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Build MNR 4600 class 2021 U4 Bronco

Taking the fun jeeps to CrossBar for pre running. On our way.


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Got lots more pictures coming but here’s a few for entertainment. It was a MuddNutt kind of race. 4531 the only 4500 car to do all 3 laps. 431 ran two almost identical laps and in the end I only got my buddy Mick by 9 1/2 seconds. We also brought home some extra hardware from our national points standings. The mud sucked but we did the thing and the weather was actually great the whole time! Camp fires, good food, good stuff!

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JR4X said:
That’s what I’m hearing. Getting nervous about it but I’m committed now.

If this goes bad, it’s 100% my fault because everyone tried to talk me out of going to Oklahoma in April and I wasn’t hearing it.
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JR4X said:
Quoting these to acknowledge that my dad. My own dad who does follow this thread. Who is letting me make decisions about where we do and do not go this year. Voiced his legitimate protest about going here this time of year. I said I couldn’t make anything else work (and I can’t). So reluctantly he paid his entry fee and now won’t be talked out of going.

Kevin can’t and isn’t going.

Drew didn’t want to go. Had to trade work weekends to be able to go. But is also reluctantly going.

Chuck, our engine machinist and dad’s co-driver. Also didn’t want to go, tried to talk me out of it. Is going because he goes where we go.

So… it has all the ingredients for a bad time and we only get 3 weeks between this race and Moab in May. 😁 stay tuned for the “I told you so” recap of the year probably
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Looks like saying **** it, going to Oak in the mud, and just dealing with it paid off :flipoff2:

No ragerts
 
Congrats on the hardware. I hated OK. I buried by car in quick sand the first year and ripped the front axle housing out of it the 2nd. Bad mojo our there for me. You should have seen the mud the first year if you think this year was bad.
 
matzell said:
Congrats on the hardware. I hated OK. I buried by car in quick sand the first year and ripped the front axle housing out of it the 2nd. Bad mojo out there for me. You should have seen the mud the first year if you think this year was bad.
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Oh we know! We weren’t there but I know the lot of you that were. Your pictures were terrifying. But Jeremy Hammers were way worse. I don’t even know how they got his car out. Loren didn’t take his car out of the trailer and he’s never been back there since. They had to use the dozer to tow Toterhomes across the river to get people out. We worry about those conditions every time we go there.
 
Crossbar is gnarly when its wet, and it's wet 95% of the time. Last years U4 race in the drought was a fluke and probably won't happen again for the next 10 years. :laughing:


And you guys didn't even want to go......
 
Late MNR race recap - cross post. A few short weeks ago I dragged my whole team to a race none of them really wanted to go to. CrossBar ranch Davis Oklahoma for Ultra4 USA Central series round 1. A track notoriously hard on us. From sharp tire getter rocks, to flowing water falls, to narrow zig zags in the trees, to deep mud. This place has every opportunity to ruin a race around every bend and we have been bitten by the DNF’s here several times in the past. This year I was trying to minimize miles traveled to get to and from each race. Believe it or not, a 12 hour drive one way is a short travel for us for most of these races.

Taking a different approach this time we took the rock crawlers for pre running duty instead of beating up the race cars. We got camp setup, checked in to get wrist bands and the course download. Filled coolers full of drinks and took the Jeeps out to get a feel for the course layout. The course direction this year had things ramp up in excitement really quickly with a steep drop into the creek bottom in just the first few miles of course. That puts the hardest stuff first then the higher speed section (if you could call it that) at the conclusion of each lap. Even with our sticky 40’s and killer belly clearance on the rock crawlers I couldn’t get up screen door without winching. This obstacle is a series of ledges just a few feet out of the flowing creek we drive through to get there. Noted, the Broncos on smaller DOT tires we will be winching this spot every lap. On what if I remember correctly is dead man’s slide, we had to go up this year. We found our friend and fellow Milestar team mate Mick in his Toyota with no mechanical connection between his engine and transfer case needing a tow near the top of the steep limb. It was a pretty good work out for the LJ but we got the first gen Toyota pulled back to camp so Mick could get it fixed in time to race us in the 4600 class on race day.

