Race Prep Racing Stays Consistent With a Solid Finish in Utah
Richie Carter, driver of the 4474 Race Prep Racing car had another successful weekend, finishing the American Rock Sports Challenge at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah in 17th place. A weekend jeeper, Richie kept the car together, suffering no mechanical issues all weekend, and pushed his 230 horsepower motor to the limit on this brand new course. A combination of short course and man-made rock pile, the American Rock Sports Challenge proved a good event for the team and allowed Race Prep Racing to continue with their successful season of finishing without breaking, which has consistently landed them in the top half of the competition at every race this year.
“I entered the gates at Miller and realized this was the big time. I am often in awe of the racers I am surrounded by in the Ultra4 class but after a little practice I knew we could do well here,” Richie said. The self-funded Race Prep Racing team did, indeed, do well. They qualified straight in to the semi-finals on Saturday. Many big name teams were not as lucky, facing instead the LCQ (Last Chance Qualifier) as their only chance to make the semis. Carter took his modest buggy to its limits and finished his semi-final in 8th place, putting him in the consolation round. “Some guys find this round to be a disappointment. I feel I drove the car as hard as it could handle, and I am in good company among many Ultra4 drivers with a lot more horsepower,” Richie remarked as he fueled the car one last 
time in preparation for his final round. And the consolation final proved no different than any of the earlier rounds: big air, packed turns on the short course, and a fast pace through the rock section. The format of this event required each racer to take six laps on the short course and two on the rocks. The choice of when to hit the rocks section proved crucial. Too soon and there could be traffic there. Too late and caution flags could separate you from the rest of the pack. Kristen stayed on the sidelines, choosing to spot from the stands instead of the passenger seat at this event. “I could tell that being able to transition him [Richie] from the short course to the rocks at the right time would be critical, so I needed to be able to see the whole course, which I couldn’t do from the car,” Kristen said. Like he had done all day long, Richie took the Race Prep Racing 4474 car through the laps with ease and crossed in 5th place among the group, giving him a 17th place finish overall for the day.
Having qualified for King of the Hammers earlier this season, Richie was able to really enjoy this race. “The pressure is off,” Richie said, “now we race for points.” The word consistent came up again and again throughout the weekend in relation to Richie and the 4474 car and as usual, he is proud of that description. “We are shopping for sponsors and it’s easy to sell our team when the record shows we finish races. We are making some significant changes to the buggy that will make us more competitive, but consistency will remain important to me. Anyone who wants to partner with our team can rest assured we will give 
the media every minute we can to get their logos seen,” said Richie. Race Prep Racing currently sits in 13th place in the points for this racing series. The team is hopeful this solid finish will move them back into the top ten.
Richie and Kristen Carter will compete next in Reno, NV at the Ultra4 Stampede on September 7-10, 2011, stop number five in this six-race series.
While Race Prep Racing remains unsponsored, they would like to recognize the support of the following: Raceline Wheels,
GenRight Off Road, Wayne Israelsen (Alltech Motorsports) and Rigid Industries.
Race Prep Racing always displays the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation logo in support of finding a cure for the devastating disease, Spinal Muscle Atrophy. For information about SMA, Gwen or the foundation, visit their website at www.gwendolynstrongfoundation.org , call Bill Strong at (818) 231-5935 or e-mail him at bill@gwendolynstrongfoundation.org.
About Richie Carter: Currently residing in Simi Valley, CA with his wife of 11 years, Richie (38) was raised in Calabasas, CA, attended Sonoma State University, and is the owner of Race Prep Hobbies, an “ALL RC” hobby store selling remote control cars, boats, planes and helicopters and all of their parts. He proudly co-drove for Tony Pellegrino at KOH 2010 and Kevin Sacalas at the Colorado Hill Climb 2010 before striking out on his own to race Ultra4.
If you would like more information about the driver, co-driver or the team, are interested in sponsorship opportunities, or would like a chance to interview them or photograph the car, please call Kristen Carter at(818) 590-9436 or e-mail her at Kristen@raceprepracing.com.
You can find Race Prep Racing on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Race-Prep-Racing/189202344464062
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