Round 2 for the 2017 Nitto Tire Nor Cal Rock Racing Series (NCRR) took place at the Wild West Motorsports Park on the outskirts of Sparks in Northern Nevada on May 13th. Just off of Highway 80, this short course offers hairpin turns, steep hill climbs, elongated jumps and, most of all, some of the nastiest rock piles you’ve ever seen. A haven for spectators that offers a perfect view from any seat in the grandstands, this is the same place where Ultra4's National Championship race takes place.
Talk with any of the drivers and you’ll discover that many of them traveled with Goodby long ago when Goodby was involved in some of his own motocross activities as a young kid - long before he launched NCRR 10 years ago. Childhood friend and current Nor Cal event companion, Rob Cook, says it took a long time for John to build a working relationship with the Prairie City State Park - but now it’s a smooth relationship, with two of the three NCRR rounds being held there. Nowadays, Goodby continues to do a lot to grow this sport, adding a UTV class and promoting each event through 150 radio spots, along with flyers, social and local billboards! Combined with ample adrenaline at the event, NCRR is a great race for racers and spectators alike.
Nor Cal Rock Racing 4400 Class
JP Gomez battled it out to defend his winning title in Round 2. “It was an intense main race on Saturday!” recounts Gomez, admitting that 2nd place winner, Jon Cagliero, gave him a run for his money. Gomez credits Cagliero for making "some of the best blocking moves I've ever seen." Winner of the 4400 class, Gomez remembers hearing about NCRR when he first started racing Ultra4. “We heard there was a local series with racers that raced in the Ultra4 series, so we decided to try it in return for some seat time and some short course racing.” Winning their first NCRR race in 2012, Goodby gave Gomez the checkered flag. It was the first time the two gentlemen had met, “…that day John was hanging out with us as if we had known him forever. It’s always such a friendly atmosphere!”
4400 Race Results
- 1st Place: JP Gomez
- 2nd Place: Jon Cagliero
- 3rd Place: Cody Addington
4500 Class
Winner of the 4500 class, Bryan Crofts, first heard of the series by word of mouth. Crofts feels the NCRR caters to all budgets more so than other race series. Crofts lives in the same town as Goodby, so having the event local is a plus. Round 2 was Crofts first ever NCRR race!
4500 Race Results
- 1st Place: Bryan Crofts
- 2nd Place: Justin Hall
- 3rd Place: Morgan Derodeff
4800 Class
Winner of the 4800 class, John Lay, was introduced to the Nor Cal series by fellow racer Dan Wyrick. With the calling of Ultra4’s King of The Hammers, Lay felt competing in NCRR would be a great start to get his feet wet. “I did the research and signed up!” Lay said. Round 2 was his second time in the car, first ever NCRR race!
4800 Race Results
- 1st Place: John Lay
- 2nd Place: Justin Day
- 3rd Place: James Hubbard
UTV Turbo
UTV Turbo Race Results
- 1st Place: Darian Gomez
- 2nd Place: Casey Scherer
- 3rd Place: Breckin Miramon
UTV 1000
UTV 1000 Race Results
- 1st Place: Beau Judge
- 2nd Place: Cameron Barbarick
- 3rd Place: Bobby Hodges
UTV 170 Class
UTV 170 Race Results
- 1st Place: Braden Judge
- 2nd Place: Wyatt Blevins
- 3rd Place: JR Thompson
Class 10
Class 10 Race Results
- 1st Place: Max Baggett
Pre-Runner Class
Pre-Runner Race Results
- 1st Place: Tom Flattery
- 2nd Place: Justin Radford
- 3rd Place: Dustin Jones
Group T
Group T Race results
- 1st Place: Brad Falin
In 2014, Goodby partnered up with Ultra4’s Dave Cole to showcase Ultra4’s “Stampede” at the Prairie City location, attracting and bringing the big teams to town. “The support from local and worldwide sponsors stepping up and believing in what I’m doing has been a huge help. Companies like Nitto, that have the ability to reach beyond what I could do by myself, seems to be paying off in all aspects.” Just like the movie said… "If you build it, they will come!" Join us for Round 3: July 15th 2017 at Prairie City SVRA. Ultra4 will be landing in Prairie City as well, June 9-10th.
Editor's Note: Some results of NCRR are, at the time of publishing, still pending. As such, not 100% of classes have been reported on.