Ultra4 is setting up shop eastward. The King of the Hammers organizer announced Friday a new partnership with Backroads of Appalachia and the State of Kentucky to build an East Coast headquarters in Booneville. Leatherwood Off-Road Park in eastern Kentucky will also host a “world-class Ultra4 Series race” on a multi-year deal starting fall 2026.

“We’re tremendously excited to broaden our national footprint, and thankful for the opportunity,” Ultra4 boss Dave Cole stated. “It is a big step forward for Ultra4 as we expand our reach and create new opportunities for racers, students and fans to be part of the action.”

The HQ will be on a 200-acre property that has a 60,000 square-foot office building-slash-garage along with a 1.4-mile test track. Both facilities will be available to all teams and manufacturers for R&D. Ultra4Next, a program to help high school and college students get into rock crawling as mechanics and technicians, will also set up a Training & Workforce Development Center there. Construction has already started and it is set to open in mid-2026.

Located in Slemp, Leatherwood is the largest off-road park in Kentucky. In March, the Kentucky Senate passed Senate Bill 63 that permitted purpose-built off-road race cars on public roads and highways to go to OHV parks like Leatherwood, which in turn allows Ultra4 teams to settle in the surrounding area and thus increasing local involvement with the series.

The Appalachian Regional Commission approved a $7.4 million grant for Backroads of Appalachia to develop the Appalachian Overland Triangle, a 74-county project to boost tourism and by extension the economy in the region. Backroads of Appalachia is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing “motorsports tourism” to the Appalachians.

Ultra4 Racing is based in Temecula, California.

Featured image credit: Leatherwood Off-Road Park