Back in Independence after 8 years!!!

Yep, after 8 years I finally returned to Independence with my own rig! For the past two years I have been working on my Suzuki Samurai and during that time I got to take her on a few easy local runs. This summer the Zuk is finally ready for some real rock crawlin'! This trip to Indy was a blast. I brought along a close friend of mine Caroline. She has never experienced rock crawling of any kind! She had no idea what she was in for! lol! My best friend Chris and his family joined up for the carnage! Chris' wife Candice did all of the camera work! Thanks Candice for the great pics! We entered via the easy trail Liberty and went out via the hard trail Patriot! Enjoy the pics!I just felt giddy piloting my own rig through Indy again after so many years!
When there just ain't enough rocks.

I just love this pic! Good Job Candice! You could work for CRAWL Magazine :)

There goes some more sheet metal!

Indy makes my 37's look small!

Chris' little bro Princess driving the buggy up Coffin Rock! Yeah, up the "impossible right line"!!!

The notorious Exit of Patriot!

My whip on the left line of Coffin Rock!

Look at this motley crew.

I actually utilize my bead locks unlike so many other "rock crawlers" that run bead locks and hardly air down at all. lol! Dumb ass posers! I think most guys run bead locks just cause some salesman at 4 Wheel Parts told them that they look cool! lol!

Some pics of the Zuk at the house :P

Summer is here! Yeah buddy!

Well, I don't know really where to start. I don't think anyone really looks at my blog anyway, lol. So, out of boredom I am going to give a quick update to anyone who cares. I have been pretty busy with work and never really had time to update a lot of my online stuff, until just recently when Chrysler announced that they were going to close the dealership that I work at. Now I am unemployed! The upside is that I do get unemployment and I have had a ton of time to work on the Zuk. I am currently pulling the old stock Samurai axles and installing Toyota half ton axles! The Sammy axles have really been great and I can't believe the abuse that they have taken. But, they have seen better days and now that I have a bigger power plant it's time to put in something that I can give the union to without cringing :) So, lately there has been lots of beer drinking and fabrication (sometimes at the same time, lol). My brother from another mother has been helping me out here and there with his facility (Shadow Crawlers). I just have a few small things to get finished then I can pretty much bolt on the Toylet axles! Once she is done I will be posting a lot of wheelin' pics and updates :)

Winter = Night Runs

Eagle Rock and Saran Wrap, Colorado Springs, CO.

Here is the link to my myspace.

myspace.com/jonnyjackhammer

It's been quite in these here parts.

Just posting to say that there really hasn't been much going on. Lots of training, recovering, yoga, eating, and sleeping. Riding has been better than expected for the middle of winter. As long as the trails are snow packed and not melting too much the riding is very nice. I have switched teams for the 2008 season. I will be riding for a local bike shop called Procycling. Through Procycling I will be riding (to victory, I hope) on an Orbea Oiz. I have already been riding one since November of 2007. I love it! I am truely happy with the way the Oiz handles, and I am very excited to race on one for the 2008 season. I am very happy with my trianing this off season, just half to wait and see if it is actually going to work. My goals for 2008 insist of the overall in the Mountain States Cup Series and to pickup most if not all of the National Series as well. It's a lot to bite off, but I definitely think it is possible. I will drop back in a couple of days and update ya'll with pics and info on my steed for the 08' season, she is already at the shop gettin built, so it will be soon.

I did have a little family trip down to Arizona and while I was there I checked out the course and riding area for the NOVA Classic Race in McDowell Mountain Park just outside of Fountain Hills, AZ. It was really nice to actually ride in dirt and 65 degree weather. The type of riding out there was absolutely awsome! Really fast and smooth winding single track through groves of HUGE cactus. It was a memorable experience on the bike. The NOVA Classic is the second stop in the National Series. I think it would be a really fun race, although it definitely doesn't favor my type of riding, this course is for flat power riders and not so much for the small climbers like me. But, I wouldn't mind suffering through that race because the course is so much fun! Well, til next time, keep the rubber side down, but most of all keep it real.

A look back into time to my drunkin' rock crawlin days.

Me in my friends Zuk. I love those rocks they dump to keep us out!Princess gettin' some on the Patriot Trail.
Chris on the exit out of the Patriot Trail.
Just one sweet Zuk.
Me and my rig on Behind the Rocks Trail, Moab UT
My rig on Moab Rim Trail.
My Zuk parked on Chris's Zuk, yeeehaaaa.
Nikki and I in Moab, UT
White Knuckle Drop. A couple of guys held the back of the Zuk down with a strap While I drove off of the drop. The strap didn't do much, the truck ripped it out of their hands as soon as I dropped, lol.

My Zuk parked on Chris's, again.
YeeHaa, Rock Pile!
Busted front axle on the Patriot Trail. : (
My Zuk on the Patriot Trail exit.
Yep, that's the tongue that made me famous.
Well folks, that's all the red hot, redneck, rock crawlin' action I can dish out for now. I did that stuff for about six years. I no longer have a Zuk (rock buggy) due to my mountain bike racing habit. But, my rock crawlin' days are not over yet, one day I will return.