When qualifying time came around we both got the #1 spot in our classes. Another hurdle for us this race was being short staffed. We raced both Broncos at the same time and with no pit crew. We usually pit for other friends for fun anyway but this time we traded out help with a couple other teams. The Lavezo team and Cole Clark needed pit help like we did so they pitted for us in the EMC class while we would pit for them later in the 4400 class race. We started off the line at 8 am Saturday which makes for some interesting lighting changes in and out of the trees with the sun down low. On Race day Shawn and Chuck started way at the front while Drew and I started at the back of the pack. With one minute start intervals we were pretty well spaced out between cars. However that wouldn’t last very long. By the time we got to screen door the first car off the line was still sitting in the middle of the obstacle with 2 flat tires, stuck, and with no front wheel drive. There were winch lines out 3 or 4 vehicles wide on the rock ledges with tires spinning and mud flinging everywhere. Drew and I both got a face full of mud and rocks when we got to close to one of the rigs in front of us. The second there was an opening for us Drew was already out with the winch rope in his hand and we lined up in the worst line for the little Bronco to go up. Our super winch Talon pulled us up quickly though with the Patagonia’s spinning on the wet slick granite. By the time we got Drew Belted back in Shawn and Chuck were long gone while other vehicles that had started in front of us were pulled off to the side working on their cars. This put our buddy Mick right on our tail and if you know anything about his race strategy he’s going to push that little Toyota hard. He might not run the fastest first lap but he’s gonna come on hard for the last lap every time. Drew and I never saw 4531 again after our first time through screen door. We barely saw anyone actually for the rest of the race. Shawn and Chuck clicked off 3 laps in just a little more time than we did two. They got stuck in the mud twice but their super winch Talon got them pulled free keeping out front and coming in first in 4500. On our second lap I know I gotta keep over a minute in front of Mick because he started a minute behind us so I pushed a little too hard and killed a right front tire in the rocks a couple miles before the pit. Since we run tire liners I was able to limp into pit and have Lavezo and his team put a fresh one on for the last push to the checkered flag. This little mistake very nearly cost us our win. The little bronco with its independent suspension is a challenge to get lifted off the ground to change a tire. On the uneven ground the jack kept slipping out from under the bronco while the guys then struggled with the muddy lug nuts getting hung up in the socket. They got us back on 4 inflated tires and sent us in for the finish and then let us know that Mick was about 30 seconds behind us with only a few miles to go. So once again we had to hammer down hard to get those seconds back. We bashed the Bronco over the granite rocks jutting out of the dirt at an uncomfortable pace. By the time we rounded the first corner of the short course we could see that little Tan Toyota coming across the prairie. We stayed in the gas in the corners and jumps and hoped it was enough. When it all shook out 4531 was the only 4500 car to get all 3 laps. In 431 we managed a win by only 7.3 seconds with Mick coming in right on our tail. I had a blast. The cars came home a completely different color than our red & white theme. And for probably the first time we’ve ever raced at the cross bar both vehicles came home complete and without a list of broken stuff needing repaired. Overall for a race everyone on the team wasn’t exactly enthused about we killed it and had a great time. For the second time this year I can say I had some of the most fun we’ve had in a long time.

Later that day we pitted for both Rick Lavezo and Cole Clark in the 4400 race. They both had their struggles but time spent in the pits with all our friends is also a great time and a good way to wind down after our own race. The new Ultra4USA crew put on a good event and everything went smoothly. With a very short turn around time we have both Broncos refreshed and ready for the Western Series round 2 race in Moab Utah in just a few days now. This one is our closest to home track so check in next weekend to see the only rock crawl only race on the schedule this year. Area BFE is also a brutal place to race at and we have a sorted history of wins as well as DNF’s there. So with both our classes packed full of very competitive competitors we’re lookin forward to a challenging event.

Thanks to our friend Jason Adams for joining us and feeding us some of the best BBQ on the planet. His smoked taters and brisket made for a killer night around the camp fire. Thanks to our partners Milestar Tires Raceline Wheels Ford Performance SUPERWINCH RPM engine & Machine Of***ain Driveline Carls repair. Couldn't get to do what we do without them!
 
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