Haha, gotta love UROC

[Caleb]

So I saw this on their "About" page.

About Uroc
UROC started in 1999 as the American Rockcrawlers Association (ARCA) and was the first to build a series of competitions around the sport of rockcrawling starting in Farmington, New Mexico. Since that time and those humble beginnings we have grown to be the largest Rockcrawling and RockCross™ competitive sanctioning bodies in the country.

In 2007 UROC made a drastic change by announcing the switch of it's main focus from rockcrawling to the newly created sport of RockCross, a trademarked name and format developed by UROC. This new Motorsport, featuring head to head competition on a closed course rock track, has all of the excitement of Supercross with the adrenalin of Bull riding. It’s simple, the green flag drops and two teams on the same course hammer down, bump, block and race toward the checkered flag. It’s fast, fun, and exciting for all to compete in and watch. Obstacles are such that any short wheelbase four wheel drive with minimal modifications can come and be competitive. Check out an event, give it a try and the Rockcross bug may bite you.

First off, UROC didn't start as ARCA, Ranch came to UROC when ARCA failed. UROC started off as Utah Rockcrawling and Offroad Challenge (or something to that affect). Second, since when did UROC (Ratey's and Ranch) develop the Rockcross format and trademark that name. I know SXOR was around long before UROC decided to switch to Rockcross, and hasn't the term rockcross always been used since the beginning of rockcross (long before UROC jumped aboard). Seriously, those clowns drive me nuts. They live in their own fantasy worlds, right next door to Super Dell.

 

[Cody]

I don't think they even do rockcross anymore.

I remember when I was being lectured by someone about how SXOR was going to revolutionize the entire rockcrawling industry, and how it was going to be mainstream with it's own reality tv show and such. lol

 

[Tacoma]

I'm still laughing about dumping crawling for rockracing... 12 seconds before the season started, or whatever it was.

So they're still around? neat.

 

[Bart]

Ranch started ARCA (later RCAA) in 1999 as the first series for rock crawling competitions. Craig started UROC in 2000 which started as Utah Rockcrawling and Offroad Challenge, and was changed to United Rockcrawling and Offroad Challenge in 2001, I think. Craig came up with SuperCrawl that year also.

Can't remember the Patey time frame, but at the end of one year Craig left and Ranch was in UROC. It wasn't a smooth transistion.

Ranch's UROC organization came up with the idea of Rock Cross, which was the first to put multiple rigs on a course at the same time. No other ogranization had done that or talked about it. SXOR was a great series, for one year, then dissapeared.

Just some facts.

 

[I Lean]

Ranch started ARCA (later RCAA) in 1999 as the first series for rock crawling competitions. Craig started UROC in 2000 which started as Utah Rockcrawling and Offroad Challenge, and was changed to United Rockcrawling and Offroad Challenge in 2001, I think. Craig came up with SuperCrawl that year also.

Can't remember the Patey time frame, but at the end of one year Craig left and Ranch was in UROC. It wasn't a smooth transistion.

Ranch's UROC organization came up with the idea of Rock Cross, which was the first to put multiple rigs on a course at the same time. No other ogranization had done that or talked about it. SXOR was a great series, for one year, then dissapeared.

Just some facts.

Wasn't Pro Rock a series before ARCA/RRCA was a series?

The Warn Rockcrawling Championships was first IIRC, but that was just a single event, no?

 

[Bart]

Wasn't Pro Rock a series before ARCA/RRCA was a series?

The Warn Rockcrawling Championships was first IIRC, but that was just a single event, no?

WRCC started in 1998 (Farmington NM) and was an annual event, not a series. My first event was the second WRCC event in Johnson Valley in 1999.
Bob's Pro Rock started as a single annual event and then became a series in approximately 2001. In fact Bob's series may have evolved from the WRCC but not sure about that.

 

[Caleb]

Ranch started ARCA (later RCAA) in 1999 as the first series for rock crawling competitions. Craig started UROC in 2000 which started as Utah Rockcrawling and Offroad Challenge, and was changed to United Rockcrawling and Offroad Challenge in 2001, I think. Craig came up with SuperCrawl that year also.

Can't remember the Patey time frame, but at the end of one year Craig left and Ranch was in UROC. It wasn't a smooth transistion.

Ranch's UROC organization came up with the idea of Rock Cross, which was the first to put multiple rigs on a course at the same time. No other ogranization had done that or talked about it. SXOR was a great series, for one year, then dissapeared.

Just some facts.

Right, but UROC wasn't started in 1999 as ARCA. As you said, UROC was started in 2000 by Craig and has always been called UROC (granted it's had the meaning of UROC changed over the years).

