Brad Lovell grabbing top honors. More photos on Flickr.

Dirt Riot competitions have been gaining in popularity these days, as evidence by not only enthusiasm but by the increased number of vehicles showing up at each event. This style of endurance racing offers something unique for those already owning an Ultra4 vehicle, and with a focus on local based competitions it’s easy to see why Dirt Riot is growing in popularity.

We had the great pleasure of attending our first Dirt Riot competition last weekend in Moab, UT. It was this years 1st competition in the Mountain Series (there are 18 events in all), and with 23 Ultra4 vehicles in class the competition was fierce. While most Dirt Riot events are designed to be a 3 hr lap based endurance race, the tight course in Moab had Big Rich, the race owner & coordinator, changing things up a bit. Instead, this event had teams running 2 heats for a total of 3 hrs of racing and to keep the endurance theme intact, vehicles couldn’t be worked on in-between heats.

In the end, Brad Lovell grabbed top honors with an over 3 minute lead. He was followed by Levi Shirley in 2nd and his father Brian Shirley in 3rd. All three teams were powered by Spider 9 axles, which for us is always nice to see. Finish times provided below, courtesy of W.E.Rock.

So, in summary, Dirt Riot is a great format for both racers and spectators. Be sure to hit up an event this year, and with 18 of them there’s a good chance one is not far from your house. Also, we had a blast taking photos at this last race and posted them up on Flickr. They’re all licensed under Creative Commons so feel free to share with your friends.

Brian Shirley powering through the start gate. More photos on Flickr.