copy in the mail. Send a photo of your truck and we may even post it!

Spotlight: Competitors of the 2011 Top Truck Challenge

The 2011 Top Truck Challenge is just under two weeks away, and anticipation is building among each of the competitors. 10 competitors and 2 alternates have been selected and will descend on Hollister Hills, CA for the week of June 6th to battle it out for the 2011 Top Truck title. The Top Truck Challenge takes no prisoners; the courses are brutal and capable of taking down even the mightiest truck. Hollister is known for its challenging terrain, drawing four wheel and powersports enthusiasts from all over to take on the trails and attempt to make it out with their rides intact. With events like the Frame Twister, Tank Trap and Mud Pit, conquering each of them and making it to the top is a near-impossible feat. The editors at Four Wheeler Magazine are constantly ahead of the curve in keeping the TTC as demanding and twisted as possible, with a no-holds barred approach at making sure they take out as many rigs as they can over the course of the week.

Some of the competitors responded to a Q&A interview with Four Wheeler Magazine editors, each providing some quotes to illustrate where their heads are at as they prepare for the 2011 Top Truck Challenge. The full interviews can be viewed on Four Wheeler Magazine’s official website, but here is a glimpse of what each respondent had to say:

John Retzloff

’77 GMC K15

Q: What made you want to compete in TTC?

A: TTC is like the Olympics of four-wheeling to me and being able to compete at something I truly love (wheeling) is one of the biggest honors for me!
Q: What's one thing people should know about you?
A: I built my truck almost entirely myself, right down to the concept of the doubled 205s and the bodywork. I do have a lot of time in my truck, but not a lot of money, and hopefully I can show that it doesn't necessarily take a lot of money to compete but a lot of ingenuity and a good driver.

Mike Keller

’76 Ford F-350

Q: What made you want to compete in TTC?
A: The thrill of competing and the challenge.
Q: What's one thing people should know about you?
A: Wheeling is my favorite sport in life. I spend the majority of my free time helping to organize events in the Oregon area so that all of my wheeling buddies and the next generation of wheeling kids have places to wheel. Often times, for various reasons, our wheeling sites get shut down, so I try to organize private property, etc., for them to have a good time. I enjoy using my years of wheeling experience to try to help all my friends get their trucks on the right track so that they can do their best. Hopefully I'm making a difference!

Jeff Seely

’69 Chevy Suburban

Q: What made you want to compete in TTC?

A: I have watched many of the past TTC DVDs and have always wanted to tackle the Tank Trap.
Q: What's one thing people should know about you?
A: Ummm, my first word was 'dirt,' 'nuff said.

Brooke Spencer

‘09 FJ40 Buggy

Q: What made you want to compete in TTC?

A: Why not? It looks like it would be a blast so I figured I'd go for it and see what happens.
Q: What's one thing people should know about you?
A: Ready to come down, drive hard, and have a good time.

Josh Hall

Suzuki Samarai Buggy

Q: What made you want to compete in TTC?
A: I've been buying the TTC DVDs for the last eight years and I always find myself saying 'I could have made that' or 'this guy can't drive,' so I want to see how my driving skills and my version of an offroad rig compares to others.
Q: What's one thing people should know about you?
A: Not much to say here. I'll let my right foot do the talkin'.

Corey Timson
’10 Blue Torch Fabworks YJ Buggy

Q: What made you want to compete in TTC?

A: It's just plain cool. Great chance to be part of something much bigger than the norm.
Q: What's one thing people should know about you?
A: Once I want something I make sure I get it or do it!
Alex Sanders
’08 Chevy Buggy
Q: What made you want to compete in TTC?
A: I have seen it on videos and in Four Wheeler and thought it would be awesome to be able to compete in one of the toughest off-road competitions.
Q: What's one thing people should know about you?
A: I'm that guy that even if you have never met will stay as long as it takes to get you mobile again or get you out of the trails even if I break my own rig in the process. I will help no matter what and will never ask for anything in return. I just enjoy getting to go play in my rig and have the most possible fun I can have while doing it. Who cares if the rig gets beat up or broke, that's what it was built for. If it wasn't then why you do you take it out to play?

