Teardown in Tennessee: Ultra4 Racing at AOP July 24th/25th

Pumpkin · Jul 27, 2020

TBItoy said:
we moved around a lot, it was a LOT cooler up in the woods than down in the field. Just the nature of woods racing that you're not going to see much.

Next time I'll pre-plan a little more, learn the course and park a bit, and hike through the woods to watch some of the harder rock sections.

Get with me next year. If you don't mind a short hike through the trees, I can get you to some other spots. but a lot of that just depends on the course. I'm hoping to add some new stuff before next year.

TBItoy · Jul 27, 2020

Pumpkin said:
Get with me next year. If you don't mind a short hike through the trees, I can get you to some other spots. but a lot of that just depends on the course. I'm hoping to add some new stuff before next year.

Sounds good, I had just never been riding at the park before, so until we ran the race course after the race, I had no idea what was where.

I did think it was kinda funny that we ran into several people out on the trails after the race that were kinda pissy that the trails were so difficult and so far from the parking lot

like what did you expect? to drag your toy hauler right up the race course to your broken down rig and load it up?

dwa2469 · Jul 27, 2020

TBItoy said:
I had just never been riding at the park before

What did you think of it overall Nick

TBItoy · Jul 27, 2020

dwa2469 said:
What did you think of it overall Nick

I was jonesing for a real crawler. We got there about 8am and headed over into the 50s. I didn't pay attention that the black trails are the hard ones

... The canam on 32s did pretty good though.

The diversity of the types of rocks and terrain in such a small area is very cool. I bet it gets brutal when it's wet.

Pumpkin · Jul 27, 2020

TBItoy said:
I was jonesing for a real crawler. We got there about 8am and headed over into the 50s. I didn't pay attention that the black trails are the hard ones ... The canam on 32s did pretty good though.

The diversity of the types of rocks and terrain in such a small area is very cool. I bet it gets brutal when it's wet.

If you liked that side , you will love the side they raced down. Lots of crawler trails over there.

extremetownie · Jul 27, 2020

TBItoy said:
we moved around a lot, it was a LOT cooler up in the woods than down in the field. Just the nature of woods racing that you're not going to see much.

Next time I'll pre-plan a little more, learn the course and park a bit, and hike through the woods to watch some of the harder rock sections.

I got a great idea. Why dont you get you a rig again and we will ride up in the woods and watch.

Pumpkin · Jul 27, 2020

extremetownie said:
I got a great idea. Why dont you get you a rig again and we will ride up in the woods and watch.

Because you should have been there racing. I think you would have liked the Course Roger.

TBItoy · Jul 28, 2020

extremetownie said:
I got a great idea. Why dont you get you a rig again and we will ride up in the woods and watch.

Hell if I had a rig and opportunity, I'd have probably went somewhere else and went riding hahaha

I'll get another rig whenever we get the house built (which is what I've been saying for 2 years...)

The Luke · Jul 28, 2020

Trailabite said:
Well crap, You all offered to let me and my wife get under your tent when the rain came lol.

Yea that sounds about right. Haha I was actually back at camp when the rain come in. I took my boy back to take a nap, and I posted up under the awning at the camper with a couple cold ones. Haha

extremetownie · Jul 28, 2020

Pumpkin said:
Because you should have been there racing. I think you would have liked the Course Roger.

I was racing,I was just in Oklahoma.

Pumpkin · Jul 28, 2020

extremetownie said:
I was racing,I was just in Oklahoma.

I know, I was picking. I have 3 of your radios done. Having issues with the other one. I'll get it figured out and get them back to you.

jeeptj99 · Jul 28, 2020

Trailabite said:
Well crap, You all offered to let me and my wife get under your tent when the rain came lol.

hell should have had a beer with us.

tcDawg · Jul 29, 2020

The Luke said:
We must have been approx 10 ft apart from each other... We were in the ez up tent right next to the start line. We thought we'd lost our view also whenever they started the race. But once all the racers took off, everyone moved their cars and we could see again.

