When we reached out to Unlimited 4400 Class driver, Jordan Pellegrino, asking for a bit of background on the reasoning behind the ATV seen here, we received an earful, and for good reason. The chief driver of the GenRight/Rockstar Unlimited 4400 Class Ultra4 Car has witnessed his “Unicorn” go from digital concept to kick-ass canyon crusher, and the guy has one hell of a story to tell.

Jordan explains that although his old man had him off-roading at a very young age, King of the Hammers was the first racing endeavor to truly capture the interest of both father and son. With an unlimited “run what you brung” class piquing their curiosity, Jordan and his dad started racing King of the Hammers in 2010, in a race that has since been ambiguously renamed: “Ultra4 4400 Class.”

What began with a 500-horsepower, solid-axle car on bypass shocks, which was pretty damn high tech for its time, turned into Jordan and his old man building and racing two separate chassis designs over the following years. Forever pushing the limitations of parts and the ways in which they are designed and developed, Jordan and his father have since found themselves standing proudly on the podium on two separate occasions.

Since then, the 4400 Class has experienced its own form of metamorphosis. Higher horsepower, Hellcat-grade engines are now allowed, and the acceptance of all-out independent front suspension has allowed racers to traverse the silt-laden desert sections at speeds never thought possible. Jordan explains that in order to safely do so, improved steering feedback and the reduction of unsprung weight was required in order to allow sharper and safer carving at high speeds. While this surely adds even more exhilaration and danger to an already volatile off-road mix, from a photographer’s perspective, it also makes for some pretty stellar airborne snaps.

As for Jordan’s newest addition to the GenRight Off Road race stable, the #98 car is an exercise in over-excessive engineering, and holy shit is it awesome. Nicknamed “Unicorn” for all the right reasons, the #98 car takes everything that Jordan and his father have learned over the years and applies next-level creativity to the mix.

When asked as to what the reasoning was behind the extensive use of ARP bolts and various other fastener components on the vehicle, Jordan had this to say, “We love that ARP manufactures a wide variety of high-quality fasteners and hardware. [This way] we can keep the parts as small as possible for weight purposes but maintain strength for high-stress loads. Plus, it’s made in the USA!”

From the smallest washer to its independent front and rear suspension technology, this chassis successfully instills long-travel Class 1 off-road race car engineering within an Ultra4 Unlimited 4WD platform. By going a step beyond, and outfitting the car with outer portal boxes, Jordan has given the GenRight car another major advantage over the competition. A whopping 4.5-inches of ground clearance decimates all independent front suspension competitors, both negating compressed suspension concerns, and permitting full-throttle launches over dunes and whatnot.

While the build may be complete (for now), Jordan admits that he will continue to test and tune his Unicorn until it reaches the point where it can contend in the “Superbowl” of off-road races at King of the Hammers. After that, his plans are to then cross over to other forms of off-road racing in order to show the world how competitive his Unicorn can be when pushed.

Want to learn more about what went into making Jordan’s #98 Unicorn kick to the tune of 700+ whp? Check out the spec sheet he sent over to us, and be sure to click on the video embedded underneath it all, as it shows some of the behind-the-scenes engineerings that went into this Unicorn.

Photo Credit LDRSHIP Designs and Jami Pellegrino