The word “pilgrimage” has a strong religious connotation. It is associated with journeys that align with one’s faith or beliefs. A quest for divinity. Some argue that the word “pilgrimage” should not be used for non-religious purposes. Year after year, custom car enthusiasts from all over Europe – and beyond – take part in a sacred journey to Wrocław, Poland for a weekend of automotive indulgence.
What kind of car pampering? Ultrace.
Although Ultrace has been around in one form or another since 2010, 2024 will mark the first time the show has been held under the slightly modified ‘Club de Ultrace’ banner, and my first time attending. Judging by the following Adriaan Kapica and his crew have grown over the past 14 years, they could change their name to something and the event would become increasingly popular.
Let me make it clear right away: Ultrace is the most impressive car show I have ever visited.
I have never seen such a consistently high standard of show cars. Even the ‘tame’ builds ride on impeccable split wheels with fantastic fit and feature choice modifications to stand out from the crowd.
The diversity of cars on display was overwhelming: there was something for everyone, regardless of taste.
I’m an open-minded car guy – thanks to my time at Speedhunters, that much is true. But no matter what wild builds I’ve shown over the years, it’s a simple European car on beautiful split wheels that has captured my heart.
Especially when it’s a big sedan like these black 740s parked together. One BMW, one Volvo, both gangsters.
Or on the other end of the spectrum, I like a small sports car with a long hood and a short rear end. This beautiful BMW Z4 M Coupe on AC Schnitzer Type 3 Racing wheels was very cool, but opposite was a Mercedes-Benz SL ‘Pagoda’ on BBS RS wheels that I had a hard time tearing myself away from.
Are JDM cars more your thing? How about this R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R on Work Meister S1 wheels, or one of the what felt like a thousand Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions on display. Both cars won a coveted ‘Top 16’ award.
Although the races at the Ultrace are run with JDM cars, drifting is an important part of the weekend for the spectators.
Organized by a mysterious man named “Fiji” and his team at Next Level Drift, the main parking lot is transformed into a drift course for the event. Drivers cram in as much sideways action as they can fit into the show weekend, partially enveloping Tarczynski Stadium in a cloud of smoke.
The typical Ultrace drift setup is as follows: JDM wheels (ideally three-piece), a BN sports set (or similar) and a cool color scheme for maximum style points while drifting.
The drift layout is quite small and the heavily cambered cars don’t always perform the smokiest drifts, but they do make for some great panning shots if you can find a good angle.
The drift paddock vibe was phenomenal. People were helping each other; smiling, waving and just seemed to let go of all their stress at once.
Wrong Crew were fantastic, pulling some seriously tight tandem drift trains all weekend. I hopped from car to car with them for some tracking shots of the team…
…but Jake Crouch’s fast and aggressive runs in his RB26-powered Nissan Silvia were the most exciting. Jake’s purple S15, brought from the UK, was often seen with Becky Evans’ S15 making some of the fastest runs of the weekend.
I could only tolerate the heat of the drift cars to a limited extent in temperatures of 30°C+, so I took a few trips to our friends at CSF and their air-conditioned cabin was certainly fine. Ravi DolwaniThe CSF Porsche 911 took to the stage, joined by Pit+Paddock’s BMW M3 GTS Touring, a tribute to another stop on their European tour.
The American duo were joined by cars from even further afield, including the Liberty Walk, Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari Testarossa, and the Peaches Hyundai Pony which came to Poland from South Korea.
Speaking of traveling, 2024 was the year I finally met other Speedhunters in real life Alen And VladimirKeep an eye on their spotlight, because they’ll be in the spotlight soon.
With such an incredible selection of cars, Ultrace’s status as a 2024 show, and three Speedhunters in attendance – Alen felt we had to do something special. Why not use our years of experience at car shows, time around the world’s best modified cars, and our taste in the art to choose a Speedhunters ‘Car of the Show’?
After some back-and-forth text exchanges between ourselves and the Ultrace crew, the plan was set: we would pick our favorite car of the 2024 show and present an award on stage.
You’ll have to wait for my article for some good info on our champion, but Martin Szombierski’s 1969 Mercedes-Benz W108 was stunning and we all agreed it deserved recognition at the event. Can’t wait for you to see it…
Our prize? A piece of billet steel, engraved by the incredibly talented Little Doriwho won a Top 16 award in her own Mercedes 190 E.
Peaches’ Hyundai Pony took the top spot, beating out Liberty Walk’s Lamborghini Countach for the Ultrace 2024 crown. All of the Top 16 won prizes and it’s safe to say they were all beautiful cars.
That being said, Ultrace had one last surprise up its sleeve this year. I think the ultimate winner was the guy who proposed to his girlfriend on stage. She said yes!
Why did I start this article by discussing pilgrimages? Because I have never seen a fan base so enthusiastic and dedicated to going to an event. Ultrace is in a class of its own. I can’t wait to make the trip there in my car.
The vibe at Ultrace is simply unmatched. I’m already looking forward to 2025!
Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn, mariochristou.world
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