Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

While the tabletop was our favorite from last year’s American Rocksports Challenge (ARSC), this year’s hands down favorite for us was the re-invented rock section. Although not a complaint per say from last year, Ultra4s have gotten so capable in the rocks that they seemed to breeze through the old rock course. Not the case this year as Dave Cole, event owner, promoter, and wearer of many hats, opened up the field to allow for more rocks, multiple lines, opportunities to pass, essentially changing the complete rock landscape. The result, a very challenging rock course requiring both vehicle & driver skill.

We grabbed this shot of Brian Shirley, taking the left most line out of the rock garden itself. Brian was one of the few drivers who dialed in multiple lines exiting this section, picking the one that best suited his driving style as well as avoiding Ultra4 traffic. Brian finished this years ARSC with a 7th place position. His son Levi placed one spot above him, 6th, giving their team Lucky Dog Racing two top 10 spots for the weekend.