Off-road racing events have always been about more than just the race, but the overall experience of the event. This was evident at the Ultra4 Glen Helen Grand Prix.

Most people come out to the races to support someone they know, but there are still plenty of people that come out to the event to enjoy and soak up all that is off-road. The Glen Helen Grand Prix, put on by Ultra4 Racing, is another chance for the off-road fans of Southern California to take in the vehicles that raced at King of the Hammers earlier this year.

Ultra4 Racing is quite different than the short course racing the region experiences multiple times every year. The Glen Helen Grand Prix took the long distance desert race and condensed it to the grounds at Glen Helen Raceway. The course went all over the raceway, from the motocross tracks, to flat straightaways, and even racing on the short course track.

That not the type of cloud that is expected racing in the dirt.

When asked what his thoughts were on the event, Mark B. from Ridgecrest said, “Wow! What a great time. Lots of people, lots of fast cars, and lots of horsepower.” It was his first time out to an off-road event since watching King of the Hammers on television over a year ago. He was out at the event supporting his son who was racing for Poor Boy Racing, car number 4696.

“I really admire what these boys have done. Got some sponsors, and have really have done an amazing job. I admire them for what they have done,” Mark said when asked why it was his first time out seeing his son’s race team.

Walking around the raceway grounds, it was understood that some people did not know a racer, maybe have never seen an Ultra4 vehicle before, but they came out because it was off-roading. Families, father and sons, and groups of friends came out to enjoy the day and also to watch the races.

One of the many classes racing.

It wasn’t about who won, or who was racing, but about the experience of off-road racing. If you have been to an off-road race before, you can tell just by showing up that there is an excitement in the air. It is something that can only be experienced at an off-road event.

We spoke with a father and his son that were coming out to the races for the first time. They had heard of the races before, had seen it on television and wanted to come experience what they had seen.

Some people, on the other hand, had a different objective with coming to the race. We spoke with one spectator saying, “I come out to the race to drink beer and party,” and there was plenty of that going around.

One reason why some people come out to the race.

All the people working the event are volunteers coming from all over to help work the event because their love for off-road. J.B. was volunteering for the second year. J.B. said, “Last year, they did not have as many volunteers so it made for a busy day, with a lot more rollovers than this year’s race.” He brought his old F340 Land Cruiser to help pull race vehicles off the course due to crashes or  breakdowns.

We asked J.B. why he came out again to the event. He said, “It’s a fun race, you get to stand right next to it and watch the whole thing.” J.B. is from Santa Clarita and likes the fact that this event is closer to him than the King of the Hammers.

The Grand Prix kicked off at 4:45pm, and was an all-out time battle for two straight hours. Drivers fought not just one another, but also the clock. The day started with qualifying and prelims, all leading up to the 40-vehicle main event.

Racing at Glen Helen is different than any other Ultra4 race.

The fans were not the only ones that were excited about this event. Jason Scherer, in his Fox sponsored-IFS buggy, won the pole for the Ultra4 main event. He said, “Glen Helen is different than the other races we do during the year. There are no rocks and it isn’t really a desert race because there is no whoops.”

“It is about making your car corner, and making passes on short course type racing. It is a challenge to do since the car was designed to go through the rocks, but it is a challenge for everyone. You have to race clean and you have to race smart,” said Scherer.

Having a course and event that is not only fun for the fans but for the drivers is hard to do, but the people with Ultra4 Racing have knocked it out of the park with the Glen Helen Grand Prix. With the course being accessible from almost any angle and multiple places, it was possible to watch several different aspects of the race.

Rescue 4Runner coming to help out an overturn a vehicle.

The course is comprised of so many new and different obstacles than the drivers are used to, creating challenges all over the track. Even with the course being something the drivers were not used to, and something the vehicles were almost over-designed for, there was still plenty of carnage and damage.

Like many of the other desert and short course races, the Grand Prix did have a pit area where the drivers could pull in to refuel, and have the team do a once-over of the vehicle before sending it back onto the track. Standing in the pit area, it seemed as though it was an easy course, but the drivers were still pushing the cars to the limit.

Multiple tire changes, broken shocks, and even damaged control arm mounts all rolled into the pits. Some things were easily fixed and the driver was sent back on his way, but others ended a team’s race day.

Dsquared Racing, based out of Colorado, had their 4441 vehicle roll into the pits with the front end sagging. It was apparent right away that something major was wrong. Driver Daren Henke was eager to get the problem resolved, but his team gave him the bad news.

The news he received ended their efforts with only fifteen minutes left in the two-hour race. A broken bulk head, the part on the vehicle where the lower control arms connect, was now barely hanging on.

Rollovers were also happening in many parts of the course, but Mark B. and his team of volunteers most using their own vehicles, made quick work flipping the vehicles upright. B and B Racing did not have so much luck after their number 4648 Jeep rolled down the largest hill on the course.

B and B Racing’s Jeep after the roll down the hill.

Driver Joey Etter was unharmed in the rollover, but the Jeep had seen the last action for the weekend. Even with the rollover, the team still finished seventh.

Amidst all the loud noise of revving V8’s, sirens from vehicles trying to make a pass on the person in front of them, one could say they were experiencing sensory overload. The smell of race fuel, food, and dirt was also everywhere anyone went.

The 4400 main event was the race everyone came to see. The field was bruised and battered with less than half of the starting 40 vehicles completing 16 laps. The top four drivers completed the most laps with 19.

Before the race even started, Jason Blanton said “It’s a long race, it’s going to be brutal.” His main concern was fuel consumption. Blanton did not seem to have an issue with that as he finished in second place, even after spending most of the day doing maintenance on the vehicle. Blanton enjoys racing at Glen Helen saying, “It is a fun course, and is always nice to get the car going sideways.”

Healy is the first to pass through the finish at around 6:50 p.m.

Navigating his way through all the tricky turns was race champion Loren Healy. Healy stated after finishing, “Glad it is over, that was a brutal race. It had to be one of the toughest races of my life.”

Catching some air on the short course.

Healy fought a good fight even with rolling his vehicle. Healy was able to land on his tires, getting pushed out of the way by a course volunteer into the rocks, and having to go into the pits to change the tire, he was still able to stay ahead of everyone and get the victory.

“We were at an all-out sprint for the first hour of the race and were finally able to back off once some drivers started falling off,” Healy said on how he was able to come out on top.

Off-road racing is an experience that if given the chance, everyone should go out and view. Chances are the first time out, you’ll be hooked. It is a high-adrenaline atmosphere, especially at Glen Helen Raceway, that keeps fans and drivers coming back for more.