You know what a truck pull is, right? Well our tow test is way better: our track extends 150 feet, climbs 13 feet in elevation, and has a maximum angle of approximately 16 degrees. Each competitor’s rig is tethered to 5-ton 6x6 weighing in at over 36,000 pounds. Each competitor was allowed one pull, no time limit. This event grabs competitor’s full attention, because it’s the first event and has the potential to quickly weed out weak components. Through the years, the Frame Twister has evolved, and for 2014 about half way into the course, competitors arrived at the infamous Squeeze Rock section facing boulders, the dogleg, and the dreaded log section. In case you’re wondering, the Frame Twister at Top Truck Challenge really has twisted vehicle frames over the years. It has also wasted driveshafts, destroyed tires, and thrashed suspensions. Each competitor is allowed 10 minutes to complete the Frame Twister course. Hey, you didn’t expect it to be a run-of-the-mill first day did you? Catch the entire week of Top Truck Challenge 2014 right here!

Normally competitors would be directed to our infamous Mud Pit event at this point in the Top Truck Challenge competition, but due to the 2014 California drought, the Mud Pit was replaced with the gnarly, waterless Mini Rubicon. The course was approximately 140 feet in length and packed with boulders and rocks of various sizes. To keep things exciting, there were no penalties for winching, stopping, or backing up. Instead, we gave each competitor 5 minutes to travel as far as they could. Traveling out of bounds resulted in disqualification at that point. We also renovated the Obstacle Course for 2014: no long downhill section and an entirely dry course. But was it easier? Nope. Our demented course builders made sure this first event would be a real eye-opener for competitors. Competitors began in the lower section, which was pockmarked with evil holes, off-camber sections, and gobs of loose dirt. They then traveled to the upper section that included a pair of deep, nasty holes and the infamous “U-Turn Hill.” From there, it was into a ravine that stood guard over the finish line. Even with a 10-minute time limit this event is less about speed and more about accuracy. Who will be stopped cold. Catch the entire week of Top Truck Challenge 2014 right here!

If you ever need a pick-me-up from a bad day check out our Hill Climb event and relish the fact you’re not on it. We take a nasty, steep, 600-foot-long hill with an average angle of 60 degrees and modify it to Top Truck specs by plowing strategically placed holes for our competitors. As icing on the cake, we spread loose dirt everywhere to impede traction as the drivers. Competitors must think on-the-fly to battle the 5-minute time limit and they can winch, back up, or stop and take in the view of the Hollister Hills. This year's Coal Chute used a section of the newly developed Upper Obstacle Course, which is so challenging we didn't even build it for TTC it came with the park! This new section is 525 miserable feet in length and features rock walls over 7 feet high plus a collection of rocks and cement tubes. The Coal Chute is divided into three distinct sections and culminates in a cement wall at the finish. 20 minutes on the clock, here we go! Catch the entire week of Top Truck Challenge 2014 right here!

This is the event most Top Truck Challenge competitors anxiously await—or dread. The Tank Trap is a quarter-mile-long course designed to force each competitor to fight for every inch of forward progress. The Tank Trap is a standard feature at the Hollister Hills SVRA, but for TTC, it’s modified to our specs using heavy equipment and water. As in previous years, Tank Trap (located in a deep, natural valley) had an approximate 195-foot climb in elevation from start to finish. Due to water restrictions from the 2014 California drought, we had to cut back on the number of water holes, though we used the same numbering system as in previous years. A few yards into the course, competitors had to navigate the 5-foot-deep Water Hole 2. From there, they entered the infamous 100-yard-long “Canyon” that contained steep rock walls in excess of 7 feet in height, slippery steep rock waterfalls, nasty ledges, and generally inhospitable terrain. If they made it through the Canyon, it was onto Water Hole 3 and then a series of deep, slippery, dry climbs and descents. Provided they were still moving, they came fact-to-face with the deep, off-camber “Crevice” before dropping into Water Hole 6 and Water Hole 7. Catch the entire week of Top Truck Challenge 2014 right here!

The legendary Tank Trap event continues! In its basic form it's a quarter-mile-long natural valley that climbs approximately 195 feet in elevation. For our once-a-year thrashathon we dig seven giant holes and we fill 'em with 120,000 gallons of water, which significantly increases the challenge level of the course. Here's how it works: Shortly into the course, competitors have to navigate two deep water holes that are preceded by steep dirt hills. We wrap up the week with handing out the award of the Top Truck at this year's event! Catch the entire week of Top Truck Challenge 2013 right here!