Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

A rare view from the Wall of 2nd place finisher Mike Colville. After racers make it to the top, they still have to get back down… this consists of a near vertical decent to the right of the initial climb. It’s a spot virtually hidden from the spectators, and it’s impressive to watch these machines tackle the decent like it was no obstacle at all. Mike finished with 9 total laps, looked absolutely unstoppable the entire time, and took the time penalty bypass only 2 times. He secured his 2nd place spot by a large margin, and finished the race having completed the Wall more times than any single racer on the field. Only the 2nd Ultra4 competition for Mike’s brand new Spider 9 powered IFS racer, it was exciting for all of us to see both driver and machine right at home in the Badlands terrain.

Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

Tom Wayes was running wickedly fast lap times and tackled the wall like it was nothing but a small rock. He seemed next to unstoppable, that is until mud found its way into both of Tom’s eyes. Well into his 6th lap, he ended up with double scratched corneas… my eyes water just thinking about it. Tom is not one to give up, but even Chuck Norris needs the gift of sight to drive an Ultra4. While he had to call it quits, we still ended up with an arsenal of kill shots of him in action. What’s even better, Tom was the fastest 6 lap racer, granting him a 9th place finish. Crazy considering he had another 1+ hours left to race.

Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

We are now officially half way thru the Ultra4 US & European circuit (6 races down, 6 to go) and it’s worth pausing, even for just a race second, to reflect on how far this sport has come. I need to be careful, as to not repeat myself when returning from every race, but this year has truly been an amazing achievement for our sport and racing in general. From parmesan to corn dogs, Ultra4 is the ultimate everybody come together experience. If asked “can we all get along?” you answer “Hell yeah!” in Ultra4. Do not mistake this camaraderie, in a magnitude unlike any other motorsport on the planet, for lack of competitive drive and spirit. Every race I have hit this year commanded a field of drivers & machines faster than ever before, and in numbers far exceeding my wildest expectations. Read more…

Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

High res photos now available for download on our Flickr page, https://flic.kr/s/aHsjYwRayE . Next up in the Ultra4 European circuit is King of the Valleys, the event that kicked it all off. Looking forward to seeing everyone out there, maybe we’ll find another Smart Car to race around.

Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0

Two of the nicest guys you’ll find in the Ultra4 European circuit right here. I first met up with driver Walter Philippo and co-driver Tom Ramaekers at King of the Glens. In Walter’s Spider 9 powered Jesse Haines built Ultra4 racer, the course of the Glens swallowed him up like many others, his beautifully crafted machine was not made for such terrain. Then came King of the Mountains. Running their own race, focused more on just finishing rather than placing, when the dust finally settled Walter & Tom grabbed themselves a 5th place finish. They looked great out there, lap after lap, and managed to run the entire weekend with zero issue. Watch out for these guys in the next two European races, the right attitude and the right parts will get you far in Ultra4. Congrats on the finish guys!