Crawlin Column 17.6
By Rich Walker, photo by Kelly Walker
I’m not sure what’s happening here. I just realized that I haven’t been to an off-road race since King Of The Hammers in February. That is odd for me as the last few years I had been to almost every race down the West Coast. I even missed out on the Punisher event out in Alix, Alberta just a few weeks ago. Add to that the cancellation of the Kamloops Off-Road Racing and it makes a guy like me stop and wonder what’s going on.
Even though I am not personally attending all these events, I still keep tabs on the what’s what with them all. Luckily, we have Brady from Pathmaker Productions out there on the front lines giving me updates.
Just wrapping up last weekend was the Ultra4 race at Glen Helen in San Bernardino, California. They called it the 4 Wheel Parts Glen Helen Grand Prix, and once again Loren Healy dominated the race. He and only three other drivers did 19 laps within the time limit and once again, Loren took the win with Jason Blanton (from Washington) getting his first podium with a second place finish. What is super cool is that a mere five seconds separated the top four drivers in the 4400 class. That’s some close racing! I believe Loren Healy and Nick Nelson are the only guys to win the 4400 class to date at Glen Helen. Will anyone put a stop to this in 2016? Also, my good friend Justin Hall was able to pull off a 2nd place finish in the 4500 class. Good job bro, proud of you.
I won’t go into a whole lot of detail about the Punisher Race in Alberta as we have a full feature on these pages, but I will tell you this will be some great racing in the near future. Word on the street is these guys are pumped on racing and want to keep these events happening. That is refreshing to hear as racing in Canada is getting harder and harder to organize these days. The next race is September 19th and 20th out at the Tail Creek Raceway in Alix, Alberta, and as I type this, I will pause to book myself off on the calendar at work. I suggest you do the same.
Also on my list for the near future is the Ultra4 Nitto Tire Championship (the finals) in Reno, Nevada. Dates are October 16th and 17that the Wild West Motorsports Park just outside of Reno. No joke, it’s a 10-minute drive from the major hotels/resorts in downtown Reno. The family and I were there last year and it was deadly. We’re thinking about making it an annual event. It’s such a cool facility built around every genre of off-road racing, it makes the decision to go so easy. Everything you need is close by so going with the family is easy too. You have to love it when these events are made to be family and kid friendly.
As of a few weeks ago, it was looking like the Green Machine (my buggy) was going to a new home. The new owner was going to race it at the Island Cup event in October then take it home with him. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out and he had to back out of the sale. That being said the car is back up for sale and I have a new offer for anyone interested. Give me a call or email and if we can reach a deal I will pay for the entire weekend on the Island so you can race the car. I will also spot for you if you like. That will include towing and ferry fees, entry fees, food, adult bevies, camping and a guaranteed great time. If this interests you, hit me up and we will see what we can work out!
That does it for now. Stay safe and see you on the trails!