It’s On! Ultra 4 Rock Crawling ‘Moon Buggies’ To Race At Crandon’s Brush Run, June 16-17

Simon | May 15, 2012

Ultra4Crandon CRANDON, Wis. (May 9, 2012) – Fans attending next month’s (June 16-17) annual Brush Run at Crandon International Off-Road Raceway are in for a big time additional treat as the wild open wheel ‘moon buggy’-style vehicles that compete on the Ultra 4 Series, popularized by the annual “King of the Hammers” race, will line up and race the Brush Run both Saturday and Sunday at Crandon.

Likely thought of as the powerful 600-horsepower buggies that crawl up and down ungodly steep rock faces at places like Moab, Utah, the Ultra 4 Series vehicles – when unimpeded – can also blast across the desert at speeds in excess of 100 mph. That said, the inaugural 15 vehicle Ultra 4 race at Crandon will take place on the same track the Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, PRO Light, 2WD & 4×4 trucks race earlier in the day – with no obstacles put in the way of the Ultra 4 vehicles, which are thought to be able to reach the same speeds as the TORC PRO Light trucks at Crandon (approaching 90 mph).

“We’re coming to enjoy Crandon the exact way it is,” said Ultra 4 founder Dave Cole. “I’ve got a bet with Brad Lovell that our fastest guy will beat his PRO Light truck.”

“This style of racing is the foundation of our team, it is very thrilling to have our Ultra 4 family at Crandon the weekend of the TORC Brush Run,” said Lovell. “Ultra 4s are designed to take on any terrain and are truly unlimited four-wheel drives … anything goes! I don’t know exactly what to expect at Crandon from the Ultra 4s, but side bets are developing already. This might be the only change for a lot of these guys to ever race Crandon, so I know they will be going all out!” Note: Lovell’s brother, Roger, will run his No. 232 AMSOIL Torchmate rock racer (Ultra 4) at Crandon so Roger can focus on his No. 44 AMSOIL PRO Light driving duties.

The Ultra 4 vehicles, with their exposed suspension and massive low pressure flotation tires, mark a radical departure from the TORC truck-style racers at Crandon. Likened more to the Super Buggy class, Ultra 4s are considerably more powerful, higher off the ground and – something that the Crandon faithful will no doubt appreciate – tend to roll over onto their tops fairly easily.

“This is something we’ve never seen before – and our fans are really going to get a kick out of it,” said Crandon’s Cliff Flannery. “And it’s pretty neat how it came together so fast. From speaking with Dave at the Indy off-road trade show to having USAC/TORC sign off on it, the Ultra 4s at Crandon are really going to be something!”

Though this isn’t the first time Ultra 4 vehicles will race an off-road short course, having done so in the past at Utah’s Miller Motorsport Park and Glen Helen MX (Calif.), it will be the fastest speeds the 4,500-pound vehicles have attained outside racing in the open desert.

“Everybody likes to go fast. Now we get to do it for the biggest crowed we’ve ever raced in front of, at an iconic track,” said Cole, adding his first trip to Crandon this week was “Incredible.” “All I can think of is that first turn – and how 15 guys, side by side at nearly 100 miles per hour in open wheel buggies are going to make it out of there. One thing’s for sure is that we’re going to put on a heck of a show for the fans at Crandon!”

For more information on Crandon International Off-Road Raceway, including tickets, camping reservations and sponsorship information, please contact the Crandon offices at (715) 478-2222. And please visit our new website at www.crandonoffroad.com