ultra-4-group-2.png

Nicolas Montador regains the lead and emerges triumphant as Maxxis King of Wales!

The men from France fought hard on a dank Welsh Hillside during the concluding day of the Maxxis Tyres King of Wales 2015. Nicolas Montador and his co-driver Olivier Varet completed the required 5 laps on Sunday in their works WSR buggy on Maxxis Trepadors in just a little over 4 hours, with the course being reported by many drivers as the toughest in the 4 years running of the event.

There were several changes in the lead and at one point a good portion of the original Magnificent Seven were all tussling for position in the Odyssey Arena, back near Valley Town. Maxxis sponsored Team Gigglepin’s Jim Marsden broke on the rocks, suffering transmission problems again, allowing Rob Butler into the lead for a short while. However Montador deftly maneuvered his buggy past Butler and going into the last lap had an overall lead over Butler of just over 19 seconds.

The top teams were completing the course at around 45 minutes a lap and spectators waited patiently as the leaders wound their machines up for the final push to the finish. News came in that Butler had suffered a severed rear pinion, as Montador skilfully guided his bruised and battered vehicle home to become King of Wales. This is the first time Nicolas has been crowned ‘King’ of an Ultra4 Europe event, and thoroughly deserved.

In the Modified class, local favourite Ryan Dunn and his father Paul came home the winners, an outstanding achievement for this well liked team. Paul also won the Prolinx/Cambrian 4×4 Farm shock tuning prize.

Legends Class and Fast Diesel of the weekend went to Marcus and Lewis Williams. The King Off-Road Race Shocks £1000 prize for the fastest lap of the event went to Maxxis driver Jim Marsden, Jim also took home the trophy for the Maxxis Tyres King of Wales 2015 Night Stage presented by Wilderness Lightning, along with the Prologue presented by Gigglepin Winches.

In a last mention, it is fantastic to see that the spirit of Ultra4 Racing is alive and well in Wales. A true act of sportsmanship unfolded beneath us in the Odyssey Arena where, Maltese Driver Neville Ciantar of Nusu Offroad had 100yards to go to finish 3rd overall, but with all but fumes left in his fuel tank, he hadn’t enough to get to that finish line…Drew Wright, racing his Offroad Armoury Eurofighter, instructed his co-driver to get out and hook them up, as competitors can help other competitors. Knowing this Drew towed the Maltese team over the line for their second podium finish in Ultra4 Europe.

In one month the concluding round of Ultra4 Europe will commence in the small town of Vimioso, with the Maxxis Tyres King of Portugal 2015. Will all 3 rounds of the series counting towards the overall position who will be crowned 2015 champion?

Photo credit: Robb Pritchard