Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

With just one qualifying spot open for the 2013 King of the Hammers, last weekend’s Dirt Riot Nationals was a fight to the finish. Adam Carter ended the competition winning this KOH spot with Clay Gilstrap, pictured here, just 18 seconds behind. While Clay didn’t get the KOH spot this time around, finishing just seconds behind the qualifying leader in a Pro Mod car borrowed last-minute for the race is still impressive. There’s another chance to qualify for next year’s KOH in November, and we’d expect Clay is already getting ready.

Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

Last weekend’s Dirt Riot Nationals wasn’t just an endurance race among top competitors in the nation, it was also home to one available qualifying spot for the 2013 King of the Hammers. There were a number of racers looking for that spot, and having just one opening available fueled an aggressively competitive playing field for all 3 hours of racing. In the end, by a margin of just 18 seconds, Adam Carter (shot above) grabbed this qualifying spot. Congrats Adam, and we’ll see you at the 2013 King of the Hammers!

Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

Threw on the old wide angle for some of last weekend’s Dirt Riot Nationals. With Ultra4s racing as fast as they are these days, for safety we may have to reconsider. Then again, it’s always nice to grab a few shots like this one, complements of driver Brian Shirley of course.

Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

The Texas field that made up the Dirt Riot Nationals had a little bit of everything. Rocks, sand, high-speed roads, and of course mud challenged each driver on their 3 hour endurance race. We grabbed this shot of Levi Shirley, who didn’t seem phased by the rain of mud on nearly every lap. That’s racing.

Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

Ultra4s are not the only class of vehicle in Dirt Riot. There’s also a Modified Stock class (much like the Ultra4s, but with stricter rules on modifications allowed) and a UTV class. While all classes are guaranteed fun for the weekend, the UTV class is one that makes so much sense. Just about all the teams come to the events with UTV type vehicles as a means of getting around. So, why not jump in a race before the big Ultra4 race. Not only do you get more time to have fun, you have a unique opportunity to run essentially the same course as Ultra4s, making the ultimate Ultra4 pre-run.

The shot above is of Levi Shirley, racing his pink Polaris RZR in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Levi grabbed a 3rd place finish in the UTV race and a 6th place finish in the Ultra4 race. When the dust settled, Levi ended this years series as the Dirt Riot National Title and Central Series Title Champion. Congrats Levi!