The Tucker County 4-Wheelers, Inc. were formed in 1979. A group of like-minded individuals rented a piece of property off the railroad, which was on state route 93, just outside Davis, WV. Their dream for this property was to build a racetrack. A place for the good 'ole boys (and girls) to get together for some hellacious four-wheelin'!!

After a lot of blood, sweat, and a few tears, a track was born. The first annual event was held on Memorial Day Weekend, May 1979. The membership dubbed the event *CHALLENGE IN THE HILLS* and that it is. The club motto is *Tucker County Style*and if you have ever been to one of our events you know what we mean!! The first year the competition consisted of a hill drag and hill climb competition on Saturday and an obstacle course and mud pit on Sunday.

Now when I say mud pit, I really mean to say beaver dam. Natures own force was at work against the competitors of this event. It wasn't a speed pit that is popular today; it was a trench of insurmountable slop. For many there was only a hope of making it through, others left wondering why they bothered trying. Then they realized it was because it was a great ride.

The hill drags were exciting as well, with men and women's (or powder puff as it was known back then) competition.  Everything that was 4WD could compete.  Competitors raced everything from their driven dailies to modified jeeps. Back then we dropped a flag, or the occasional (empty) can of brew.

The obstacle course also provided much entertainment with straight-aways, twists, turns, deep holes, and oh yeah, the occasional rollover.  Some were often so entertaining that the rollovers got their own specially made trophy!!

*CHALLENGE* was held in Davis until 1986.  Despite amazing yearly turnout of competitors and spectators the club experienced difficulty working out a rental contract with the landowners.  The club members went on a search for a new piece of land that was worthy of our event, and could become our new home.  What they found was a few acres beside the Black Fork River in Parsons, WV, approximately 15 minutes south of the Davis site.

This new piece of land they acquired was at one time a residential area, which had been wiped out and leveled courtesy of the Black Fork River and the Flood of 1985.  The flood was a terrible disaster to the families who lost their homes.

After the purchase, the membership pulled together and built a new track and held its first race there in May 1987 (never miss a year).  This new track, which is our current site, consisted of a new flat drag strip, which is 300 feet of river sand (heaven for those who love sand drag racing), a mud pit that was approximately 125 feet long and 4� feet in depth, it posed an equal challenge to competitors as its predecessor, due to the river water and murk and sand, it almost grabs a hold of the vehicle and sucks it into place.  They also built a new obstacle course and it holds its own in comparison to the original.  True to its name, the obstacle course offered shallow holes, deep holes, jumps, twists, turns, and a valley of mud.

The TC4X4 club continued to run what is known in the racing world as an outlaw track until the membership voted to join the East Coast 4 Wheel Drive Association.  After joining we held a sanctioned race, although the race went fairly smooth, the membership decided we like doing things our own way.  We do base our event on EC4WDA rules and regulations.  We remain a member of EC4WDA and are one of the clubs that form Region A.

    Over the past two decades we have come a long way.  We have built and rebuilt, survived floods and other mishaps, but we continue on strong.  Those of us who are Tucker County 4-Wheelers members have 4WD in our blood.  We live for the thrill. Many of us are 2nd generation members and are proud to be following in their footsteps.  Not only are we members of a club, we are a family.

    So we hope to see you in May, and you are welcome to become a member, but once you join us at *CHALLENGE IN THE HILLS* for some good racing, good fun, and a hell of a good time, you will realize just what *Tucker County Style* stands for!