Photos by Mike DiCarlo.
2018 MetalCloak Stampede 4400 Main Race
May 17th, 2018 – PRAIRIE CITY SVRA, CA: Wayland Campbell, the 2017 Nitto National ULTRA4 Champion, once again proved he is the driver to beat at last weekend’s MetalCloak Stampede. The 6th annual event was the largest ULTRA4 race held in Prairie City to date and was the first race in the Lasernut Western Regional ULTRA4 Championship. More than 125 drivers registered and, for the first time ever, both the 4800 G2 Legends and the 4900/UTV classes required two preliminary heats to accommodate racing for the nearly 30 car turnouts for each class.
Qualifying and KMC Hard Charger Awards
The event lasted two days with practice and qualifying taking place on Friday, May 11th, and a full day of preliminary heats and main events on Saturday, May 12th. The KMC Hard Charger award is given to the fastest qualifier in each of the 5 classes that compete in ULTRA4 regional races. Friday’swinners saw the return of some seasoned drivers and the rise of relative newcomers to ULTRA4. With a time of 1.53, Nick Nelson making his return after a several year hiatus, earned the KMC Hard Charger award for fastest qualifying position in the 4400 class. Rookie Seth Van Dyke, in his 2nd ever ULTRA4 race, claimed the KMC Hard Charger award for the 4800 G2 Legends class. ULTRA4 veteran Dave Schneider, driving Dustyn Friesen’s car, won the award for the 4500 Rubicon Express Modified Class. 4605 Albert Contreras, a regular on the 4600 Pro Comp Stock Class podium, snagged the fastest time in his class. And rookie Justin Bor claimed the pole position for the 4900 Can-Am UTV class with a 2:05.
Saturday Main Race Results
The ULTRA4 4400 Main Event on Saturday was one of the fastest and closest main events in ULTRA4 history. For most of the main, the fastest cars had lap times equal to or faster than Nelson’s fastest qualifying time on Friday. Wayland Campbell won his morning heat earning him a spot in the front row. He established a lead early and spent the remainder of the race with Levi Shirley and Cody Addington (in his newly acquired Red Dragon) in hot pursuit. In the last lap of the main, all three drivers were nose-to-tail with Addington going for the pass on Shirley to claim the 2nd position, and Shirley rounding out the podium in 3rd.
In the 4800 G2 Legends race, Jason Bunch, a top driver in 2017, claimed the checkered; with two rookies David Hartman and Matthew Young, claiming 2nd and 3rd respectively on a race weekend that saw the largest 4800 class race outside of King of The Hammers. The 4500 Rubicon Express Modified class saw Jimmy Jack dominating most of the main event until a mechanical issue knocked him off pace in the final minutes of the race. Dave Schneider and Justin Hall were close on Jack’s heels and continued to battle for the lead until the checkered flag dropped and Schneider earned top spot with Hall less than 1.5 seconds behind him. OGR racer Mike Bedwell took 3rd to complete the podium. For the 4600 Pro Comp stock class, it was ULTRA4 rookie, Dawson Allington, and relative newcomer to ULTRA4, Josh Atteberry, who took the 1st and 2nd spots respectively with Brian Behrend claiming the 3rd podium position. In the Can-Am 4900 UTV Race, Phil Burton’s 944 car earned the top spot with a substitute driver, followed closely by rookie’s Cole Clark and Jacob Versey claiming 2nd and 3rd respectively in the largest UTV class to date at an ULTRA4 Regional Event.
Click here for the complete results from the MetalCloak Stampede main events.
The Fab School Manufacturers Cup
New for 2018 is the Fab School Manufacturers Cup which is a competition between chassis builders. Each chassis builder can have between 3 and 5 drivers compete in the cup. Currently Miller Motorsports is leading with 46 points with Campbell Enterprises in close 2nd with 43 points, and Jimmy’s 4×4 currently has 27 points after the first 3 races.
Next Races in the series
The next race in the 2018 ULTRA4 Nitto National Championship series will be the Holley Efi Clash at the Cross Bar Ranch taking place in Davis, OK the weekend of June 15th and 16th. This event will be the first of its kind as we combine the 4 Wheel Parts Eastern Regional and Lasernut Western Regional event for a mid-year East/West competition.