Tucker’s Off-Road Takeover

By Gabe Schroder - December 27, 2016

Tucker's Off Road Takeover

Trail Bouncing and Rock Crawling Brings Wheeling Community Together.

Every October, before the snow flies, serious 4×4 aficionados gather at Rausch Creek Off-Road Park near Pine Grove, Pennsylvania to celebrate another good season of wheeling around the woods in their tricked-out rock crawlers. Hosted by Nate and Heather Tucker, pillars of the off-road community, Tucker’s Off-Road Takeover is a family-friendly event that draws a nice crowd to the challenging terrain of rural PA. With the Rausch Creek Off-Road Park serving up challenging obstacles — including huge boulders, steep climbs, and technical moves — Tucker’s Off-Road Takeover brings out the best drivers and modified 4x4s in the region to spend a weekend in the woods, celebrating another fun season of bouncing up and down the area’s most difficult trails.

Watching these drivers attack and conquer these seemingly insurmountable obstacles is a sight to behold. Where most drivers see a dead end, the Tucker’s Off-Road Takeover participants see an opportunity to test their vehicles and driving skills as they push the limits of what’s possible on four wheels. With under-inflated tires to aid in traction, and very-forgiving independent suspensions, these vehicles are built to conquer the impossible.

Navigating these steep sections of jumbled boulders, logs, and trees is like watching someone put together a puzzle — a very loud, rubber-burning, engine-roaring puzzle. Every move in this intimidating terrain needs to be set up with a prior move, as this low speed, high-torque style of driving requires a unique mix of creeping and crawling, juxtaposed with stomping on the go-pedal and holding on as the tires burn and rocks churn. Enjoy the BustedKnuckleVideo footage below as these modified Jeeps, trucks, and buggies showcase the precision, traction, and power that this type of driving is all about.