So if they were the first to do rockcross, what was SXOR? Maybe it was one vehicle at a time, I don't know/remember. It doesn't matter if it was only around for one season or even a half a season, the format was first created by them, not the Pattey's or Ranch.

I was involved with UROC up until Craig's last year, once Ranch became involved I jumped ship, so I am familiar with UROC's past. I remember Patey's saying they wanted to bring UROC to the NASCAR level. Instead they drove it into the ground

 

[Caleb]

I don't think they even do rockcross anymore.

I remember when I was being lectured by someone about how SXOR was going to revolutionize the entire rockcrawling industry, and how it was going to be mainstream with it's own reality tv show and such. lol

I thought UROC was long gone too but according to their site, they are going to be at the Pomona Off-Road Expo, so who knows???

 

[Milner]

I thought UROC was long gone too but according to their site, they are going to be at the Pomona Off-Road Expo, so who knows???

According to the shows web site, WEROC is doing it....
"W.E.ROCK ROCK-CRAWLING DEMO — Broadway Street
With over 8 years of building rock crawling into a sport worthy of coverage on TV stations like ESPN, SPIKE, and the Outdoor Channel, W.E.ROCK is gearing up for even more growth in 2009. Come out and watch an exhibition of Pro Crawlers at the W.E.ROCK Proving Grounds (near the Gate 1 entrance) during Off-Road Expo.

 

[Jinx]

Ok, I'll bite,
I think bart explained things pretty well, each series has a different format that make it unique. UROC and WeRock had pretty much the same format.

Xtreme Rock Racing Associated (XRRA) is different than Rock Cross, SXOR is(was) different than Rock Cross.

You are kind of talking out of you A$$ on this point, unless you call anything that is not crawling, rockcross...

Second, it might be my preception, but being around most of the comps either as a spectator or competitor from arca, rcaa, uroc, werock, sxor, xrra, etc. The best comps were the ones that Patty's were involved with. From the aspect of courses, rigs, media/mag coverage, money, show for spectators.

just my 2 cents.

So in a nut shell it appears you have a beef with Ranch/UROC, which is none of my business i don't care either way, but at least get your facts close before bringing it up...

 

[Caleb]

Ok, I'll bite,
I think bart explained things pretty well, each series has a different format that make it unique. UROC and WeRock had pretty much the same format.

Xtreme Rock Racing Associated (XRRA) is different than Rock Cross, SXOR is(was) different than Rock Cross.

You are kind of talking out of you A$$ on this point, unless you call anything that is not crawling, rockcross...

Second, it might be my preception, but being around most of the comps either as a spectator or competitor from arca, rcaa, uroc, werock, sxor, xrra, etc. The best comps were the ones that Patty's were involved with. From the aspect of courses, rigs, media/mag coverage, money, show for spectators.

just my 2 cents.

So in a nut shell it appears you have a beef with Ranch/UROC, which is none of my business i don't care either way, but at least get your facts close before bringing it up...

If you enjoy monster shows then sure, the Patey's events rock. If you are going for the technical aspect of it, I'll take Craig's events anyday. I think the fact that when Craig was running the show, the events got more spectators and more competitors, and was actually a successful business speaks quite loudly to their success. The fact the UROC really doesn't exist anymore (despite what they use as their excuses) also says how well their format goes over. So Arca fails and Ranch joins the Patey's, now UROC fails...let's not connect the dots.

I said I don't remember exactly the details of SXOR, but if the only difference is one vehicle vs. multiple on the course, then I would argue that Baja was around LONG before rockcross. Or is it the 4wd vs. 2wd now? All I'm saying is the format is not too original, and to claim it was their idea is far from the truth. I may be talking out my ass about rockcross, but no one has explained exactly how it's different from the previous series. Everything else I have pointed out, is fact, UROC never was Arca as they claim, that's fact. Arca failed, that's fact, UROC failed, that seems to be fact (can anyone confirm otherwise?) so my facts are pretty damn close

There is a reason UROC/Arca is no longer around and their "About" page is a prime example. I have no beef directly with Ranch, but it is quite odd that just about everything he comes in contact with goes downhill.

 

[I Lean]

I'm gonna have to agree with the statement that Craig's courses were much more fun (as a competitor) than when he stopped laying them out.

I still think the most fun event I went to (aside from XRRA) was Supercrawl I in Farmington.

 

[Bart]

I thought Supercrawl I was in Vernal and Supercrawl II was in Farmington. Could be wrong, I was once before.

As for events with big crowds, biggest ones I remember were early Farmington,Cedar City and Jellico for natural courses, and early Salt Lake and Phoenix man made courses.

