There’s an extremely off-road capable machine that can fly high with the best of them, and that’s an Ultra4 Buggy. They have a similar suspension system as you’d find on a high dollar Trophy Trucks. And while most of the races they participate in require them to crawl up and over some hardcore obstacles, there is the occasional race that lets them stretch their legs and spread their wings a bit. Which is exactly what happened at the Dirty Turtle Off-Road Park in Bedford, Kentucky.
They call it the Bluegrass East Coast Ultra4 Race and it was put on by KMC Wheels. Not only does it draw massive crowds of like-minded off-road enthusiasts, but also some of the top drivers and teams in the Ultra4 racing world. If you followed the 2017 King of Hammers, you’ll immediately recognize the funky looking Monster Energy sponsored machines of Shannon Campbell, the winner of the 2017 KOH. Or you might recognize Levi Shirley and his equally funky looking Maxxis sponsored buggy that has been popping up in photos all over the internet. Regardless of your favorite team or driver, or even if you’re a fan of Ultra4 racing in general, there is one thing nobody can argue and that’s the overall popularity of these types of races.
I say that because Ultra4 seems to follow the “best of both worlds” mentality and that makes it very relatable for spectators of the motorsport. It provides a little something for all types of off-road enthusiasts, short course racing, endurance racing, desert racing, and of course hardcore rock crawling. However, it’s not very often that you really get to see an Ultra4 “send it,” which is why this particular video filmed at the Dirty Turtle caught my attention. The videographer planted himself at a few key locations where he could see these top level racers launching off a table top. As each lap went on, the drivers got more familiar with the track and therefore the jumps got bigger and bigger which makes it even more entertaining to watch. So take a minute and watch these Ultra4’s doing what they were built to do, even though you may not have known it.