|
Mudfest, the Northwest Automotive Press Association’s (NWAPA) annual Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) competition, which took place Oct. 12 and 13, saw the first repeat winner in the event’s history.
The two day event which tested the capabilities of 27 SUV’s from 14 manufacturers not only off-road, but on a racetrack as well, was held in two venues. The track testing portion, which consists of a standing quarter mile, a 60 mph to zero braking test, a slalom course and an on-road drive, took place at Bremerton Raceway, which is located on the grounds of Bremerton National Airport. The track is owned by the Port of Bremerton.
This is the third year in a row the competition has utilized the Bremerton track. “Bremerton Raceway is a great venue for this kind of event,” said Mudfest chairman Ashly Knapp,
who is also known as the Auto Advisor on Seattle radio and TV. “We’ll keep coming back here as long as they want us.”
The off-road portion took place at the Thurston County Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Park west of Olympia. There were two off-road courses, both of which adhered to the tradition for which the event is named — mud — and lots of it. One course was specifically set up for car-based SUVs, while the other, more challenging course was reserved for the more traditional ones that are truck-based.
The winner in the economy class was the new Jeep Liberty, which edged out the defending champion, the Ford Escape.
In the mid sized class, The new GMC Envoy took home the prize, beating the largest field of competitors, including its own General Motors (GM) sibling, the Chevrolet Trailblazer.
The event also opened the competition this year to the new class of 4-door pickups, which was won by the new Chevrolet Avalanche.
The overall winner — the vehicle named SUV of the Year for 2001 — came from the luxury class. It is the BMW X-5, which won the event last year. It is first repeat winner in the event’s nine year history.
NWAPA is made up of professional automotive journalists from all over the nation, but published primarily in the Northwest. The group supports the “Tread Lightly” philosophy of off-roading, which seeks to do no damage to the environment while promoting the sport in a responsible manner. For more information on NWAPA, visit www.nwapa.org. | 
