Motorsport Track Archives - Darren Woolway

AUTOMOTIVE & COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER

Category: Motorsport Track

The ULTRA4 Europe – King of Germany 2026 marked the first event of a new era for the championship. Hosted at the Armin Schwarz Driving Center in Gröningen, Germany, the event ran from 26–28 March 2026 and welcomed around 40 teams across five competitive classes. With temperatures hovering around 1°C, overcast skies, and rain on the final day turning sections of the course into thick mud, conditions ensured a true Ultra4 challenge.

As the Media Co-Ordinator for Ultra4 Europe, my goal at this event was not only to document the racing, but also to support the wider mission of rebuilding the brand, elevating media quality, and increasing exposure ahead of a full relaunch in 2027. This included producing high-quality photography, capturing compelling footage for the upcoming event video, and preparing visual assets suitable for manufacturer and partner pitches — including Nikon.

A New Venue, A New Chapter

2026 introduced a completely new venue for King of Germany. The Armin Schwarz Driving Center offered a mix of fast rally-style sections, deep ruts, wooded lanes, and muddy technical zones — especially after Saturday’s rainfall. The combination of cold weather, slippery terrain, and a fresh course layout created an intense challenge for both seasoned teams and newcomers.

A major talking point of the weekend came early:
2025 King of Germany winner, Jim Marsden, suffered an engine failure during Qualifying, preventing him from defending his title.

King of Germany 2026 – Official Class Results

Below are the confirmed winners from each class:

4900 UTV

1st: #444 DBAC Racing
2nd: #022 Beecroff’s Tyres
3rd: #312 J&D Offroad

4800 Legend

1st: #311 J&D Offroad
2nd: #21 Frejtag Racing
3rd: #84 Team Krol

4400 Unlimited

1st: #934 Schmidt 4×4
2nd: #777 Korpysa Motorsport
3rd: #2812 The Crazy Germans

Trophy Extrem

1st: #3 Offroader 24
2nd: #0815 Erdnuckel
3rd: #7 Oldschool Division

Trophy Proto

1st: #137 Woldstaagangster
2nd: #166 Meier Racing
3rd: #710 Team Nemo

Congratulations to every podium finisher, and respect to all competitors who braved the cold, the rain, and the mud to put on an incredible show.

Photography Highlights — Gallery Now Live

The photo gallery is now live, showcasing a selection of my favourite images from throughout the weekend. These include:

High-speed action shots
Mud-covered machines battling through the course
Rock and technical sections
Driver portraits and candid paddock moments
Atmospheric wide-angle images of the new venue
Night and low-light captures
Team interactions and behind-the-scenes coverage

This collection is designed not only for fans and competitors, but also as part of the broader media upgrade for Ultra4 Europe — providing strong, high-impact visuals that support the championship’s redevelopment and future partnerships.

Event Video Coming Soon

I am currently editing the official event highlight video, which will include:

Multi-camera race coverage
Aerial shots
Qualifying and race-day sequences
Mud, rain, and low-light conditions
Paddock atmosphere
Narrative-driven motorsport cinematics

The video will be added to this page as soon as it is complete.

Rebuilding Ultra4 Europe — Looking Ahead to 2027

King of Germany 2026 represents a key step in rebuilding Ultra4 Europe from the ground up. With a refreshed media strategy, stronger visual identity, and improved digital presence — including a new website being developed for the 2027 season — the goal is to elevate the championship to the premium off-road level it deserves.

High-quality imagery and video are central to this plan, helping:

Attract new partners and manufacturers
Provide better value to sponsors
Give teams professional assets for promotion
Increase fan engagement
Strengthen the Ultra4 brand across Europe

Next Event: King of Nations 2026

The journey continues with King of Nations, the next round in the championship. I will again be providing complete Ultra4 Europe media coverage — photography, video production, social content, and official storytelling.

Work With Me

If you are a manufacturer, team, sponsor, brand, or event organiser looking for professional motorsport media — including photography, cinematics, brand storytelling, or long-form documentary content — please get in touch.

This project is part of a broader initiative to elevate Ultra4 Europe’s visual identity and rebuild the championship ahead of the 2027 relaunch. I welcome partnership discussions and media collaborations.

📩 Contact: darren@darrenwoolway.co.uk +44 7849 385 331

Day 1 – Set up and Layout of the track

It takes more than just the drivers, without the plethora of volunteers; events like this just wouldn’t take place.

First Day of Racing

Technical Inspection, Drivers Briefing and Qualifying Laps to set the start order for EMC and 4400 UNLIMITED Classes.

Second Day of Racing

30 minute heats for EMC & 4400 UNLIMITED, Qualifying laps for Trophy Class.

Third Day of Racing

45 minute heats for EMC & 4400 UNLIMITED, 120 minute heats for Trophy Class.

September 5, 2025

Croatia Challenge 2025

The Croatia Challenge 2025 – My Favourite Images

The Croatia Challenge is held in the forests of Križevci, close to Zagreb. Run yearly by the Off Road Klub Križevci, this event is one of the toughest and most exciting off-road challenges in Europe. Teams travel from across the continent to tackle extreme terrain, deep mud, technical climbs, and everything else the Croatian wilderness throws at them.

