Top Truck Challenge requires a lot of help to pull off.
Some of that help comes in form of favors from industry friends and others looking to gain exposure or association with our event.
Here are a few of the many partnerships it took to make TTC happen.
Owned and operated by Hollister locals, the Knoll family, father Jimmy Knoll and two sons Josh and Jack dedicate a full week of their busy schedule every year to assist with our event. His company supports our Judging and Recovery staff with heavy equipment needs such as a D4 Bulldozer for coarse construction and an Excavator with a thumb to move rocks around in the Mini Rubicon. Without these hard-working individuals TTC simply wouldn't be the same.
I remember TTC before we brought in J3 Excavation. Vehicle recoveries and coarse building was much tougher back then. What used to take 30 minutes to acomplish with an electric winch, is done in about two minutes with Knoll's massive excavator.
Phillip & Jerri Indihar and Quality Construction.
Close friends of mine, the Indihar brothers are my turn-key solution for pressure washing needs, water truck support and new to this year's event, a mobile camera platform for our jib-arm camera crew. This was a huge help in making the events flow smoothly. Last year, the massive jib-arm camera had to be broken down between each event costing us precious daylight for production. This year I arranged for the Indihar crew to bring along a 4x4 F-550 flatbed to mount the jib-arm to for increased mobility throughout the park. Phillip worked long hours getting his Ford F700 water truck ready for the event. Many thanks to his extensive efforts.
Without a way to clean off mud from each days events, TTC sponsor stickers would not be visible in many of the photos we showcase in the magazine and DVD. Also, everybody knows it's no fun to wrench on a muddy rig, so for those who broke parts, Phillip's 5000psi pressure washer rig was a saving grace.
New to TTC this year were some friends of mine who volunteered to work as security detail for the main entrance to the park. Directed by Joel and Rebecca Woolf, with assistance from John Vineyard and covert opps specialist, Mike Labity, we felt confident that anyone without the proper TTC wristband wouldn't gain access to the event venue. Joel is a hilarious individual, always ready with a comment to make you laugh. I really appreciate the hard work these folks put in while EVERYONE else watched the action up top. Way to go guys!
Mike Labity, an avid animal lover, kept unwanted critters such as this four-foot gardener snake a safe distance away from the spectator areas.
The Four Wheeler TV Camera Crew
Under the direction of Larry Saavedra, these guys put in long hours (sometimes without lunch breaks) capturing the action as it unfolded. The seasoned team captured audio and video via uber-expensive HD cameras. New to this years equation, they also mounted small inexpensive POV cameras inside competitor rigs and even on the outside when possible. I am so looking forward to seeing the DVD footage from this new technology. TTC DVD host and good friend Tony Becker was on hand again as field producer and MC to ensure that no important moment of TTC went uncovered. Thanks again Tony!
The Camera crew consisted of:
The Official Support Vehicle of TTC: The 2010 Yamaha Rhino Sport Edition
Each year we borrow a side x side to use for various activities throughout the week. This year Yamaha loaned us this sweet looking Rhino 700 Sport Edition. The rig came in very handy for tasks such as running banners around and allowing our Security crew to chase down would-be gate crashers. A special thanks to Van Holms at Yamaha for making it happen for us! Look for a full report on this newly revised sid x side in a future issue of Four Wheeler magazine.
For more untold stories from TTC 2010, keep checking back to this blog site!