The Vision X Shootout returned to Backdoor after its one-year hiatus move to Chocolate Thunder in 2016, and with it came the awesome racing action, carnage and rollovers up the three-tier waterfall infamously named Backdoor. The 45 competitors came from all over North America, including Canada, to vie for the $7,500 first-place purse. The top 10 finishers also qualify for the Ultra4 race on Friday at the Nitto King of the Hammers powered by Optima Batteries.
On a surprisingly warm 40-degree night at Backdoor, thousands of people lined the walls of the canyon to watch the first competitors race the clock. The first three competitors set the pace with the fast time of 27 seconds. Then carnage ensued, lots of carnage.
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Kevin Porterfield, Ultra4 driver in his Wide Open buggy, was our first roll over of the night on the lower waterfall. Matt Christian broke his transfer case in the same spot Kevin rolled, and multiple spectacular breaks from steering to suspension links and drive shafts snapping made the crowd question if anyone was going to make it through the finish line again.
Then the excitement level shot through the roof when Mike Raczynski from Michigan launched up the center line of the first waterfall, cleared the second waterfall with ease and made it through the timing gate when his blue rock bouncer side-hilled high driver side and ended up on its lid making the crowd erupt with cheers!
The rock bouncers were not to be out shown when Guy Miller took the course in his Toyota-based rock crawler, as he took the far left line, the most difficult line in the canyon, made it up the lower waterfall, then bicycled it on two wheels and crossed the finish line rubber side down much to the crowd’s surprise!
However, it wouldn’t be a Shootout if it were not for a 22-second run, and the man from Oregon, Kyle Crouch, did not disappoint. Crouch, in his virgin run up Backdoor in his red rock bouncer, launched his way up the right side of the three-tier waterfall like it wasn’t even a difficult trail. He crossed the finish line in 22.008 seconds to win the Vision X Shootout at Backdoor presented by KMC, King, Nitro Gear & Axle. Prior to his run, Crouch had only walked up backdoor with the rest of the drivers before the Shootout began.
So with that, the 2017 Nitto King of the Hammers presented by Optima Batteries week starts off with a bang, with a virgin winning the Vision X Backdoor Shootout.
More racing coverage will happen throughout the week, so get ready, it’s Hammers time!
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