The Tank Trap was pretty nasty this year, although the pits didn't seem quite as deep. Maybe it's just that the tires on most of the rigs were so much bigger. Let's just say 44s were looking small.

The day started with the Warthog. It looked as though he had too much air in the 54s. They really weren't flexing all that great and they didn't seem to want to stick to anything. Apparently he was only able to use high range which seemed to be a hindrance. After winching off the rock wall out of pit two he went into the canyon where it started really gushing water from the overheating radiator. After letting it cool and winching they were moving again up through the next two pits at a calm pace. The buggy got hung up in the following water hole. The engine and the spotter were both overheating. After dumping a gallon of water in the radiator it still needed more. Swamp water was used to top off the cooling system in the spendy big-block engine. He then tore on through to the second to last pit where he timed out and the tranny stunk like burned ATF.

Next up was Byron Hair in the '77 Waggy. He calmly picked his lines and drove through the whole tank trap without winching. In fact, the spotter didn't even get out of the Jeep. The simple Jeep combined with a really level-headed and skilled driver made the traps look easy. Somewhere along his leisurely trailride one of the suspension coils fell out. Anyway, it's my guess he took first in the tank trap.

The Willys Wagon hopped on through the first pit and needed to winch up the rock wall out of pit two. He drove part way through the canyon where fuel problems kept the Jeep from running at an angle where he eventually timed out and needed to be dragged out with most of the body intact.

With the trap cleared, Jeremy Naeger headed up in his blue buggy. The rear steer seemed to give him some troubles in one or two spots where it nearly flipped the rig in the canyon. A fire lit up under the hood in the last pit but it was extinguished and he managed to continue. He finished on through the to the end and was the second rig to make it to the checkered flag. I have no idea what his time was.

 Next up was Randy Swartz in his '77 Chevy. You could hear the big-block reving through the canyon. He seemed to make good time till he got to the last three water holes. He drove off course and had to reverse to recover. The truck stalled and got stuck in gear. After spraying starting fluid in the filter he got it running again. He then ran over the winch line and wrapped it around the front axle with his throttle foot, whipping it into the air several times. Then at the exit of the last hole the manual tranny become stuck in gear again and the engine stalled. He untangled the cable and winched as far as he could while cranking the starter in gear. With the battery dead and the winch smoking he timed out less than 40 feet from the finish line.

Scott Morris flogged his big-block Indiana buggy up through the course into the final pit where he broke the driver side rear Dana 80/Rockwell hybrid axle shaft. He had to winch up the remainder of the course in three-wheel drive to the finish line.

Somehow Brandon Lammers was able to get his '71 Bronco back together. He had some troubles with the log just before pit number one but eventually wallowed his way up to pit two where he winched. In the canyon, at about the same distance as the Willys, the front driveshaft snapped and he timed out. He needed to be extracted with the Cat D4.

The hard luck crew in the International Harvester literally walked through the entire course up till the last pit. The exit from the water hole had pretty much become a six-foot vertical wall and they were running the smallest tires in the field. They winched up and finished in an amazingly short time. But in typical International fashion, something had to go wrong. After completing the finish-line interview the IH refused to start. So they snatched the Traveler out of the way.

The Cummins-powered CJ-5 of Jeff Wood meandered and chugged up through the first two pits and the canyon. At the last pit he winched up the wall and to an uneventful finish in a good time.

I really have no idea now who one the Tank Trap. I don't wear a watch but my guess is the Waggy. But since the Tank Trap is worth double points there could be an upset overall. I can say the Waggy, the CJ-5, The International Traveler, Jeremy Naeger's buggy, and Scott Morris' buggy are all in the top 5 for the tank trap. The Waggy and the International are likely in the top two.

For the Overall Top Truck winner, my guess is gonna have to change from the Warthog to Jeremy Naeger and his blue buggy.

Keep your eyes out for the September '08 issue of Jp Magazine for full features and action pics of the three Top Truck Jeeps.

Go to www.fourwheeler.com for more images. And tomorrow they should have the overall winner posted.