Check back on the AMSOIL Events Blog, Facebook and Twitter during the week of June 6th for live updates straight from the 2011 Top Truck Challenge, where you can also see what went down in the aftermath of this grueling challenge.

Top Truck Challenge Voting Now Open

The AMSOIL-sponsored Top Truck Challenge is one of the most anticipated events each year, pitting some of the mightiest rigs against one another in a series of punishing challenges. Those selected to compete are at the mercy of seven events aimed at taking them down, with aptly named titles such as the Frame Twister, Tank Trap and Mud Pit.

One of the best parts of this event is that readers of Four Wheeler Magazine are handed the reins in deciding which trucks are up to the task. Readers are given the rundown on the 50 rigs up for consideration, with top vote getters finding themselves preparing for the throwdown in Hollister, CA. Voting is now open, with official ballots being distributed in the April issue of Four Wheeler on stands February 15th. Be sure to pick up the magazine to have your say in who gets a chance to play in this twisted proving ground come June.

Four Wheeler Edition of Top Truck Challenge Hits Newsstands

Back in June AMSOIL sponsored the 2009 Top Truck Challenge in Hollister, CA. To recap, the readers of Four Wheeler Magazine select ten rigs to compete against another in a series of extreme challenges over the course of three days. This year's bragging rights went to Team Green driver David Green and co-driver Nick Souchuk out of Red Deer, Alberta. They just managed to beat out Team Jerome in the final event, coined the Tank Trap, in which they had no other option but to perform well to keep their lead. To give you an idea of the magnitude of this challenge, below the competitors give some choice quotes on what was a grueling, near-impossible, excitement-filled ordeal not soon to be forgotten.

The Tow Test:
‘We crossed the line didn’t we? I mean the starting line.” ~Fred Williams

The Frame Twister:
“ Never seen anything like it other than on the tape… to see it and to live it are two different things.” ~Scott Sidwell

The Mud Pit:
“You’d need 1,100 horsepower and paddles to make it through this.” ~Kevin Stearns

The Obstacle Course:
“That had to be one of the toughest things I’ve ever done in this thing.” ~Scott Sidwell
“ I wanna go home.” ~Fred Williams

The Hillclimb:
“That was a nasty, nasty hill.” ~David Green

The Mini Rubicon:
“When we walked through it I was thinking, holy cow, whoever built this was in a bad mood.” ~Tracy Graf

The Tank Trap:
“The obstacles come at you so fast, boom, boom, boom, as soon as you’re done with one there’s another one there right in your way.” ~Doug Kahlstrom

For a full recap complete with pics, more quotes, and all the nitty-gritty details pick up a copy of December’s Four Wheeler Magazine. Ken Brubaker does an excellent job of portraying the entire three day adventure, and the photos show how it can take down the toughest of trucks in a matter of seconds. Here you can see for yourself why AMSOIL offers the only lubricants suitable for such a twisted event.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

A Few More Images from TTC

The AMSOIL-sponsored Top Truck Challenge is not open to the public and even the competitors are limited to three guests. As each year passes the trucks get more and more competitive. The tube buggies typically do well but there were a couple short wheelbase front wheel steering trucks that put up a good fight this year. Doug Kahlstrom in his 1970 Dodge Power Wagon placed fifth out of ten behind the four tube buggies.

As with every year there were a few surprises. On Thursday Wayne Sheeley and his co-driver/wife Addie flipped their Jeep FC-170 over backwards in hole two of the tank trap and were trapped underwater for a few seconds as the recovery crew and host Tony Becker pulled them out. (See image in yesterday's blog post.) Thanks to a quick response nobody was injured.

