Ultra4 Off-Road Races Uses Big Power to Crush the Course

Unlimited Racing

"All cars must be capable of 4-wheel drive." That's from the Ultra4 rulebook. Notice they said 'capable.' That's an important distinction because if you lose a driveshaft or snap a wheel off you don't get disqualified just because your vehicle no longer has four wheels being driven. Ultra4 started out with 12 teams racing for beer in the original King Of Hammers off-road race back in 2006. Since then it's evolved into a seven race series leading up to the final event in Johnson Valley, California. And that's just in the U.S., there's also four races in Europe, one in Australia, and an exhibition in China. Oh, and about the other rules—there aren't any.

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What it Takes

Drivers in the Ultra4 Racing Series have to conquer rock crawls, master short courses, and keep it together over desert endurance sections. In an event that calls for speeds in excess of 100 mph and gear ratios as low as 100:1 there is no single solution to finishing first, but let's take a look at what competitors have to say about the keys to success. Gerald Lee of Savvy Off Road offers: “Whatever you use it must be reliable and easy to maintain. It has to be simple and a proven product for us to use.” As the saying goes: First you must finish.

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It takes Power

A wide-open rulebook means you'll see countless strategies to the crack the same nut in Ultra4; often teams work directly with manufacturers to develop the parts they need to get the job done. As Tony Pellegrino from GenRight Off-Road puts it: “Part of what I like about Ultra4 is that it is unlimited! Design and build what you think will win, then show up on race day and prove it.” One thing the cars all have in common though is power. Engines typically crank out 500-800 horsepower and 500-750 lb-ft of torque, most commonly driving a high-performance Turbo-Hydramatic 400. Advance Adapters Atlas 2 is a popular transfer case choice and often coupled to Currie or Spidertrax axles.

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It Takes Strength

There's no standard chassis so teams either build their own or pick from the options offered by custom metal fabrication shops, usually constructed from 2-inch diameter 4130 Chromoly tubing. You'll find King and Fox suspension components on most competitor's vehicles and wheel sizes are usually run in the 38-40 inch range—wearing Falken, Nitto, Maxxis and BF Goodrich tires, among others. When something goes wrong help is often far away and teams don't receive computer data or GPS info to help them sense failures or locate a downed vehicle. It's not uncommon for drivers to have to cobble their car back together enough to get them moving again, sometimes in the dark.

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It takes Teamwork

Not only do drivers need to know how to perform repairs in the field, other crew members need to have overlapping skills if they want to triumph. Teams of 2-3 people—often including family members—handle manager, crew chief, tire specialist, engine tech, suspension tech, general maintenance, and driver duties interchangeably. The punishing nature of the event creates a close-knit feeling among competitors and it's common for teams to lend tools or even parts to their competition to help them get back in action. They'd want the same help if they were in a world of hurt, and besides, it's more fun to beat a running foe than one sitting by the side of the road.

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It Takes Preparation

Good luck aside, nothing ensures success like prep work. After they wash all the mud from the last race off, entrants remove, inspect, and repair or replace all suspension parts. Shocks are rebuilt and shock bolts are routinely replaced. The engine gets pulled and sent for a rebuild. The differential housing and bearings, gears, axle shafts and lockers are all inspected. Brakes, hubs, steering, and safety components are inspected. In short, everything is checked and repaired or replaced as needed.

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It Takes Knowledge

A flawlessly prepared vehicle isn't very useful if you take the wrong line or meet a boulder you can't beat. A day or two spent pre-running the course will tell you where you can go fast and where you'd better not. The series crown jewel King of Hammers event attracts teams all year 'round looking to run the course and learn what they can. Pre-running, in the words of two time King of Hammers champ Loren Healey, “kinda takes you back to the days of recreational wheeling just for fun.” Serious teams often limit race week pre-running to a single lap run well under their limit to prevent mishaps that could end their hopes prematurely.

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It Takes a Village

If you're not ready to race across the desert in an 800 hp unlimited class 4-wheeler you can still get in on the action. Jalopnik described King of Hammers as the "the all-time best off-road racing experience for spectators," saying, "It’s more than just a singular race, it’s a whole week of camping, carousing, and competing with events for UTVs, dirt bikes and various other vehicles leading up to the main event in Ultra4 cars." So if you're not doing anything February 2-10, 2018 why not head to sunny Southern California to see what all the fuss is about. And since the organizers shoot films of their events—eight full-length releases to date—you might just make it into movie number nine.

>>Join the conversation about the Ultra4 Off-road Races in the LS1 Tech Forum!

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