June 21st, 2018 –DAVIS, OK: Loren Healy, the most winning driver in ULTRA4 history, earned 1st place in Davis, OK last weekend for the 2nd Annual Holley EFi Clash at Cross Bar Ranch. The event was the first East meets West race that was a required race for drivers competing in both the Lasernut Western and 4 Wheel Parts Eastern regional series. More than 140 drivers registered for the event, making it one of the largest regional ULTRA4 events to date.
Qualifying and KMC Hard Charger Awards
Qualifying on Friday consisted of each driver getting one chance to complete the short course section of the 25-mile course. The fastest driver for each class during qualifying earned a KMC Hard Charger Award. This award repays driver entry fees each race all season long. Drivers qualified by class, starting with the UTVS and finishing with 4400s. Shawn Hess, a first-time participant in ULTRA4, proved the man to beat in the UTV (4900) class with a time of 2:13. In the Pro Comp Stock (4600) class, it was MetalCloak Stampede winner, Dawson Allington, with a fast time of 2:25. As was the case in Shamokin, it was once again Vaughn Gittin Jr., in the Rubicon Express Modified Class (4500) and Casey Gilbert in the 4800 G2 Legends (4800) that both earned pole position for their respective classes. Gilbert’s time was 1.5 seconds faster than Gittin’s, putting Gilbert on the pole for the Limited class race. In the ULTRA4 Unlimited (4400) class, it was 3-time King Shannon Campbell who laid down a blistering 2.01 to earn the pole position for the main race on Saturday.
Click here for full qualifying times for all drivers.
Saturday Main Race Results
Saturday’s 4400 race consisted of 75 miles and after two and a half hours of racing, only one minute and 18 seconds separated the top 5 finishers. The Cross Bar track featured an A Loop and a B Loop that brought all cars into the start/finish short course area twice each lap. As it was a total time race and the cars started 30 seconds apart, each loop featured a different driver with the fastest lap time. With the fastest drivers from both the 4 Wheel Parts Eastern and Lasernut Western series competing, the race had fans on the edge of their seats waiting for the overall winner to be announced. After 2:26:42, Loren Healy crossed the finish line first, but he would have to wait a grueling 17 minutes before being declared the winner. 2nd place went to Nitto Tire driver, Derek West, who ran a solid and fast race. Levi Shirley, who rolled in qualifying, started 17 minutes behind Healy, rounded out the podium by picking his way through the pack to earn the 3rd place podium.
The 4800 G2 Legends race featured: Brad Lovell, Cade Rodd, and Casey Gilbert, who is undefeated in 2018, battling for the checkered. When the dust finally settled, it was Nitto driver, Casey Gilbert who remained atop the podium for his 4th straight race. In 2nd place was Amsoil Driver, Brad Lovell, and Cade Roddwith Jimmy’s 4×4 rounded out the podium in 3rd.
In the 4500 Rubicon Express Modified class, Vaughn Gittin Jr. took top spot and is leading the 4800s in the Eastern Series driving his Nitto Tire sponsored Bronco. Second place went to current Lasernut Western Series regional leader, Jimmy Jack who has traveled to all the regionals in 2018. In third place is relative newcomer, John Mathews, who started racing in 2017. He placed 4th at last month’s Stampede and earned his first podium finish in Oklahoma.
The West coast teams dominated in the Pro Comp Stock Class race. Earning top honors was Brian Behrend in his Jeep Cherokee. He is currently 2nd in Lasernut Western Series points. ULTRA4 Rookie, Dawson Allington, fresh off his win at Stampede took 2nd place and is currently leading the points in the west. And 3rdplace went to Jeep Thrillz driver, Albert Contreras, who is leading the points in the 4 Wheel Parts Eastern Regionals after attending every regional race so far, making the trek from Compton, CA to Shamokin, PA earlier this season.
The largest class of the day outside of the 4400s was that of the Can-Am sponsored 4900 UTVs, with 28 drivers starting and 20 finishing the main event on Saturday morning. In his first ULTRA4 race, Shawn Hess claimed the checkered flag, while new to ULTRA4, Hess has earned a name for himself in other UTV racing series. In 2nd place was current western series points leader, Cole Clark, and 3rd place went to 2nd in the west series, Travis Zollinger.
Click here for the complete results from the Holley EFi Clash at Cross 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. Surprisingly, just 3 points once again separates Miller Motorsports (61 points) and Campbell Enterprises (58 points) with Jimmy’s 4×4(44 points) claiming two of the three podium spots last weekend sitting in 3rd.
Click here for a breakdown of all Fab School Manufacturers Cup Points
Next Races in the series
The next races in the 2018 ULTRA4 Nitto National Championship series are the KMC Battle in Bluegrass in Bedford, KY July 20th and 21st and the Rigid Rampage at Ridgecrest in Ridgecrest, CA on August 10th and 11th.
