After three races (Spain, France and Wales), the BF Goodrich King of Poland will award the 2019 title of the Ultra4 Europe championship. Looking at the overall ranking, the battle for the title seems to be between the United Kingdom and France. After the Polish race, the selection of the drivers admitted to the Road to Hammers will be made official.

Photography and Story by Paolo Baraldi

After the cancellation of the King of Portugal due to force majeure for the red fire alert, the BF Goodrich King of Poland will award the 2019 title of the Ultra4 Europe championship.

The BF Goodrich King of Poland will take place from 10 to 12 October 2019 at the Olszyna Motopark: Europe's largest off-road park! Olszyna is a town in Lubań County in south-western of Poland. Its name in Polish means "alder wood".

Richard Crossland, U4E Managing Director, announced: "we have decided to offer anyone that registered for BF Goodrich King of Portugal to free entry to the series final BF Goodrich King of Poland". Crossland continues talking about the race in Poland: “we have never been greated in such a positive way as last year when we first raced in Poland. Now the BFGoodrich King of Poland is back for year two. We cannot wait to be part of the community again and race hard in some of Eastern Europes top terrain. This is the finale of the BFGoodrich Ultra4 European Championship. The winners will be decided and the teams on the #roadtothehammers will be known”.

BF Goodrich King of Poland details:

- Olszyna Motopark (Poland)

- Qualifying: Thursday 10th October

- Race Days: Friday 11th October & Saturday 12th October

After three races (Spain, France and Wales) the 2019 BF Goodrich Ultra4 Europe championship standings is taking shape. Jim Marsden (discover the secrets of Little Lady) 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 (the technical specifications of Cedric’s prototype) is second with 2890 points and Rob Butler is third with 2540 points.

Extract with the top 16 from Ultra4 Europe 2019 overall ranking after 3 races

1° Jim Marsden (UK), 2974 points

2° Cedric Porcher (F), 2890 points

3° Rob Butler (UK), 2540 points

4° Inaki Egia (E), 2363 points

5° Bernd Shafer (D), 1895 points

6° Rudy Farrugia (M), 1885 points

7° James Ayre (UK), 1870 points

8° Hendrik De Nijs (N), 1860 points

9° Nicolas Montador (F), 1776 points

10° Shabs Piercy (UK), 1741 points

11° Axel Burmann (B), 1600 points

12° Emanuel Costa (P), 1428 points

13° Damien Mendiondou (F), 1395 points

14° Marco Ameirser (E), 1363 points

15° Mark Dean (UK), 1226 points

16° Pier Acerni (I), 1136 points

The complete ranking here

Unfortunately, Rob Butler will not be competing in Poland because he sold his rig (All about Rob’s IFS Single Seater). Rob is already working on a new rig to be even more competitive in 2020.

Butler give to me some revelation about how will be his new car: "Will be an IFS but maybe 2 seat car in the style of a single seat design... as I have been working on designs to keep a two seat car very low and with the advantages of a single seat configuration”.

It seems that the battle for victory in Ultra4 Europe's 2019 season is precisely among Jim Marsden and Cedric Porcher 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)