2009 Turtle Ridge Rockcrawling - toyota Fj40 - Photo 26262700

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Red Buggy Matthew Quick from St. Ignace, Michigan, has been wheelin' Drummond Island for years. This homebuilt, freshly concocted machine runs a propane-powered Chevy small-block out to an FJ-40 driveline suspended by gas shocks. Double beadlocks keep the 39-inch Boggers on the rims.

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Dale Humphrey is the president of the Dusters Off Road Club and co-owner of Twisted Trails Off Road Park. His behemoth Ford Ranger has a 460 and a C6 with 203 and 205 transfer cases. The Dana 60 and 70 have been welded to support the 44-inch tires controlled by hydraulic steering.

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Luke Delk, a returning competitor, showed up with some new modifications including four-wheel steering. He crab-walked what's left of the S-10 on 47-inch LTBs to a Second Place finish in the Unlimited class.

Dana Waxler has been wheelin' since he got a driver's license, but this was his first competition in his new buggy. It's built Ford tough with a 302, a C6, and 60s with spools and 5.13 gears.

Green CJ Tad Dowker, winner of the '08 Rock Challenge, tried his luck against the buggies in the Unlimited class this year. His heavily modified CJ with quarter elliptical suspension flexed its way into Fourth Place against the big dogs.

Kyle Leftwich has finally come to the point where everything is working well on his Sami. He says his Suzuki just keeps on running no matter what he puts it through. The 1.6L Geo Tracker motor feeds a 6.5:1 transfer case, locked Toyota axles with 5.29 gears, and 36-inch Iroks.

Absent from last year's competition, Chris Paiva returned this year with the Ranger. Since then he has cut the rear frame for more clearance, added a full four-link suspension for the air-shocked 8.8 Ford and Dana 44, and switched to the super-sticky Maxxis Trepador tires.

Red Buggy Matthew Quick from St. Ignace, Michigan, has been wheelin' Drummond Island for years. This homebuilt, freshly concocted machine runs a propane-powered Chevy small-block out to an FJ-40 driveline suspended by gas shocks. Double beadlocks keep the 39-inch Boggers on the rims.

You don't see too many '69 FJs out bashing around at a rockcrawling competition, but Nick Rudolph has tubed out a lot of the chassis for protection. Under the pristine paint this FJ is all business with a 350 Vortec; a Dana 300; and a welded 14-bolt rear and 60 front, both suspended by 14-inch Fox coilovers.

Kyle Kirkish came back raring to go with tons of new mods. The rear end was bobbed; 1-ton axles with 5.13s and chromoly shafts were swapped in and are now controlled by cutting brakes and suspended by coils and a three-link suspension; 37s were replaced with 40-inch Iroks and are steered by hydro assist. He placed Third in the Unlimited class.

This externally caged yellow Chevy S-10 belongs to Adam Aldridge. Since last year's axle-breaking debacle when he had to careen through the course in a three-wheel peel, he has switched to chromoly Dana 60 axleshafts with good results so far. The big V-8 and all that tube paid off because this year's obstacles were tighter and taller than ever.