Riverside, CA – ICON Vehicle Dynamics is proud to announce a company-wide level of support for a team of exceptional off-road motorsports athletes for 2015. ICON’s involvement at the top tier levels of Ultra 4 and LOORRS competition is an excellent way for the company to push the limits of its products and put them to the ultimate test. These drivers and teams are utilizing the same parts that are in ICON’s “off the shelf” products, which helps ICON engineers accelerate testing and allows for continuous product improvement based on the successes found on the race track. ICON will be on-site at many of the LOORRS and Ultra4 races, so be sure to follow our drivers and look for Team ICON at an event near you!
Tom Wayes / Ultra4 / #321
Tom Wayes is an Alaskan backcountry heli-ski guide turned off-road racecar driver who has found great success in being anything but average. With a larger-than-life personality, Tom thrives in situations that make others shrink in fear. Whether it’s barreling down the snow-covered face of some of the biggest mountains in Alaska strapped into his skis or taming some of the most unforgiving terrain in the country in his LS7 powered Ultra4 car, Wayes has no issue with pushing the limits. After a valiant effort at this year’s King of the Hammers presented by Nitto Tire, Tom and his team are drawing a bead on the 2015 Ultra4 National Series. Follow along with Wayes and the ICON-equipped #321 machine as he battles for a 2015 championship win!
Eric Barron / LOORRS Pro 4 / #32
Eric Barron is a well-versed competitor who has seen success in several forms of racing. Growing up, Barron won races and championships in BMX, motocross, and karting competition. As time rolled on Eric immersed himself in dirt track and road racing for a few years until short course off-road made its way to the western US. This form of motorsport caught Barron’s attention and after a short time he built his first Pro 4 to compete at the top level of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. Since then Eric has secured 7 race wins, multiple podium finishes, and is looking to make 2015 a winning year in the ICON-equipped #32 Pro 4.
Dustin Nelson / LOORRS Pro Lite / #94
Dustin Nelson is a professional motorsports racer and a Yamaha test rider with a 20-year career topping podiums on motorcycles, ATVs, and side-by-sides. A record holding championship racer, Dustin “Nelly” Nelson has proven his ability to win in several forms of motorsport and is now ready for the next step in his career – the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Pro Lite class. Keep an eye out for the ICON-equipped #94 Pro Lite throughout the 2015 LOORRS racing season.
About ICON Vehicle Dynamics…
ICON Vehicle Dynamics is a premiere performance suspension manufacturer specializing in aftermarket components for trucks, SUV’s, and off-road racing vehicles. The company’s business is customer-driven, technology-influenced, and engineering-oriented. ICON focuses on world-class manufacturing processes and product development techniques to introduce some of the most advanced components to the aftermarket suspension market. Led by head engineer and SCORE champion driver Dylan Evans, ICON Vehicle Dynamics has the unique qualities to design and build the highest quality suspension components and test them in both real world applications as well as race conditions.
2015 Lucas Oil Off Road Race Series Schedule
Mar 20 – 21 / Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park / Lake Elsinore, CA
Apr 24 – 25 / Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park / Chandler, AZ
May 30 – 31 / Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park / Lake Elsinore, CA
Jun 20 – 21 / Miller Motor Sports Park / Tooele, UT
Jul 18 – 19 / Glen Helen Raceway / Glen Helen, CA
Aug 1 – 2 / Baja International Short Course at Estero Beach
Aug 22 – 23 / Wild West Motorsports Park / Sparks, Nevada
Sep 18 – 19 / Las Vegas Motor Speedway / Las Vegas, NV
Oct 24 – 25 / Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park / Lake Elsinore, CA
2015 Ultra4 Trail Gear Western Regional Series
May 8 – 9 / MetalCloak Stampede / Sacramento, CA
Jul 10 – 11 / 4 Wheel Parts Grand Prix / San Bernardino, CA
Aug 29 – 30 / ULTRA4 / Utah
Oct 16 – 17 / Nitto Tire National Championship / Reno, NV
2015 Ultra4 4WD Hardware Eastern Regional Series
Jun 26 – 27 / Badlands / Attica, IN
Jul 31 – Aug 1 / Sturgis Off Road Blowout / Sturgis, KY
Sep 11 – 12 / Hot Springs ORV Park / Hot Springs, AR
Oct 16 – 17 / Nitto Tire National Championship / Reno, NV
Monroe, MI, Jan. 26, 2015 – DynoMax® Performance Exhaust – the performance exhaust brand of Tenneco – has announced the 2015 DynoMax ULTRA4 race team that includes more than 75 teams, including four King of the Hammers “Kings” to date and dozens of other well known rock and desert racers. (more…)
Clackamas, OR (1/19/15) — Warn Industries is proud to announce their 2015 King of the Hammers Contingency Program for competitors in the Ultra4 King of the Hammers races February 4th – February 6th. A total of $2900 will be offered to drivers in Friday’s Nitto King of the Hammers race, Thursday’s Smittybilt Every Man Challenge race and Wednesday’s Polaris RZR UTV race. Additional details are listed below. (more…)
Dec. 23rd, 2014 – JOHNSON VALLEY, CA: After a successful debut in 2014, the Vision X ULTRA4 vs. SRRS East/West Shootout presented by Sway-A-Way will be returning to Johnson Valley, CA during KOH Week 2015. The event which pits the Southern Rock Racing Series (SRRS) Rock Bouncers against ULTRA4 cars in a shootout will again take place on the Monday preceding the 2015 Nitto King of The Hammers.The event will feature a combined 50 drivers from both racing series and will be held at 6PM on February 2nd, 2015. The canyon to be used for the shootout remains undisclosed at this time and will be announced in the coming weeks.
