Battling at Badlands

July 3, 2013
Story By
Nitto Admin

The Ultra4 Racing series offers a schedule of races throughout the country on a wide variety of terrains. This past weekend competing teams arrived at Badlands Off-Road Park in Attica, Indiana for a whole lot of wet and muddy conditions. Nitto Racing driver, Derek West, led the race for the first 1-1 ½ hours, battling with Erik Miller for the lead. Meanwhile, Shannon Campbell handed off his vehicle to his 17 year old son, Wyland Campbell, due to his own recovering injuries (rules state that the driver on record only has to start or finish the race at the wheel). Wyland Campbell soon got stuck on a high rock section, struggling for 10 minutes to free himself of the obstacle. Meanwhile Derek West and Erik Miller widened the gap of their leading position. During the same time, fellow Nitto Racing drivers Loren Healy and Nick Nelson were having issues. Being larger vehicles, more familiar with the wide-open spaces of the West Coast, Healy and Nelson were finding it difficult to navigate within a tight course that Healy stated was “halfway under water.” Both drivers experienced mechanical issues that took them out of the race early on. (In the video below you can see where Healy lost his rear ring and pinion on his way up the rock pile at 2:08 minutes...or watch Derek conquer it at 4:35.) http://youtu.be/0XQ8sdahxwY When West and Miller both encountered their own mechanical issues and had to run back to the pit areas for a fix, 3^rd place Campbell succeeded in passing them up to take the win. So close to closing in with 1st place, but able to make it back to the course and finish in 5^th, West has maintained a good standing for overall points in the race for the 2013 National Championship. Congratulations to the drivers who qualified for King of The Hammers - the next qualifying race will be July 12^th and 13^th at Miller Motorsports Park in Todele, Utah. [caption id="attachment_5253" align="aligncenter" width="900"]

Loren Healy enjoys the after effects of racing in all that mud! Photo courtesy of Jimmy's Off Road Racing Team.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5252" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]

How you get a vehicle clean after the race - Derek West and team getting that mud off. Photo courtesy of Jimmy's Off Road Racing Team.[/caption]

Battling at Badlands

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