It hurts worse when Walker gives him that superman smile as if the feat he just performed was easier than it actually was. And then you flashback into the realization that you're the one that's next-up on the rocks. It's showtime! Those moments of confusion and the course marshal calls your name. The crowds are well-sauced by now. Their expectations are wreck-loose, and you're left looking for a bit more respect than you know you're gonna get.

Well, it doesn't get any easier just sitting there thinking about it. On day one of ARCA's first day of competition tension was so taut that the snapping of Dana 60s became common practice.

Take defending champion Chris Durham in his monstrous CJ-10 for example: not only was it a Dana 60 that became a headache for him and his crew early in the day, but after attempting the "Launch Pad" on Obstacle A-6, Chris' spotter "Moose" Nalley likened himself to a Patriot missile landing on Baghdad. The culprit: It wasn't the younger of the Bush's, but instead, it was Chris' Jeep. In an effort to launch his CJ over the wall, Durham lit-up the throttle and Moose began to do his part in shoving the Jeep up and over the wall. The Jeep shoved back and landed Moose some six-feet down the onto the rocks, landing flat on his back and into a dazed state.

The crowd when silent. But once he rose to his feet some five minutes later, some in the crowd began to wonder whether he should have been wearing a helmet on his melon. After all, he just about cracked it on the rocks, causing a fearful stare from the spectators. More carnage showcased itself in what turned out to be a bad day for Jason Bunch and the Tri-County Gear entry. It started off with a busted steering knuckle and a bit of down time; it ended up with a bit more down time and a feat which went by many names.

Try the "Tri-County Triple Lindy," or how about the "Yellow Turnover." Bottom line: the day didn't go well for the crew who is known for their finesse on the rocks. In fact, the day didn't go well for many who attempted to conquer the hammers, even for ARCA itself. The scheduled trails were not completed when night fell upon the competition. Officials called it a shortened day due to darkness, hoping to finish up more than a day's worth of trails tomorrow.

Due to this, they were unable to provide results. Stay tuned for today's results tomorrow and maybe even tomorrow's results tomorrow. If ARCA can pull it off, we'll get them to you. In the meantime, feast your eyes on the ORC "mini photo gallery. Check out the photo galleries from last year's ARCA events....Farmington Day 1(138 photos) Farmington Day 2(144 photos)Vernal, Utah (284 photos) Cedar City, Utah Day 1 (227 photos)Back to the Rock Crawling Main page