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WIDIA
WIDIA Sponsors Ultra 4 Unlimited Class Racer. Car owner/driver/builder also a WIDIA distributor.
WIDIA, a global tooling leader and past sponsor of individual racers, including the No. 1 WIDIA Chevrolet driven by Earnhardt Ganassi Racing’s Jamie McMurray in the 2011 April Martinsville NASCAR race, now is sponsoring the Ultra 4 unlimited class racecar driven by David Buchberger for the 2012–2013 Ultra 4 season.
![WIDIA Sponsors Ultra 4 Unlimited Class Racer. Car owner/driver/builder also a WIDIA distributor.](/storage/Press Files/2597/2597-WIDIA-Rock-Racer.jpg)
“WIDIA’s theme at IMTS 2012 is “Extreme Challenges – Extreme Results, and nowhere is that better exemplified than in Ultra 4 racing in general and David in particular,” says Bernie McConnell, vice president, WIDIA Products Group and Services. “WIDIA is all about creating tremendous growth opportunities through performance, and backing David’s efforts in Ultra 4-class racing is a natural fit.”
Ultra 4 racing is an exciting combination of high-speed desert racing and extremely hazardous rock crawling, all in the same vehicle. The defining characteristic of Ultra 4 class is that all cars must be capable of 4-wheel drive. Beyond that, the class is unlimited. All cars are custom-fabricated and come in all shapes and sizes. Each Ultra 4-class car is unique, attempting to straddle the line between light and quick for desert racing and stiff and strong for rock climbing. The Ultra 4 series includes the King of the Hammers race each February, dubbed the toughest race on the planet. Competitors must complete the 165-mile course in less than 14 hours.
“The WIDIA sponsorship is a terrific boost, not only for the financial support, but for the tools that make these vehicle components possible,” Buchberger says.