DISNEY, Okla. — With three full days of racing action, five miles of rugged terrain to contend with and multiple championships on the line, the inaugural Legends of the Fall was one for the books.
The pre-run and qualifying sessions for the Ultra4 USA series took place on Thursday, Oct. 27, and Friday, Oct. 28, involving more than 100 drivers across the 4400, 4500, 4600, 4800 and 4900 classes.
The first national champion to be crowned was Brad Lovell in the 4600 stock class. Following Friday afternoon’s dramatic race, Lovell emerged from his No. 4621 Ford Bronco as the national champion alongside his son and co-driver Adam Lovell. Lovell fought off fellow Bronco drivers Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Bailey Cole to claim the title, though Gittin Jr. was able to secure his place as the 4600 East Champion.
“Ended up second place. Had a heck of a battle with Brad,” Gittin Jr. said following the race. “Really pumped to be here, this is an unbelievable event that Ultra4 is putting on.”
Later in the afternoon, Paul Wolff put a bow-tie on his stellar season in the 4900 pro modified class, sweeping the national, east and west championships. Notably, Wolff competed in all nine events of the year, from King of the Hammers to Crandon Int’l Raceway to Legends of the Fall.
Saturday kicked off with the 4500/4800 race, with the cloudy skies parting just long enough for Rick Lavezzo to win the 4500 National Championship and Ryan Taylor to earn honors as the national 4800 champion.
The ultimate finale began with the wave of the green flag on the 4400 Unlimited class race on Saturday afternoon, with the championship tantalizingly within the grasp of two drivers — Josh Blyler and Gittin Jr.
Blyler skillfully survived the two-hour race to finish third, while Gittin Jr. was struck with both a flat tire and the loss of four-wheel drive, relegating him and his No. 25 Bronco to second in the championship.
Bailey Campbell managed to secure third in the standings, 280 points behind Blyler.
To watch a replay of all the racing action from Legends of the Fall, visit AmericanOutdoorEvents.tv or SPEEDSPORT.tv.