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Derek West Comes From Back at Ultra4 Glen Helen GP to Take 5th & Move Up In Points
Derek West Comes From Back at Ultra4 Glen Helen GP to Take 5th & Move Up In Points
Jul 23, 2015
Fresh off of a win at Badlands Off-Road Park in Attica, Indiana, Derek West and the Jimmy’s 4x4 race team had high hopes for the 2015 4 Wheel Parts Glen Helen Grand Prix
Practice started well for Derek West and the AEM filters powered Nitto Tire/ NorthStar Battery car; however the front drive shaft flew out at close to 100 mph on the back stretch
Fresh off of a win at the 2015 RCV Ultra4 race at Badlands Off-Road Park in Attica, Indiana, Derek West and the Jimmy’s 4x4 race team had high hopes for the 2015 4 Wheel Parts Glen Helen Grand Prix. Derek West’s win at Badlands Off-Road Park helped him move from third into first place in the 2015 Ultra4 Nitto Tire National Championship race. The pressure was on as the West and the Jimmy’s racing team took to the dirt at Glen Helen Raceway near San Bernardino, California.
Practice started well for Derek West and the AEM® filters powered Nitto Tire/ NorthStar Battery car; however the front drive shaft flew out at a speed close to 100 mph on the back stretch. The damage included a crushed exhaust system which would have to be fixed. The team rushed to replace the drive shaft and fix the exhaust to get on the track for qualifying. With just a few minutes to spare the team had the car fixed and Derek was on the track and qualified in the fifth spot.
The Jimmy’s 4x4 team had several problems during the 2015 4 Wheel Parts Glen Helen Grand Prix, however, their AEM Dryflow® synthetic air filter and pre-filter wrap worked flawlessly
With just a few minutes to spare the Jimmy’s 4x4 team had the Nitto Tire/ NorthStar Battery car fixed and Derek West able to get on track and qualify fifth for the Glen Helen GP heat race
In the first heat race Derek West started 3rd in the AEM equipped number 20 Ultra4 car and was looking great until disaster struck once again. A sensor wire came loose from the engine, which then wrapped around the drive shaft and took the lower engine harness wiring with it. Crews towed the #20 car back into the pits to be repaired. Derek West’s DNF in the heat race forced him and the team to give it all they had in the last chance qualifier race (LCQ) to fight for a chance at making the main event.
West started 3rd in the LCQ and quickly made it to the front only to suffer more problems forcing him to make a quick pit stop. Once the issue was addressed Derek was back on track and pushed hard to catch up with the entire field. Derek fought his way back up to the front of the pack to finish 3rd which was just good enough to advance to the main event. Derek West and the #20 AEM Air Filter equipped Nitto Tire/ NorthStar Battery car would start from 39th, the second to last spot.
Through it all Derek West and the team persevered and secured 5th place; enough to increase their lead in the Nitto National Points Championship and move into 2nd in the western division
Glen Helen Raceway track crews watered the track during the race, resulting in ever changing track conditions which kept Ultra4 drivers from knowing exactly which line was best
With the staggered start race format, the 4400 class race leader would start three and a half minutes ahead of Derek in the AEM sponsored Nitto Tire/ NorthStar Battery car. "I was just determined to catch as many of the racers in front of me as I could and still keep the car together so I could get a decent finish. During the last hour of the race, the track conditions were brutal,” said Derek.
The 4400 class main event race lasted for a little over 2.5 hours. Glen Helen Raceway track crews watered the track during the race, resulting in ever changing track conditions which kept drivers from knowing exactly which line was best. Through it all Derek and the team persevered and secured a 5th place finish. This fifth place finish was enough to not only hold onto their 1st place lead in the Nitto National Points Championship, but also increase their lead and move into 2nd in the western division.
Derek West and the Jimmy’s 4x4 team encountered several problems during the 2015 4 Wheel Parts Glen Helen Grand Prix, however, their AEM Dryflow synthetic air filter and pre-filter wrap worked flawlessly. Use the AEM Product Search to find AEM performance products for your vehicle. To find an AEM dealer near you, use Search for AEM Dealer or simply visit AEMintakes.com.
