2002 Superlift 4xAdventure Badlands Off Road Park - Indiana Insanity

Fullsize trucks are more than welcome at the Indiana Superlift 4xAdventure. There's a full plate of obstacles available to test the abilities of trucks of all sizes, as Keith Maney of Atlanta, found out.

Fullsize trucks are more than welcome at the Indiana Superlift 4xAdventure. There's a full

When Troy and Lisa Myers opened the Badlands Off Road Park in Attica, Indiana, they had no idea of the impact it would have on 'wheeling in the Midwest. For the first three years of its existence, the park was open only to ATVs and dirt bikes, but with the unveiling of the first-ever Sports in the Rough Wabash Summer Fest in 1998, the park officially became open to 4x4 vehicles. This event drew 170 trucks from eight states, and it was the catalyst for the park's rise from obscurity to stardom in the 4x4 world. It was truly a sign of things to come. Today, the park is not only a destination for 'wheelers from all over the U.S. and Canada, but it has been pressed into service by truck manufacturers for covert testing of top-secret new vehicles. It has even been the site of a four-wheeling wedding, complete with mud-splattered wedding attire.

On any given day, scores of 4x4s roam the park exploring the diverse Indiana terrain. That number increases considerably, though, when the Superlift 4xAdventure Series makes its annual stop at the Badlands for the three-day Indiana Superlift 4xAdventure. This year's event drew a record number of participants, and as usual, the staff of Superlift Suspension Systems descended in force to add to their namesake event.

Trent McGee was one of the Superlift staff members that anxiously hit the trail over the course of the three-day event. Here he attacks a steep, off-camber uphill climb that is made even more challenging by tires wet from a creek crossing at the base of the obstacle.

Trent McGee was one of the Superlift staff members that anxiously hit the trail over the c

Trail rides left the staging area early each morning, offering a variety of choices for every skill level. The Badlands offers some truly difficult trails that are geared for even the most hard-core 'wheeler, but the park also offers easy trails that won't damage your grocery-getter. Troy Myers is constantly creating new trails and modifying existing ones to ensure that the Badlands is always challenging, no matter what your skill level. The area is an old quarry operation, and its obstacles range from muddy forest trails to sandy hillclimbs to trails dotted with rocks and boulders. Experienced guides from the Indiana Jeep Thing and Central Illinois Jeep clubs led the trail rides, and their familiarity with the trail system ensured a challenging good time. There were also daily competitions that included a hillclimb, paintball obstacle course and rockcrawling, and each of these events added to the full list of trail rides to round out a busy weekend.

As with all of the events in the Superlift 4xAdventure Series, the registration fee included four all-you-can-eat meals, a raffle ticket, an event decal and a dash plaque. On Friday evening, participants were invited to a tech talk with the Superlift staff, providing an opportunity to chat with the folks who design and manufacture the company's wide variety of suspension kits and accessories. Saturday evening featured the popular product raffle, and following tradition, a plethora of valuable accessories were awarded to a number of lucky participants.

This year's Indiana event drew participants from Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. It was the first stop on the '02 tour that includes events in Arkansas, Colorado and Ontario, Canada. For more info on this or any of the events in the Superlift 4xAdventure Series, visit www.sportsintherough.com or call 800/556-2801.