 

[RockMonkey]

I'll agree, Craig's events were best, from my point of view. I get the feeling from Ranch that he has some contempt for the competitors. I can't point to any one incident, it's just the vibe I always got.

So, did these events not happen?

SKYJACKER PRO ROCKCROSS NATIONALS

March 21 2008 - Area BFE - Moab, UT

August 16, 2008 - Salt Lake City, UT

October 3-4, 2008 - Pomona, CA

November 29, 2008 - Phoenix, AZ

 

[RockMonkey]

I thought Supercrawl I was in Vernal and Supercrawl II was in Farmington. Could be wrong, I was once before.

As for events with big crowds, biggest ones I remember were early Farmington,Cedar City and Jellico for natural courses, and early Salt Lake and Phoenix man made courses.

No, the Vernal event was just the last event of the first year. Supercrawl I was in Farmington, and I remember one estimate of 20,000 spectators over the course of the event. I don't know how accurate that is, but there were a ton of people there. That was the most fun I ever had at an event.

 

[Caleb]

I remember the biggest crowds always being in Farmington. I always remember Farmington being the hardest to keep spectators off the courses because of their numbers. Farmington crowds were always the most frustrating as a judge. The first St. George event drew a decent crowd as well, I mean come on, who wouldn't show up to see the turtle

 

[Caleb]

No, the Vernal event was just the last event of the first year. Supercrawl I was in Farmington, and I remember one estimate of 20,000 spectators over the course of the event. I don't know how accurate that is, but there were a ton of people there. That was the most fun I ever had at an event.

yep, the first event termed "Supercrawl" was the Farmington event. The Vernal event was the championship though wasn't it?

 

[Jinx]

ok just a quick counter point for the sake of discussion and understand that I have competed against/with Craig and have a ton of respect for him and his boys dallas and mike, so don't take this as a negative towards Craig.

If Craig was the best ever, why did he give it up? Why wouldn't the money, competitors, sponsors, spectators keep him going? or is hind sight just 20/20, meaning it will never be as good as it was?

You mention UROC/ranch sucks because it is gone but then again what you are saying is the best was gone before and didn't last as long. UROC/craig

personally I think it all just evolving in the free market system. Something that is the best today doesn't mean it will always be the best. Someone else will come along a tweak it to make it better and everything will move forward with or without the original...

first arca, then rcaa, pro rock, then uroc and werock, crawling continues, Mo rock, cal rock, etc
but there is a branch off with XRRA and Rockcross, racing begins. (obviously rockcross is gone, but man that was fun)
Where is it going, I have no clue, I enjoy the techinical aspect of crawling (UROC/WeRock style) but if I we going to try and market it to someone beyond motor heads like me and presumably you, i would go with the racing. simple rules, easy for anyone to follow, etc...

 

[Caleb]

ok just a quick counter point for the sake of discussion and understand that I have competed against/with Craig and have a ton of respect for him and his boys dallas and mike, so don't take this as a negative towards Craig.

If Craig was the best ever, why did he give it up? Why wouldn't the money, competitors, sponsors, spectators keep him going? or is hind sight just 20/20, meaning it will never be as good as it was?

You mention UROC/ranch sucks because it is gone but then again what you are saying is the best was gone before and didn't last as long. UROC/craig

personally I think it all just evolving in the free market system. Something that is the best today doesn't mean it will always be the best. Someone else will come along a tweak it to make it better and everything will move forward with or without the original...

first arca, then rcaa, pro rock, then uroc and werock, crawling continues, Mo rock, cal rock, etc
but there is a branch off with XRRA and Rockcross, racing begins. (obviously rockcross is gone, but man that was fun)
Where is it going, I have no clue, I enjoy the techinical aspect of crawling (UROC/WeRock style) but if I we going to try and market it to someone beyond motor heads like me and presumably you, i would go with the racing. simple rules, easy for anyone to follow, etc...

I agree with pretty much all of that. Evolution is a great thing

 

[I Lean]

If Craig was the best ever, why did he give it up? Why wouldn't the money, competitors, sponsors, spectators keep him going? or is hind sight just 20/20, meaning it will never be as good as it was?

I think he couldn't devote the time to it like he did in the early days, plus deal with all the commercialization that was probably necessary to keep it running/growing. I assume he didn't make much, if any, money during that time either.

Think about how much things changed between just the first UROC in Cedar (which was fun) and the second in Vernal (which was fun). Then the next year was leaps and bounds ahead of the first year in terms of marketing and exposure, culminating with the Supercrawl which was fantastic....but probably not ideal for marketing since we were all through running by early afternoon.

The Patey's helped with the business side of stuff I'm sure, but I think that's when it started to become less and less fun for me personally.