October 27th, 2014, RENO, NV: 2014 King of The Hammers winner, Loren Healy continued his winning streak at the Nitto Tire National Championship presented by 4 Wheel Parts held at the Wild West Motorsports Park in Reno, NV on October 18th. The event featured 106 ULTRA4 teams competing in front of more than 5200 spectators at the first ever ULTRA4 race held at the park. The Nitto National Champion is determined by the driver with the most points after competing in King of The Hammers, three regional ULTRA4 races, and the season ending Nitto Championship Race. With Healy’s win on Saturday he successfully won all five races and ended the season with a perfect score of 5000 points. |
| 2014 ULTRA4 Nitto Nationals Highlights with Bonus 2014 Highlights! |
When the green flag dropped for the main on Saturday, it was two-time King of The Hammers winner, Shannon Campbell that ultimately gave Healy a run for his money. The two drivers raced side-by-side, nearly identical laps with the crowds watching in awe. That is, until Campbell went for the pass on a long downhill straight-away and caught a boulder at the bottom sending him into a roll, allowing Healy to clinch the lead. By mid-race, 2012 KOH Winner, Erik Miller was gaining on Healy, and this year’s ULTRA4 European champion, Levi Shirley had made his way from a last place LCQ starting position up to the front of the pack. As the checkered flag dropped, Healy clinched the win followed closely by Miller with Shirley completing the podium.
All five limited classes also raced for Championship titles this weekend as well. In the 4500 Rubicon Express Modified class after a battle all season between 88 John Currie and 4580 Jordan Townsend, it would be Currie who clinched the win and the 4500 Nitto National Championship Title for the 4500s. In the 4600 Pro Comp Stock Class, 4608 Matt Peterson took the win in Reno, however, with two regional wins and a 2nd place in Reno, it was 4612 Ben Varozza earned the title of 4600 Nitto National Champion. For the 4700 Spec Class, UK native Rob Butler took the win in Reno, but 4703 driver Jessi Combs secured the Championship by a landslide with her multiple podiums all season long. In the new 4800 Legends class it was newcomer 4881 Ernie Hardaway who won the race, however, veteran ULTRA4 driver Dave Schneider in his 4871 Legends car went home with the National Championship. In the UTV Class it was Darren Mitchell who came through and won the race in the #3 UTV. A tight UTV National Championship point race between Off Road Evolution’s Mel Wade IV and Brian Hogue saw Wade narrowly beating Hogue to claim his first ever National Championship before the age of 16.
Several other awards were given out at the banquet on Saturday night which was attended by more than 500 people at the Atlantis Casino. Nitto Tire paid for every driver and co-drivers dinner and Currie Enterprises bought each driver and co-driver their first drink. The ULTRA4 Sportsman of the Year award was given to Levi Shirley. This was Shirley’s 2nd time being voted Sportsman of the Year by his peers for his professionalism both on and off the race course. The 2014 Rookie of the Year award went to Car #54 Mike Bou for his consistent finishes throughout the season in his first year of racing.
The 2015 ULTRA4 Series will begin with KOH Week 2015. Hammertown opens on January 30th, 2015. The week will include King of the Motos, the Polaris KOH UTV Race, the Smittybilt Every Man Challenge race, and the 9th annual Nitto King of The Hammers race will take place on Friday, February 6th, 2015 in Johnson Valley, CA. Registration for all races is available online atwww.ultra4racing.com
The final results for the race are below followed by the results for the Nitto National Championship Series.