For its third race of 2019, Ultra4 Europe is back where it all started: the Walters Arena. Jim Marsden won the BF Goodrich King of Britain and is a leader in the 2019 championship standings. After three races, here is the point of the Ultra4 Europe 2019 season.

Photography by Nicolas Stevenin / Paolo Baraldi Story by Paolo Baraldi

The return of Ultra4 Europe to Wales, in the Walters Arena, marked a point of continuity with the history of this offroad discipline in Europe that debuted right here in 2012. After the new locations in Spain and France, that had the appreciation by all the drivers and offered two amazing races, the BF Goodrich King of Britain represented a pleasant return home.

The typical weather conditions in Wales have not disappointed this time either. The rain welcomed and accompanied the Ultra4 Europe teams in this experience at Walters Arena. Now accustomed to these situations of water and mud, the drivers did not become demoralized and ran without saving both their energy and those of the cars.

Rob Butler with a time of 2: 26.615 won the prologue with in second place Jim Marsden (2: 33.021) and in third Axel Burman (2: 33.431). Ryan Dunn and Paul Dunn are first in the 4500 class, Mike Roberston and Rhys Walker in the 4800 and Paul Rowlands won the prologue in the UTV category (4900).

The race course designed for the occasion was 19 km long and had to be repeated several times. In the Saturday race, Jim Marsden (7 laps in 38: 56.7) was the fastest followed by the French Cedric Porcher, second, and Nicolas Montador, third. We report the excellent fourth place of the Maltese Rudy Farruggia. Paul Rowlands and Neil Lloyd are first in the 4900 class, Aymeric Syre and J. Charles Syre are leaders among the 4800 and Jeremie Bourgeois is first among the 4500.

Saturday night the Shootout took place on the short course track. The fastest were Jim Marsden and Helder Da Rocha (1: 42.8) followed by the Spaniard Iñaki Lanzagorte (1: 52.5). Mike Roberston was the fastest in the 4800 class, Jeremie Bourgeois in the 4500 and Paul Rowlands in the 4900.

The second, and the last, race day saw the teams compete for the last chance to reach the top of the standings. The Englishman Jim Marsden dominated the race with 6 laps in just over three hours. in second and third place, in what is a photocopy of Saturday, we find the French Porcher and Montador. Paul Rowlands is first among the UTVs, Mike Roberston in the 4800 and Joe Seymore Smith in the 4500 class.

After an epic weekend, Jim Marsden, with Helder da Rocha as co-pilote, dominated and won the BF Goodrich King of Britain. In second place we find Cedric Porcher and Noel Herve and in third place Nicolas Montador and Kerry Hufton.

1° Jim Marsden / Helder Da Rocha (GBR), 14 laps in 06:42:11,38

2° Cedric Porcher / Noel Herve (FRA), 14 laps in 07:20:22,12

3° Nicolas Montador / Kerry Hufton (FRA), 14 laps in 07:41:14,52

4° Iñaki Lanzagorte / Javier Otaegi (ESP), 14 laps in 08:05:00,72

5° Alan Zhara / Robert Caruana (MAL), 14 laps in  08:12:32,69

6° Rudy Farrugia / Malcolm Pal Garcia (MAL), 14 laps in 08:31:29,56

7° James Ayre / Michael Brown (GBR), 12  laps in  08:45:53,74

8° Kieran Dunlop / Dan Roderick (GBR), 12 laps in 09:49:44,30

9° Philon Parpottas / Isaac Hayes (GBR), 11 laps in 06:42:08,48

10° Hendrik De Nijs / Roeland Broillard (NED), 9 laps in  07:17:49,07

11° Rob Butler (GBR), 7 laps in 04:51:05,88

12° Bernd Schäfer / Alexander Schonbrunn (GER), 7 laps in 05:12:39,30

13° Will Overton / Gavin Ford (GBR), 7 laps in 06:28:16,41

14° Paul Glasper / Neil Dahl (GBR), 5 laps in 02:51:32,53

14° Shabs Piercy / Edd Cobley (GBR), 5 laps in 04:43:59,35

15° Ryan Jenkins / Dan Richards (GBR), 5 laps in 06:26:15,76

16° Marco Ameiser / Michael Ameiser (ESP), 4 laps in 03:42:07,19

17° Mark Dean / Mikey Riley (GBR ), 4 laps in 04:05:57,89

18° Noah Gibbard (GBR), 3 laps in 05:21:43,42

19° MJ Stothers / Neil Wood (GBR), 2 laps in 03:28:18,56

20° Axel Bürmann / Tom Olieslager (BEL), 0 laps

21° Jerry Hunt / Ed Webber  (GBR), 0 laps

In the Everyman Challenge, the Frenchman Jeremie Bourgeois won in the 4500 class, Chris Roberts in the 4800 and Paul Rowlands in the 4900.

