Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

Ultra4s at Superlift in Hot Springs, AR is really two competitions wrapped in one. Between 9am and 2pm, Ultra4s battled it out for 5 laps of racing insanity. This would be the main Ultra4 race, the one that counts toward the series points. It was Chicky Barton who took top honors here, but the day was just getting going.

From 6pm to 9ish, the RCV ULTRA4s vs. SRRS Rock Bouncer Shootout was underway. No doubt this fun, but highly competitive shootout, is here to stay for future Ultra4s at Superlift races. Simply put, Ultra4s and Rock Bouncers battle it out in a timed start to finish race up an obstacle chosen just prior to race day. No practice is allowed, however you can walk the course to plan your attack. It’s a fast run, roughly 20 seconds for the fastest of the fast, and your total score is the combination of the two runs you are allowed to do.

This year’s challenge was carefully selected  to balance both capabilities of Ultra4 and Rock Bouncer vehicles, in an effort of course to make it as competitive and fair as possible. While all drives made an insane mountainside climb look easy, it was west coast racer Tom Wayes with his Spider 9 powered IFS racer who simply got it done. Both of his runs were among the fastest, of course, but it was the consistency of both together that sealed his victory. Congrats Tom!