Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

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!

Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

Nothing like dialing in a new Ultra4 racer early in the year. Chicky Barton’s IFS debut race, the 2014 King of the Hammers, didn’t go exactly as planned. They almost never do, especially with a brand new build; the racing field always seems to provide new ways of finding the small new car gremlins that, despite the very best efforts, always persist. With a small amount of down time between KOH and Ultra4s at Superlift, Chicky went straight to work, taking what he learned from KOH, removing those gremlins he found out in the desert, all to dial in his fastest car yet.

Well, this weekend was certainly testament to that. Without EVER letting up (seriously, pretty sure his foot never came off that throttle), Chicky commanded the field at Hot Springs. With 40 racers in total, it was the most challenging Ultra4s at Hot Springs race to date, so taking top honors was even sweeter than ever. Congrats Chicky, and his father for co-driving the entire time, it was a blast to see you back in action. As Chicky always says, Ship the Bed! Not exactly sure what that means… something to do with his co-owned mattress store? Doesn’t matter, Ship the Bed!

Before we wrap up, congrats to all 25 drivers who crossed the finish line, it was a tough race and it’s nice to see more than half the field make it to the end. We’ll post a few photos throughout the week, be sure to keep an eye out for them. Till next time!

Scores courtesy of Ultra4Racing.com