1° Jeremie Bourgeois / Bonolieka Adrien (FRA), 4500, 8 laps in 07:08:09,74

2° Ryan Dunn / Paul Dunn (GBR), 4500, 8 laps in 07:17:01,34

3° Joe Seymore Smith / Thomas Evans (GBR), 4500, 6 laps in 10:04:32,40

1° Chris Roberts / Matthew Howard (GBR), 4800, 12 laps in 09:32:41,64

2° Aymeric Syre / J. Charles Syre (FRA), 4800, 10 laps in 07:31:30,67

3° Mike Roberston / Rhys Walker (GBR), 4800, 9 laps in 08:59:28,15

4° Dan Hickling / William Jones (GBR), 4800, 3 laps in 02:39:40,16

5° Craig King / Dan Hornson (GBR), 4800, 1 lap in 04:53:55,95

1° Paul Rowlands / Neil Lloyd, GBR), 4900, 12 laps in 06:10:07,23

2° Stijn Vekeman / Wouter Vekeman (BEL), 4900, 12 laps in 07:49:10,75

3° Raf Wyrzykowski / Wiesiek Wojcik (POL), 4900, 10 laps in 05:32:30,60

4° Alain Plancoulaine / Jeremy Gauche (FRA), 4900, 5 laps in 03:11:54,33

After three races (Spain, France and Wales) the 2019 BF Goodrich Ultra4 Europe championship standings is taking shape. Jim Marsden with the victory at the BF Goodrich King of Spain and the BF Goodrich King of Britain, and the fourth place at the BF Goodrich King of France, is leader of the general ranking with 2974 points. The Frenchman Cedric Porcher is second with 2890 points and Rob Butler is third with 2540 points. It seems that the struggle for victory in Ultra4 Europe's 2019 season is precisely among these 3 drivers with the Spanish Iñaki Lanzagorte (fourth with 2363 points) and the German Bernd Schäfer (fifth with 1895 points) who could go to break the eggs in the basket to the leaders.

Here are the leaders of the Everyman Challenge: Chris Roberts in the 4800 class, Jeremie Bourgeois in the 4500 class, Felip Esteban in the 4600 and Stijn Vekeman in the 4900.

As announced at the beginning of the year, the best drivers of each nation in the 4400 class will have the chance to participate in the King of the Hammers in 2020.

We recall the words with which Richard Crossland, U4E Managing Director, explains how the Road to Hammers 2020 works.

“This year we run the road to the hammers competition.

What is #roadtothehammers?

·This is a competition for all 4400 competitors who race in the BFGoodrich Tires Ultra4 European Championship

· You qualify by competing in at least 3 of the championship races.

· You are competing against fellow countrymen.

· The highest placed race team from each country that races in the championship wins.

· They then get the chance to race in the ‘big one’. The iconic King of the Hammers.

What you get:

· Shipping from & to a central location in europe to the lakebed. The home of King of the hammers.

· Guaranteed place in the race.

· Pit location and pit tent in the Team Europe area.

· Access to all the best experts in the business to help make your car even better.

· All you pay for is your entry fee and all personal expenses: fly tickets, fuel, food etc.

· If you want to have a qualifying position and not start from the back of the grid you can also pay for qualifying.”

Here is a list after round 3 of who could qualify for the Road to Hammers 2020. I remind you that the definitive and official list will be available only after the last race (BF Goodrich King of Poland) of the 2019 championship. 

-       Jim Marsden (GBR)

-       Cedric Porcher (FRA)

-       Iñaki Lanzagorte (ESP)

-       Bernd Schäfer (GER)

-       Rudy Farrugia (MAL)

-       Hendrik De Nijs (NED)

-       Axel Burmann (BEL)

-       Emanuel Costa (POR)

-       Pier Acerni (ITA)

-       Roger Troguet (AND)