Il prototipo Ultra4 di Jordan Pellegrino è all'avanguardia grazie al suo sistema sospensivo indipendente con mozzi a portale e motore da 800 cavalli.

Foto e testo di Paolo Baraldi

La King of the Hammers e più in generale Ultra4 Racing sono un vero e proprio laboratorio tecnologico dove si sviluppano continuamente nuove soluzioni per migliorare le performance dei veicoli della classe Unlimited 4400. Dalla mia prima King of the Hammers del 2011 ad oggi, questa innovazione è stata evidente. I costruttori ed i teams hanno dato fondo a tutto il loro know how, alla loro esperienza ed all’evoluzione tecnologica per realizzare prototipi sempre più potenti, veloci, agili e perfettamente guidabili sia nel deserto che lungo i duri trails della Johnson Valley.

Lo scorso anno, Jordan Pellegrino, figlio più giovane di Tony Pellegrino, ha portato in gara il suo nuovo prototipo da 800 cavalli a 4 ruote indipendenti con mozzi a portale. Dall’esperienza maturata con questa macchina alla King of the Hammers 2019, Jordan, Tony e tutta la crew di Genright Off Road hanno apportato  alla macchina importanti aggiornamenti, soprattutto nelle sospensioni, per renderla ancora più performante.

Quest’anno, prima delle qualifiche, ho deciso di fermarmi nella pit di Genright per realizzare uno shooting alla macchina di Jordan e per scoprirne i segreti. Nel dettaglio, si tratta di una vettura Ultra4 classe Unlimited all'avanguardia, progettata da Triton Engineering e rifinita/assemblata da GenRight Off Road nel gennaio del 2019. La macchina #98 di Jordan Pellegrino ha un motore RHS Tall Block da 795 cavalli. Le sospensioni anteriori e posteriori, una degli aspetti più interessanti, sono indipendenti con ammortizzatori anteriori Fox Coil Over da 3.0"x14" IBP (con bypass interno) e posteriori Fox 2.5"x 14" Coil Over abbinati a dei Fox Bypass da 3.0"x14". Molto interessanti i mozzi a portale che rispetto a tutti gli altri tipi di IFS e IRS offrono una luce da terra maggiore di 4.5”.

Specifiche tecniche

Chassis           

Frame / Chassis Design: Triton Engineering front engine Ultra4 chassis with 4 wheel independent suspension

Frame / Chassis Materials: Chromoly steel

Cage / Cage Material: 1.75" Chromoly Tubing

Overall Wheelbase: 116"

Overall Length: 183"

Belly Pan Clearance: 20"

Overall Height: 65"

Wheel Track Width: 88"

Overall Weight: 4290

Drivetrain      

Front Suspension / Type / Materials: A-Arm type with Chromoly Upright

Front Shocks: Single FOX 3.0" x 14" IBP (Internal Bypass) Coil Over per side

Front Bump Stops: Internal in shocks

Front Differential / Locker: Aluminum Tubeworks Diff housings with air activated locker and water cooled

Front Ring & Pinion / ratio: Ford style 10" gears, 3.89 ratio

Front Axle Shafts: RCV 35 spline

Front U-Joints: RCV 934 series

Front Drive Flanges / Hubs: 74 Weld portal boxes with 1.55 ratio gears in them, 6 on 5.5 bolt pattern with 5/8" studs

Front Brakes: R1 Concepts Big Brake Kit with 14" Rotors and Billet 4 Piston Calipers

Front Steering Setup: Howe rack & pinion steering with Ram Assist

Front Driveshaft: JE Reel with 930 CV and 1350 U-joint at T-case

Rear Suspension / Type / Materials: Trailing arm type, Heat Treated Chromoly

Rear Shocks: FOX 2.5" x 14" Coil Over

Rear Bump Stops: FOX 3.0" x 14" 5 Tube Bypass Shock

Rear Differential / Locker: Aluminum Tubeworks Diff housings with spool and oil cooled

Rear Ring & Pinion / Ratio: Ford style 10" gears, 3.89 ratio

Rear Axle Shafts: RCV 35 spline

Rear U-Joints: Fortin 934 CV's

Rear Drive Flanges: 74 Weld portal boxes with 1.55 ratio gears in them, 6 on 5.5 bolt pattern with 5/8" studs

Rear Brakes: R1 Concepts Big Brakes with 13.6" Rotors and Billet Machined 4 Piston Calipers

Rear Driveshaft: JE Reel thick wall 2" diameter with 1350 U-joints

Tire Make / Size: Mickey Thompson Baja BOSS 40 x 13.50 x 17"

Wheel Make / Size / Bolt Pattern: KMC Machete FORGED 17 x 8" w/aluminum bead lock rings

Powertrain     

Engine Make: Custom Built RHS Tall Block, dry sump

Engine Displacement: 454 cu/in (bored and stroked)

Engine TQ: 705 ft/lbs @ 5800 rpm

Engine HP: 795 @ 6200 rpm (on pump gas)

Engine Induction: Naturally aspirated fuel injection through eight RC brand "wet" injectors

Engine Modifications: Motec M84 ECU, SCAT forged crank and Carillo rods, Custom CP forged pistons, All Pro LS Heads, Custom Ground Comp Cam, T&D Rockers

Batteries: Dual Odyssey 1500 batteries in the rear

Radiator / Fans: Griffin custom 4 core with two 16" Spal fans

Air Intake: FAST 102 Manifold, Throttle body & K&N Air Filter

Exhaust:  Custom built tri Y headers into a 4" stainless steel Magnaflow muffler

Transmission Make: RDE built Turbo 400, full manual valve body

Transmission Adapters: Advanced Adapters

Transmission Cooling System: Griffin large Universal cooler with Spal fan the seats

Torque Converter: Coan brand Billet converter, 4500 stall

Transmission Shifter: Art Carr 3 speed gate shift

Transfer Case(s): Atlas 3:1

Fuel Containment: Fuel Safe 40 gallon bladder type fuel cell with dual Aeromotive A1000 fuel pumps, filters and regulator

Body / Interior           

Body / Body Panels: Custom aluminum panels

Skid plate / Material: Completely FLAT 7075-T6 Aluminum belly skid

Painter Name: DH Graphics did the Jami Pellegrino designed wrap

Hood / Grille: firmed aluminum with functional scoop and side vents

Floors / Firewalls: Sheet aluminum

Dash / Gauges / Switches: GenRight Custom Aluminum, Motec C125 digital color display and custom AWH brand harness

Steering Column / Wheel: Sweet brand quick release, PRP steering wheel

Pedal Assembly / Cutting Brakes: CNC brand pedals and master cylinders

Seats / Harnesses: Sparco brand bucket seats on custom GenRight seat mounts

Electronics: Lowrance 8" GPS unit, 60 watt Rugged Race Radio & 2 person Intercom

Lights Interior / Exterior: VisionX UNITE LED light bar, 6.7" VisionX ADV series lights on bumper and 12" VisionX Shocker light bar on winch fairlead. VisionX rock lights

Safety - Fire Extinguisher: Scosche billet aluminum fire extinguisher mounts

Winches - Front / Rear: Warn 9.0RC with in dash controls

Extras: Scosche billet aluminum side mirrors, PRP rear tire strap, VisionX LED rear Chaser light bar, Dual Fuel Safe quick fill (takes 11 gallons per side in 20 seconds), PRP Window nets, PRP 5 point harnesses, Rugged Radios Mac Driver / Co-driver Pumper unit