05/07/2025
24hrs of Appalachia - Buckeye Blitz Edition: An Epic Finish
Last weekend, the team packed up and headed out to Ohio for the 24hrs of Appalachia - Buckeye Blitz Edition. Out of the 97 vehicles that entered the rally, only 36 made it across the finish line. Despite a brutal series of challenges, we brought the Grenadier home in 5th place.
The rally kicked off with a bit of, shall we say, creative navigation. We accidentally started the course in reverse for a good 12 miles, which, as you can imagine, earned us the well-deserved Worst Navigator Award. But that didn’t stop us. By the first checkpoint, we had already caught back up to the pack that had gone the right way. By checkpoint two, we were running in 2nd place, and by checkpoint three, we were in first.
That lead didn’t last forever. Not long after taking the top spot, we smashed a wheel hard enough to break it, handing over our lead to a wickedly fast silver Jeep driven by an awesome husband-and-wife team who would ultimately take the overall win. Not long after, we debeaded a tire. Fortunately, we managed to reseat it, get it aired up, and keep moving.
The conditions were downright biblical. Torrential downpours pounded the course for days leading up to the event, transforming trails into wading pools and obstacles into bogs. By race day, standing water covered entire stretches of the course, with some puddles so deep that they swallowed bumpers whole. We ran the Grenadier as fast as it would go, skimming through the waterlogged terrain and paving sections of the course with our undercarriage. Ten miles before the finish line, we snagged the elusive Ski Pop can of soda that granted us a 20-minute time reduction bonus. The Grenadier clawed its way up slippery inclines and blasted through flood-ridden trails, fighting for grip every inch of the way.
Our total moving time clocked in at 15 hours, 30 minutes, and 42 seconds, with 2 hours, 1 minute, and 13 seconds of non-moving time thanks to wheel and tire adventures, plus some unavoidable mud sections that unfortunately . Our average moving pace was 39.7 mph—a testament to how fast the Grenadier can move when it’s in its element. The team—Adrian Mallory, Jonathan Branco, and Harrison Shoen—pushed hard through every challenge they faced, and I couldn’t be prouder of the grit and determination we showed.
The Grenadier definitely took some unavoidable damage; its square body design made it susceptible to roof contact in off-camber sections and damage through some obstacles, but I’m convinced there isn’t another factory off-roader that could’ve maintained that pace and handled the abuse quite like it did.
Special shoutout to our photographer Tom Tucker, who somehow managed to pop up out of nowhere with a camera at every possible moment capturing the incredible shots you see here. His timing and course advise live is unreal.
I’m especially proud of our 2nd team, Team Braptor. The three in that truck are very fresh into off-roading, and to accomplish what they managed to do—14th overall—is a feat in itself, but I’ll let them tell their story.
A huge thank-you to the staff and volunteers at 24hrs of Appalachia for putting on these events that we enjoy so much. The combination of challenges it takes to organize these rallies means you get to meet some pretty great individuals, and we’re grateful for being welcomed into your community.
The Grenadier is not without its quirks, but when it’s on, it’s on. Fast, capable, and tough as nails. Looking forward to the next one—more mud, more miles, and maybe a bit better navigation.
