The Great Smoky Mountains were dry in early October. A nice rain had reduced the dust, but the streams and reservoirs were still very low as four-wheelers from 10 different states began gathering near the Upper Tellico OHVA for the 14th annual Dixie Run. Situated between Murphy, North Carolina, and Tellico Plains, Tennessee, this event is one of the largest hosted by the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association, and the club members take full responsibility for every aspect.
The Plum Crazed Jeep Club of Crossville, Tennessee, handled registration, while the Rock Solid Jeep Club of Middle, Tennessee, performed tech inspections. Because the trails in Upper Tellico are difficult, the inspections determined which trails a vehicle could run. The SFWDA wisely required tow hooks and tow straps on all vehicles. Moderate trails required at least 31-inch tires, while the hard-core trails required 33-inch-or-taller tires, a suspension lift, at least one locker, and a winch.
Along with manufacturer displays set up by BFGoodrich, Four Wheel Drive Hardware, Jim's Off-Road Warehouse, Rancho, and a slew of others, the SFWDA also had its recently acquired military surplus 6x6 on display. The truck should prove to be a big help in maintaining the OHV trails.
The Extreme Ridge Runners Club of Athens, Tennessee, sponsored a new event at this year's Dixie Run: the Rock Challenge. They limited entries to 25 hard-core driver/spotter teams and stipulated that all vehicles had to run front and rear lockers, winches, DOT-legal tires, and safety equipment.
John Hawk, who oversaw the Rock Challenge, explained that their goal was to set up an annual event at the Dixie Run that would be fun and promote our sport. They chose the lower portion of Trail 2 for its difficulty. John said, "Several of us rode this trail the day before the Challenge. A few of us made it to the top in a short time with no hang-ups by picking our own lines. This prompted us to gate the trail with flags and cones." The gates made the contestants maximize their driving and spotting skills while pushing the envelope of their trucks' ability. The gates made it impossible for anyone to ace the hill, forcing the teams to study the rules and formulate a tactical plan.
The event rules forced the teams to drive smart. For example, sometimes it was better to take the points and go around a gate than to take the time to winch through or take a chance of snapping an axle. In several cases, teams with better tactics beat teams with superior trucks.
They divided the trail into three sections, which allowed three trucks to be on the course simultaneously. Running the trail in sections also kept the judges from having to run up and down the mountain with each truck.
There were two judges on each sec-tion, one for calling the violations and the other for recording the violations and the times. The point sheets were then passed on to the judges in the next section. A clerk at the top calculated the total points for each team.