Top Tractor Challenge 2020 discussion

I think it would be cool to set up a longer course at the hill climb area, there was a couple hill options maybe make the course hit both of them and then do a short little trail loop maybe over some logs or mud or something. Just spitballing here

In theory, you could even go from the starting line, through the course to a turn around loop at the one end. Then you run back through the course backwards and finish through the starting line again.

One thing I didn't like so much was where a couple of the courses had places where they crossed over each other. Made it slightly more confusing. On one hand that's part of the challenge I guess, if you mess up then you lose time and/or get a DNF. Perhaps in some areas it might be helpful to use that orange marking tape stuff tied to trees vs the flags? The flags were not too bad, but in some areas, it made it more difficult to see the path ahead just because the number of flags all over. At least for me. I tried to walk all the courses first just so I could have a better idea where the turns and things were going to be.

@mr.modified I think the courses are now set up and will only require some maintenance and a few obstacle changes, so set up isn’t going to much of an issue, especially now that everything is cleared unlike last year

@Creepycrawler I do agree, or use one of the more difficult lines since everyone pretty much walked up the hill

I didn't know how much you were gonna change things around. That would be good, I thought the general layout was nice.

I think you need to buy one of the neighbors houses and then cut some holes through their wall so you can run the tractors right through.

Agreed with creepycrawler the hill climb can be a little longer.  Have you thought about zig zagging up the last hill test.  Total of three hill climbs.

Bigger sand piles would be cool or dig out the bottom for added trench, whoop de doos with pot holes between them.

@TheBeal  Oh there close, the footsteps are getting louder.  Might have to switch sides and run a "MTD with a mower deck on"

Regards,
Mister Studabaker

Just wait till I get my own course set up with the broken glass pit.......

So far I’ve thrown together some rules/requirements for the ttc20

Rules - due to limitations with space previous attendees are welcome to come back and compete for the 2020 competition. If you are not one of those people and want to enter in, your tractor must meet all requirements and you will have to be approved by me to come, we are looking for the baddest riders and rigs to compete


Tractor requirements-
- must use an OPE style engine (original power equipment) NO atv, dirtbike, snowmobile motors
- working brakes
- working kill switch this can be the factory key switch or toggle/tether switch
- you must have a locker
- you must be pulley swapped, must be faster than stock speeds
- 20in or larger rear tires


If you have a tractor that meets these requirements and want to compete let me know

Sheesh, now I'm gonna have to track down 20" tires to fit my rims. I was planning on running 18's all around. Unless I just grind the numbers off the side and don't tell anyone and see if I can distract redzz as I go through tech...... Or or, I go through tech with the 20" tires bolted on, then after the competition starts I quick swap on the 18's.

mr.modified wrote:

Sheesh, now I'm gonna have to track down 20" tires to fit my rims. I was planning on running 18's all around. Unless I just grind the numbers off the side and don't tell anyone and see if I can distract redzz as I go through tech...... Or or, I go through tech with the 20" tires bolted on, then after the competition starts I quick swap on the 18's.

Funny you say that. We had talked about possibly allowing entrants to swap tires between obstacles, but not sure if it will happen due to time

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Your not supposed to talk about that stuff!

You just show up at the event, swap your tires and then if anyone complains, you point out that it wasn't in the rules.....

But now, there's gonna be rules for that. Jeeeeeez craftsman quad! lol

I guess if you wanted to cut things down for people who could do that, you might say you have to stay on the tires (or same tire tread, in case of flats) as you started the event with. Generally, rules in racing try to prevent the big money teams from beating the smaller guys as bad. In this case, if your someone who has a bunch of different wheel options, I guess it would be an advantage over the guy who just doesn't have extra wheels to use. Whether that's bad or not depends. I'm not sure it would be a huge help anyway. I had though of possibly swapping to more aggressive tires only for the mud run and running mild ATV tread for the rest of the event. But I think I'll be over budget anyway for this year by the time the new build is completed.

Will there be set running order for the courses next year or just kinda random like it was this time?

Hey mr mod, what if you ran 20s in the back but just aired down enough to where they’re 18 inches tall? Better grip, better ride, and technically passes tech

I didn't have much problem with the tire size. It was just that I had certain tires in mind that sold in a set of 4. Not a problem though.

I'll just bring a couple bucks for the tech inspector in case things aren't quite up to spec........

By the way, are you planning on trying to be at the 2020 event??

Probably not, it’s a pretty good drive for me. If I went it would probably just be as a spectator/camera help

redzz02 wrote:

- 20in or larger rear tires

I can understand the locker but not the tires... What's the problem with 18's? I mean I like 20 inch tires, but besides speed I don't see what 18's will effect.

As much I would love to switch tires for every event (Im a total tire junkie and horder) I think its not really to the core of the event, my opinion is it that we are trying to find who has the most badass overall tractor/driver combo over various events, that more or less mimic a really tough trail ride. Like your not gonna take extra tires on a trail ride and swap them on before a mud hole and then swap them back off. plus i think that opens the door for some silly sh*t, like ok for the mud bog im gonna bolt on wheel spacers and a set of 35s with tire chains or something like that. Im cool with fixing rigs between events and making adjustments like tire pressure or if you wanted to adjust your shocks, tune your carb that kinda stuff but I think tire swaps add alot of cost to be competitive. that being said Im not sure we need the rule about minimum tire size, to me smaller tires really are just a disadvantage so why make a rule against them. But the Im good with keeping it as it doesnt affect me at all LOL

When I show up with a light weight and speedy 4wd machine, it won't matter what tires you guys use, your gonna be gettin beat. Buahahahahaa.

I tend to agree on the tires. As much as I'd like to swap to something with some more meat on them for the mud, it kinda makes sense to me to stick with the same ones throughout the event.

You guys are killing all my secret ideas though. I actually thought about making a set of chains with some nifty paddles for the mud bog and just keeping my tires. That way if you guys came up with a rule for tires, I'd give that a try. Of course everyone might get pissy about it but that's how it goes lol. So now I'm just down to tire pressure adjustments. I'm sure I'll still think of some super trick stuff before August though.

I actually considered making a set of swamp wheels this year just to be a dick, but lazyness and procrastination won again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtn7c_HJ7XE

That worked pretty well. Only thing I wanted to do was switch my rear tires to some more aggressive ones just for the mud run. Wasn't even sure if I would bother anyway, but my machine is definitely not going to be set up for deep mud.

Just wondering, how was the final results for the 2019 TTC put together? Just wondering how the times fit with the mud run distances. Was it just the times added together and then number of courses won figured in also?

I think it was points based per event