This year’s event was no exception, with incredible driving, teamwork, and some unforgettable moments both on and off the track. As always, the atmosphere was electric—long days, late nights, and the kind of camaraderie that makes the Croatia Challenge such a special part of the off-road calendar.

I had the privilege of capturing the action throughout the week, and below you’ll find a gallery of 79 of my favourite images from the 2025 event, along with links to the YouTube videos I created to bring the atmosphere to life.

Of course, this is only a small selection—there are countless more photos and videos available through the club and official channels. If you’d like to see more, check out the links below:

👉 Scroll down for the gallery and video links!

GALLERY

This years Winners:

Adventure Class –
1st Sorca Gheorgh & Laurentiun Dobrica from Romania
2nd Kruno Klopatan & Denis Mikulcic from Croatia
3rd Erik Kristancic & Anej Blazic from Slovenia

Challenge Class –
1st Benoit Bannefoi & Ludovic Facy from France
2nd Josip Jakotic & Andro Hrvatin from Croatia
3rd Claudiu Pestean & Rares Bucur from Romania

🔗 Off Road Klub Križevci – Official Website
🔗 Facebook Page – Off Road Klub Križevci
🔗 YouTube Videos – Croatia Challenge 2025 Play List
🔗 Shorts/Reels – TikTok
🔗 Follow my Facebook – Darren Woolway – Photographer
🔗 Follow my Instagram – Darren Woolway – Photographer

Croatia Challenge by Automotive Motorsport Photographer Darren Woolway

VIDEOS

Action

Main Event Video – Highlights

Night Stage

Interviews

Shorts/Reels

View on TikTok

May 23, 2024

Gladius 2024, Portugal

Friexo de Espada a Cinta, Portugal

May 23, 2024

King of The Hammers 2024, Los Angeles

King of The Hammers, is the ultimate off-road racing challenge, where adrenaline meets grit, and determination meets the unforgiving desert terrain. In 2024, amidst the roar of engines and the dust of the desert, an unforgettable story unfolded, as Jim Marsden, the seasoned driver for Gigglepin Racing, embarked on a remarkable journey.

The Proposition:

Every race has its own set of challenges, but for Jim Marsden, 2024 brought a unique proposition. Jimmy Jack from Jack Racing extended an invitation for Jim to race his car. A gesture born out of Jimmy’s inability to race due to a past accident, he entrusted his car to Jim, eager to see it back on the track. With a spirit of adventure, Jim accepted the challenge, marking his return to King of The Hammers after nearly a decade.

The Team:

With the proposition accepted, Jim assembled a team of seasoned professionals to tackle the challenges ahead. Alongside Co-Driver Helder da Rocher from Portugal, the team included Michael Whitting as Chief Crew, James Sutton-Smith as Crew, and Darren Woolway to capture every moment of their journey.

Challenges and Triumphs:

Testing revealed significant shock tuning issues and a critical problem with the reverse gear. Despite these setbacks, with the expertise of Kings Shocks and Maximum Transmissions, the team pressed on. Qualifying saw Jim finishing 89th overall but showing promise by securing the 3rd position in his class. The main race presented its own set of challenges, from a fuel leak at Remote Pit 2 to running out of fuel just miles from the finish line. Yet, in the face of adversity, the team persevered, with Co-Driver Helder running back to town for fuel and back to the track, ensuring they crossed the finish line in 10th position in their class, with another 10 finisher cars following behind.

The official race time was 9:24:45.218 with a 13:30 of penalties with an actual race time of 9:11:15.218.

Randy Slawson in car #4848 with a time of 4:46:41.129 was the overall winner of The Every Man Challenge; driving a 4800 in the Branik Motorsports Legends Class. In the 4500 Yukon Gear & Axle Modified Class; which Jim was racing, Duane Garetson in car #26 won 1st place, Shad Kennedy in car #29 came 2nd place and in 3rd place was Steve Crawford in car #4532.

Looking Ahead:

As the dust settled and the engines quieted, Jim Marsden’s resolve remained unshaken. Despite the hurdles faced in 2024, the experience only fueled his determination to return stronger in 2025. With plans to bring their own race car, the anticipation for the next chapter of their King of The Hammers journey is palpable.

February 20, 2017

Media Day at Brands Hatch

On Tuesday 14th February I attended the MSVR Brands Hatch media day. The event launched the clubs events for the year including cars from:

GT CUP, LMP3 Cup, Mini Challenge, Lotus, Radical, PBMW & TTRS, VAG Trophy & VW Cup, SsangYong Racing Challenge, Super 7 Series, ZCars, MSVT Trackday Trophy and Team Trophy, F3 Cup, Monoposto, Champion of Brands & SuperSeries, BRDC British F3 Championships, Deutsche Fest and Festival Italia.

From the day I have written a Masterclass article for The Royal Photographic Society Journal, if you are a member look out for it in April.