Driving Line VOLUME IV ISSUE 4 | FALL 2018 | Page 44

Returning to the 2018 Alcan 5000 Rally, Nitto Tire Jr., sat in the passenger seat and navigated the course. ready to take on any kind of adventure you can throw at it.
participated as a sponsor and competitor after having Mel races on Trail Grapplers with his proven 4400 class Although certainly the most capable vehicles on the Alcan
participated in both the winter and summer rallies in previous Ultra4 Jeep JK, nicknamed “EVO1,” and prefers the robust 5000, the Jeep Wranglers only made up a small part of the
years. Competing for Nitto was Dave Cole, owner and off-road performance they offer for the kind of hardcore field of competitor vehicles. Bringing variety to the Alcan
co-founder of King of the Hammers, and Chris Corbett of driving he does in his Jeeps. The Off-Road Evolution JL 5000, the field included a JCW Edition Mini Clubman,
Nitto Tire. Their vehicle of choice was an ’18 Jeep Wrangler has an unmistakable American Flag livery and was quite Lancia Delta Integrale, Lexus GX460, EcoDiesel Jeep
Unlimited JL Rubicon, on 35x12.50R17 Ridge Grapplers, the head-turner through the many towns the Alcan 5000 Grand Cherokee, Toyota Tundra and a fourth-gen Dodge
which proved to be a perfect contender for this type of rally. took him through, especially in Canada! Ram 2500 with a flatbed. The wide range of vehicles meant
The route did not stick to the pavement, as many hundreds
nobody’s Alcan 5000 experience was alike. This diverse field
of miles along the way were on dirt roads, winding through As they say, good things come in threes: The third of vehicles proved certain advantages and disadvantages
the forests and mountains of Canada and Alaska. But the JL on the 2018 Alcan 5000 was piloted by Weston Blackie for all teams. Despite the long distances and rough road
paved sections of this trip were no cakewalk either, as many and navigated by his father, Gary Blackie. Weston, a former conditions, only one car, a ’69 Austin Mini MK2, suffered a
of the highways were riddled with deep potholes, construction professional rockcrawler and racer, is the owner of Trail rally-ending engine failure.
sections, and gravel. As a hybrid terrain tire with a strong Jeeps, a custom Jeep builder in Golden, Colorado. Weston’s sidewall, the Ridge Grappler conquered every mile of the builds are top notch in the Jeep world and, naturally, his 26 motorcyclists joined the pack as well, most of them
Alcan 5000 with ease and comfort, showing its true grit as personal ’18 Jeep JL Rubicon is nothing short of that. Rolling riding dual-sport touring bikes, such as KTM 950 Adventures
a quiet and smooth all-terrain tire with the off-road traction on a set of 37x13.50R17 Nitto Ridge Grapplers, Weston’s and BMW R1200 GS-As. Where the four-wheeled teams had
of a more aggressive mud-terrain. Jeep is a fine example of a JL built with both comfort and the comfort of heaters, windows, a roof over their heads and
off-road performance in mind. the advantage of a navigator riding shotgun, motorcyclists
Of course, the Nitto Team’s JL wasn’t the only vehicle
were left to the elements, reading off their own specially
competing in the rally on Nitto tires. Mel Wade, veteran The Jeep JL wasn’t the only Wrangler competing in designed, scroll-style route books mounted to their tank
off-road racer and owner of Off Road Evolution, brought the Alcan 5000 rally. Three other Jeep Wrangler JKs were in bags. This is an especially grueling trip for the bike teams,
his fully outfitted ’18 Jeep JL Rubicon as well, sporting a attendance, featuring Nitto Trail Grapplers, Ridge Grapplers, as riding through inclement weather and swarms of every
set of 37x13.50R17 Nitto Trail Grapplers. Mel’s son, Melvin and Terra Grappler G2s, proving the Grappler pedigree is insect you can imagine were a daily routine.
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