Third place winner Leroy Latham in his 2008 homemade monster buggy was a strong runner all week. He wasn’t afraid to use the throttle and try different lines. He rolled twice, once in the hill climb and again in the mini-rubicon. Thank goodness for the five point restraint! Second place winner Brett Jerome in his Jeep TJ buggy was a favorite all week with his big air finishes. On Tuesday he launched his truck out of the frame twister logs so high he came down and blew both rear tires off the beads. Wednesday during the hill climb his fly by wire throttle hung and he flew into the trees off course. This mistake may have cost him first place.

First place winner David Green in his 2004 homemade tube buggy was the epitome of consistency all week. He finished every event in the top five or better despite hurting a piston in his 5.9 Cummins in the mud run on Tuesday.

According to our man on the scene Len Groom, "The one remark I consistently heard all week was that AMSOIL is the best for a reason. We not only make excellent products we back them up with support."

Thanks to everyone from Four Wheeler magazine and Source Interlink who pour their hearts and imaginations into making this such a fabulous event... and to all the other sponsoring companies who help make it happen.

One of the highlights of the year for Four Wheeler Magazine's editors and publishers is the annual Four Wheeler Top Truck Challenge. Vehicles and drivers from all across North America descend upon the outback of Hollister, California, for the most grueling competition on four wheels. A dozen reader selected teams make their appearance here and it is a wonder of devastation for many.

AMSOIL is pleased to sponsor events like this that put equipment to the test. It’s where our products excel.

The November issue of Four Wheeler magazine, with full coverage from Hollister, is now on news stands everywhere fine four wheeling mags can be found. Here’s the cover shot. Enjoy the contents and the competition. When you go on the ride of your life, be sure to protect your engine and other moving parts with AMSOIL engine oils, filters, tranny fluid and gear lubes. We don’t, however, have anything that will keep your sheet metal from being stripped, yet.

Top Truck Challenge: Report from Hollister

For off-road enthusiasts it doesn't get any better than this. The staff at Four Wheel magazine must have a ton of fun dreaming up ways to smash a four wheeling off road machine... and a few of the hearts of those who bring them here to Hollister for the Top Truck Challenge each year. No question it takes a rugged team and a tough truck to survive this experience.

Kevin Dinwiddie, our man on the scene this year, reported that it was the most exciting Challenge event ever, with a first place tie at the end of it all. The pictures tell a good part of the story. For the full details be sure to get your hands on the November and December issues of Four Wheeler magazine, available on news stands September 23rd 2008 and October 21st 2008 respectively.

Some trucks didn't make it through all of the events and occasionally needed to be excavated out. In addition to the challenges of the terrain, on the final day competitors also had to deal with poison oak on the sides of the hills and poison oak scum in the water holes. The Four Wheeler Top Truck Challenge requires the most die-hard commitment. For those who watched, and those who worked it, it was smashing.

In the near future we'll grab some footage which we'll share here at amsoil.com. Later this year look for the DVD from Four Wheeler Magazine for all the gritty visual details. In the meantime, here are a few select photos to give you an idea of what this competition is all about.

Click on photos to enlarge.

TTC: This Just In From Hollister

This week it's grueling, pedal stomping action in the hills outside Hollister, California. Mud and grime and frame twisting action that has been putting drivers and their off-road equipment through the paces. It's Four Wheeler magazine's Top Truck Challenge.

There are six main events in the Challenge. Yesterday they completed the Hill Cilmb, Frame Twister and Mud Pit. The Mud Pit is self explanatory.... and a lot of fun to watch, though not so much fun when you get stuck going through.

The Frame Twister is a seemingly short -- 200 feet -- but brutal course which requires finesse, power and determination to complete in ten minutes. In other words, an average speed of twenty feet per minute. Penalties are assessed for hitting marker cones and staff members. Word has it that yesterday, for the first time ever, someone successfully navigated the course without using a winch... followed by two more!

Today the Obstacle Course and Mini-Rubicon are slated. Tomorrow the legendary Tank Trap awaits, the ultimate Four Wheeling challenge on the planet. It's hard core, and has left a lot of vehicles stranded over the years.

You can expect full coverage in the November and December issues of Four Wheeler magazine.