Holman and Brubaker arrive safely in Hollister, California with the Willys in tow and the Four Wheeler Staff and competitors have assembled for the 2007 Top Truck Challenge!

After days of driving, we finally made it to Hollister in time for TTC, but we didn't win the long distance award this year because we have teams from the Carolinas, Canada, and Florida in attendance - but we appreciate their trek a little more this year.

With the Willys off the trailer, it has become my Hollister runabout and with the exception of a broken clutch linkage last night about five miles from the hotel (fixed this morning) and an engine that required a cooling flush (now running 20 degrees cooler), it has done quite well. It even hit 50mph today! I can't wait for the overdrive.

Everyone has responded amazingly to the little yellow Willys. Old vets appreciate it, little kids wave, and everyone who sees it seems to smile. Even the TTC guys were checking out the old Jeep. This is a vehicle that just seems to make people happy.

One thing that has made me happy was the opportunity to get the Willys registered at the local DMV office. It was a bit of a pain to transfer the title from michigan back to California, but in the end, it is all done now and I have a California plate, registration and title.

As for TTC, today was the big gathering, check-in and excellent Mansmith's BBQ dinner. The real competition starts tomorrow and I am sure all of the teams are prepping tonight for what will no doubt be a long week. One thing we have all noted is how many HUGE rigs we have this year. You guys must like carnage, because you keep voting them in bigger every year and this year the field is the largest I have ever seen.

Stay tuned, because there will certainly be major carnage, especially for those who make it to the tank trap this year.

--Sean
Tech Editor - Four Wheeler Magazine