The Great American Jeep Rally 2006

The GAJR was held in Somers,CT at the 4-H Fairgrounds. If you've never been to a Jeep Rally before, you have no idea what you've just missed. All day activities included: Meet & Greet fellow Jeepers, RTI ramps, Rock Gardens, RC Rock Gardens, Vendors, Club Booths, Music by a Live DJ, Food, Raffles, Children's Raffle, Trophy Awards for: Street, Beater, Military, Antique, Best in Show, and Off Road. BF Goodrich Tire Raffle, and the Elias 4WD Center / Interco Tire Raffle, 50/50 Raffle.

*******************************************************************************************************

Not all the Jeepers were adults! This future "rock" star actually got out of her concept Jeep to pick out the best route through the mini Rock Garden.

*******************************************************************************************************

What's a Jeep Rally without a couple of lifted KJs?  I saw at least 3 KJs at the Rally, but only 2 had lifts.  Check out the custom plaque and Spec Sheet for the blue KJ.  I'm guessing that those are metric for 33" tires.  Now that looks TOUGH !!!

*******************************************************************************************************

These CJs are just some of the Jeeps in attendance that day. Some are show quality, while others were designed with a specific purpose in mind.

*******************************************************************************************************

This is the one that started it all !   Complete with its full regalia, this is the ultra rare, and restored to original condition 1941 Willys Overland MB Jeep.

*******************************************************************************************************

Though most people don't know it, this large military duty 2½ ton 6x6 - aka " deuce-and-a-half ", was actually a 1970 M35A2 Kaiser Jeep.  Just seeing these two vehicles up close and in their American Glory was a real treat.  What a way to really "Support Our Troops" !!!!

******************************************************************************************************  

How much can you "flex"? Using the RTI (Ramp Travel Index) ramps

The purpose of the RTI ramp is to see how well your suspension flexes under stress - without your tires coming off the ground. Here, the driver of this YJ demonstrates for the judges his Jeep's "flexability".

The driver of this XJ almost had his rear tires touching the RTI ramp as he crawled ever so cautiously upward. The XJ's 4-link setup up front is hard to beat.

*******************************************************************************************************

I took a couple of pix of some rare Jeeps that you wouldn't normally see lifted.

This guy's wife spent over 3 hours in his garage applying this RealTree Advantage Camo® vinyl graphic over the entire YJ's body ! 

*******************************************************************************************************

The Rock Garden

After trying out the RTI ramp for suspension flexability, some drivers opted to test out their rig's durability. After signing a waiver, each driver waited in line for their turn to "play" in the rock garden. Some were stock and some were heavily modified. The Rally provided "spotters" to help the drivers navigate the best line through the course.

This girl was doing pretty good in her YJ, until she got hung up on her skidplate. A quick tug from another Jeeper got her through the course.

*******************************************************************************************************

This TJ driver gave the whole crowd a real scare! After one wheel slipped off a rock, it looked ugly, but pulled out of it at the last second. Notice how hard he stuffed the left front wheel into the fender pocket.

The driver of this Commanche MJ had his work cut out for him. He chose a more difficult approach than most drivers. This caused him to smoke the tires in some sections of the course.

Take the road less traveled....., it's scenic, more challenging, and more fun !

Ugly is....., as ugly does !

This guy's XJ won hands down in the "Beater" category. Now you see why....

This Wagoneer XJ was pretty, but its only function was "to be the tallest".  This is XJ actually owned by Performance Four Wheel Drive in Manchester, CT.

There were some really nice Jeeps at the rally, but this red XJ was, (in my opinion) the most well equipped I've seen. Sporting huge Dana 60s on 8-lug wheels, and a rear coil spring setup, this XJ makes the Hummer vehicles seem jealous.

Who says removable doors are just for CJs, YJs, and TJs ?

*******************************************************************************************************