What it is: This is the only Top Truck event that doesn't include rocks or mud. It's a test of horsepower, durability, and traction. Competitors hook to and then attempt to pull a 40,000-pound cement truck the complete length of our 175-foot-long course. Oh, one small thing: the course runs uphill.
How it works: Each competitor gets one attempt, so it's important for them to have their game on and their truck dialed in. This event weeds out weak driveline parts fast. This year, only one truck got a full pull.
Finish Line Quotes
"I was doing good and I thought my co-driver said stop, but he didn't say stop, he was saying go. I'm afraid to hurt anything, so I backed off. My fault."--Addie Sheeley
"Everybody seems to be sliding near the top, so I thought about cocking the steering a little as I came up the hill, but I thought, `No, I'm thinking too much' so I kept it simple and straight."--Cory Hanson
"Going into this, everybody takes a chance and that's what's cool about it, you know?"--Dan Dibble
Boggio's S-10: On the advice of his spotter, Boggio added a spare tire and wheel to the front of his rig in an effort to enhance front wheel traction. Ran with both ARB Air Lockers on. Straight run, but the front end started bouncing, so he had to back off the throttle.
Buck's Ranger: Raised the tire pressure in the Baja Claws to 10 psi in the rear and left the front at 7 psi. Good pull with a bit of bouncing at the end.
Burton's TJ: Added a limiting strap to the front suspension to keep the front end down. Strong pull with the LS1 V-8 bouncing off the rev limiter. Leaking hydraulic steering fluid at the finish line. He changed a power-steering pump shortly after.
Collins' F-250: First competitor. Fast start off the line thanks to 600 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. Lost traction far before losing power as illustrated by the roostertail of dirt at his ending point.
Dibble's ASM buggy: Removed the rear limiting straps and added solid links to the rear axle in an effort to eliminate wheelhop. Straight, though bouncy run.
Gilpin's K3500: The first and only competitor to get a full pull. Probably would've kept going if we hadn't stopped him. The previous evening he fixed a carburetor issue that pre-empted the truck from getting full throttle, and it seemed to make a vast improvement in the truck's performance.
Grothe's Bronco: The small-block engine put up a valiant effort, but in the end the rig just didn't have the grunt or the weight to lay down a long pull.
Hanson's Toyota: Left the starting line with his manual valve-bodied 700R4 trans in First gear. Hit Second gear and took off like a rocket, but the Boggers just couldn't hold onto the fine Hollister dirt for very long.
Pellett's Ram: Pellet let the co-driver pilot the rig. It was a strong run punctuated by diesel smoke and turbo whine. The rear coilover suspension squatted appreciably under load. Earned a Second Place finish.
Sheeley's TJ: The 5.7L LS6 V-8 engine pulled strong, but a miscommunication with the co-driver caused Sheeley to back off the throttle early, thus losing precious momentum.
RESULTS (distance or seconds if full pull)
1 Gilpin's K3500 16.3 sec.
2 Pellett's Ram 126 ft. 7 in.
3 Collins' F-250 122 ft. 9 in.
4 Buck's Ranger 120 ft. 2 in.
5 Burton's TJ 118 ft. 0 in.
6 Dibble's ASM buggy 116 ft. 4 in.
7 Boggio's S-10 113 ft. 8 in.
8 Hanson's Toyota 107 ft. 3 in.
9 Grothe's Bronco 101 ft. 6 in.
10 Sheeley's TJ 98 ft. 0 in.