One of the most impressive, and relentless, drivers to battle the rock quarry mountain was Chicky Barton. We took this shot right as Chicky was deciding if there was enough room to squeeze past Shawn Fisher, a section that only had been climbed prior with a winch. Needless to say Chicky saw a line no one had seen before, and launched right up. He finished the day in 4th place.

The title says it all. Derek West started up front, but the field got tangled pretty early on. Derek fought his way till the end, being only one of three guys to complete all 6 laps. He finished the day with a solid 3rd place.

A lot of action took place at the Badlands rock quarry. Here’s an early shot of Jason Shipman, plowing through the boulder field in the heart of the quarry. See Derek West right behind him? Bumper to bumper action was a common site during this race.

Almost all Ultra4 competitions are during the day. As the sun set at the Badlands, racers reminded us of something we had almost forgotten: Ultra4s have lights. Erik Miller kindly reminds us here, from a shot we took on his last lap of the night.

There are a number of things that define a top team. Skill, high quality parts, and course knowledge all play pivotal roles in determining who takes a podium finish. There is one other detail though, and it always catches our attention walking the pits BEFORE the race even begins. There’s a lot to be said about having your things in order, and the pit walkthrough just prior to racing is always a tell sign who is really ready to take a podium spot.

We grabbed this shot of Derek West just an hour before the start of the Badlands race. His rig looked more ready then ever, and wouldn’t you know, he grabbed 3rd place. Here’s the OFFICIAL scores, courtesty of Ultra4Racing.