We were right there next to you most of the afternoon as well.

It sure was hot as a mother, until the rain came and cooled it down a little, but I had a blast. Watching the 4500/4600/4800 cars was really cool but the 4400 cars are just insane...so damn fast.

I will go back again next year if Ultra4 comes back to AOP, it was definitely a fun time. I hope either AOP or Ultra4, whoever is in charge of spectator areas, will consider some better set up areas for viewing.

The Luke · Jul 29, 2020

jeeptj99 said:
hell should have had a beer with us.

Or an adult Capri sun from the chicken lady....

The Luke · Jul 29, 2020

tcDawg said:
We were right there next to you most of the afternoon as well.

It sure was hot as a mother, until the rain came and cooled it down a little, but I had a blast. Watching the 4500/4600/4800 cars was really cool but the 4400 cars are just insane...so damn fast.

I will go back again next year if Ultra4 comes back to AOP, it was definitely a fun time. I hope either AOP or Ultra4, whoever is in charge of spectator areas, will consider some better set up areas for viewing.

Well hell.
I had SO many people holler at me that I have no clue who most of them were. It doesn't help I'm the worlds worst about remembering faces/names.

ridered3 · Jul 29, 2020

tcDawg said:
We were right there next to you most of the afternoon as well.

It sure was hot as a mother, until the rain came and cooled it down a little, but I had a blast. Watching the 4500/4600/4800 cars was really cool but the 4400 cars are just insane...so damn fast.

I will go back again next year if Ultra4 comes back to AOP, it was definitely a fun time. I hope either AOP or Ultra4, whoever is in charge of spectator areas, will consider some better set up areas for viewing.

I put a face with screen name for you when we got back home on Sunday.

As for spectator areas, they are all going to work on that for future the races. This years racer turnout was way bigger than expected thanks to Corona so all of pit row was taken up instead of having some spectator viewing areas. The Nitto truck parked at the short course didn't help any either.

Dedicated spectator areas in the wooded portion of the course is tough (with the exception of the bounty hill areas) since they are always one big rain away from having to change course either pre-race or bypasses during the race. Either way, it is something they are going to work on going forward.

Trailabite · Jul 29, 2020

The Luke said:
Or an adult Capri sun from the chicken lady....

a $10 Capri sun. It wasn't terrible.

Pumpkin · Jul 29, 2020

ridered3 said:
I put a face with screen name for you when we got back home on Sunday.

As for spectator areas, they are all going to work on that for future the races. This years racer turnout was way bigger than expected thanks to Corona so all of pit row was taken up instead of having some spectator viewing areas. The Nitto truck parked at the short course didn't help any either.

Dedicated spectator areas in the wooded portion of the course is tough (with the exception of the bounty hill areas) since they are always one big rain away from having to change course either pre-race or bypasses during the race. Either way, it is something they are going to work on going forward.

If I had known no one was going to run trail 64 this year. We would have blocked it off and let people on the hill between 64 and 65. and yes I feel the Nitto trailer should have been off the fence to allow spectators in that corner. another spot would have been if you had ran 90 until it came into 3. They drove right passed that. Some were probably hauling ass right there on trail 3.

ridered3 · Jul 29, 2020

Pumpkin said:
If I had known no one was going to run trail 64 this year. We would have blocked it off and let people on the hill between 64 and 65. and yes I feel the Nitto trailer should have been off the fence to allow spectators in that corner. another spot would have been if you had ran 90 until it came into 3. They drove right passed that. Some were probably hauling ass right there on trail 3.

No problem on your part at all. It's hard to figure out spectator spots for an endurance race either way. Watching from the Start line worked good enough for us this year. Will continue to make improvements for the race with each passing year

Here is a race recap put together by Driving Line:

Ultra4 2020 Tear Down in Tennessee

After a long hiatus that has lasted since the King of the Hammers in February, all the racers were excited to get back behind the wheels of their rigs.

www.drivingline.com

Race recap with 70+ pictures put together by Race-Dezert: