Ultra4 Racing: King Of The Mountain

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The 2015 Ultra4 Racing Series came to a spectacular finish this month with the top racing teams from across the country meeting at the Wild West Motorsports Park in Reno, Nevada for the Ultra4 National Championships. The event attracts thousands of off-road racing fans from across the country who gather to watch their favorite teams compete through the two day event. Many fans commented on this venue being the best in the series as it has all of the top drivers and you can see every section of the track from the seats in the grandstands.

REWA008The cars in this series are what some would consider an engineering marvel. The trip through the pits alone is worth the price of admission. Fans can be seen in the pits between races waiting for an up close look at the latest in off-road racing components that teams have selected for the race. Many fans can be overheard discussing the benefits of the solid axle vs. the independent front suspension.

Spectators ask team members about the benefits of a three-speed transfer case or compare the number of cars with Fox shocks to the number with King shocks. Welders and fabricators in the crowd marvel at the perfect welds and workmanship that these teams must have to keep their cars running on the track. For us, it’s always the roar of the 700 to 900 hp engines starting as they prepare to pull on to the track.

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This year the course included a huge four-lane wide rock section stretching half way across the front of the grandstands along with several dirt short-course sections leading up to a steep climb to the top of the mountain behind the dirt track. Racers would then fly along the ridge and drop straight down the mountain at speeds over 100 mph to the top of the dirt track and the large challenging downhill rock section. Dropping out of the bottom of the rocks cars navigate through a series of sharp turns to find their way back on to the track speeding back towards the rock section in front of the grandstands.

On Friday, you could not walk three steps through the vendor area without hearing fans discussing drivers and cars in the 4400 Pro Unlimited class after qualifying. This event is a fan favorite because it is the one event where the top drivers from the Eastern Regional Series all go head-to-head with the best drivers from the Western Regional Series. Everyone was wondering if the new car built by Shannon Campbell was going to be enough to overcome Loren Healy, who had won nearly every race he had entered in 2015.

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Would drivers like Derek West, Clay Gilstrap, Levi Shirley and Jason Shipman who had success in their region be able to get their cars across the finish line in first place at a National Championship? Would Gary Ferravanti Sr. the fastest car in qualifying and champion of the Nor Cal Rock Racing series be able to run away from the pack and speed to victory?

On Saturday, everyone breathing in the Wild West Motorsports Park lined the fence and filled the stands for the 4400 Pro Unlimited final. This was the going to be the best seven laps of the weekend and nobody was going to miss it. This race started off with cars four wide through the rocks literally leaping through the rock section.

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Gary Ferravanti Sr. and Clay Gilstrap blasted through the first rock section with the whole pack charging hard behind them. Gilstrap flew down the downhill section on lap one to steal the lead from Ferravanti who shortly after stalled at the bottom of the rocks. Gilstrap lead lap two with Loren Healy moving into second and quickly closing the gap. By lap three, Healy was on Gilstrap looking for an opportunity to pass.

That opportunity came in the steep downhill section where Healy literally flew down the hill with tires barely touching the ground. From that point on, it was all Healy and the battle for second heated up as Healy drove off extending the lead. Lap traffic became an issue as it slowed Healy, allowing Scherer who had moved into second place to close the gap.

In the final lap, with Healy racing off towards the checkered flag followed by Scherer, Erik Miller takes the opportunity to pass Gilstrap in the downhill rock section and finish in third place. Gilstrap finished in fourth with Levi Shirley in fifth and Shannon Campbell launching his new car at full speed over the rock section to the roar of cheering fans to finish off the Ultra4 season.

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About the author

Sean Lyons

Sean Lyons grew up watching family racing at the All American Speedway in Roseville, California. His first opportunity behind the wheel was at age 9 with homemade go carts on a ¼-mile dirt oval built by his grandfather. Sean started working for a local magazine as a photographer in the Sacramento area in 2012, and realized that he could combine his love for photography and racing. He now enjoys photographing AMA Pro Motocross, NHRA drag racing, NASCAR, and a variety of off-rroad racing events.
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