Ultra4 Locks In Raceline Wheels as Title Sponsor for Black Hills Throwdown
The unlimited off-road series lands a fresh backer and a multi-year home at Sturgis Buffalo Chip as its August rock-and-desert showdown grows a bigger footprint.
Key takeaways
- Ultra4 USA has named Raceline Wheels the title sponsor of the 2026 Black Hills Throwdown, running August 6 through 12 at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip PowerSports Complex in South Dakota.
- The series also struck a multi-year agreement with the Buffalo Chip, anchoring the race at that venue for years to come instead of bouncing between sites.
- Seven Ultra4 classes, from Youth 1000 through 4400 Unlimited, will run single endurance races on a purpose-built course during the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
- Race day lands August 12 with staggered class starts and a Grand Prix-style finish, capping a week that opens with camping and a vehicle parade.
Figures drawn from Ultra4 USA's Black Hills Throwdown event page and sponsorship announcement.
A Wheel Brand Steps Into the Spotlight
Raceline Wheels is now the name plastered across the Black Hills Throwdown banner, and for a company that lives and dies by how its products hold up under rock impacts and desert whoops, there is no better proving ground to hang a logo on. Ultra4 USA confirmed the deal this month, putting the wheelmaker front and center for one of its most physically demanding stops of the season.
It is the kind of pairing that makes sense on paper and in the pits. Buggies and trucks in the 4400 Unlimited class chew through wheels and tires at a rate that would bankrupt a weekend warrior, so a sponsor whose entire business is built around surviving that abuse gets a stage where the product talks for itself every time a rig launches off a rock ledge in front of a grandstand full of fans.
Buffalo Chip Becomes a Long-Term Home
Beyond the title sponsorship, Ultra4 USA also locked down a multi-year arrangement with the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, the sprawling campground and motorsports complex that has hosted the event before. Rather than shopping the race to a new venue every couple of seasons, the series is planting roots there, which gives racers, vendors, and returning fans a fixed date and location to build a summer trip around.
The timing lines up with the 86th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, meaning the off-road crowd gets to share the Black Hills with hundreds of thousands of motorcycle riders passing through the same week. For a series still building its national footprint outside the desert Southwest, tapping into that existing river of visitors is a smart way to put unlimited four-wheel-drive racing in front of people who might never have sought it out otherwise.
How Race Week Actually Unfolds
The event stretches across nearly a full week rather than a single weekend blast. Camping opens and gates swing wide on August 6, with a vehicle parade the following evening giving fans an up-close look at the rigs before anyone turns a wheel in anger. Driver registration and tech inspection follow on August 10, giving officials a full day to comb through roll cages and safety gear before green flags fly.
Practice and qualifying take over August 11 across every class, setting the running order for race day on August 12. Rather than the heat-race format some other stops use, Black Hills runs a single endurance race per class, with two vehicles launching close together and staggered by class to keep the track from getting jammed. Awards wrap the night around 6:30 p.m., closing out a week that mixes desert speed, technical rock sections, and a Grand Prix-style sprint to the checkers.
The Seven Classes Hitting the Buffalo Chip Course
Black Hills Throwdown packs a full ladder of Ultra4 competition onto one purpose-built track, from junior racers cutting their teeth to the unlimited machines the series is best known for.
- Youth 1000: The series' entry point for junior drivers getting their first taste of rock and short-course racing.
- UTV 170: Side-by-side competition that has become one of the fastest-growing tickets in off-road racing.
- 4900: A buggy class that slots into the middle of the Ultra4 ladder for drivers moving up the ranks.
- 4600 Stock: Closer-to-showroom rigs that keep costs down while still tackling the same rugged course.
- 4500 Modified: Modified builds that split the difference between stock durability and unlimited-style performance.
- 4800 Limited: A capped-modification class that serves as a stepping stone toward the unlimited ranks.
- 4400 Unlimited: The headline class where the series' biggest names and most extreme machines go all out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Raceline Wheels Black Hills Throwdown?
It is an Ultra4 USA off-road race held at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip PowerSports Complex in South Dakota, newly backed by wheel manufacturer Raceline Wheels as title sponsor.
When and where does the 2026 event take place?
The event runs August 6 through 12, 2026, at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip in Sturgis, South Dakota, during the 86th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
What classes will be racing?
Seven classes are on the card: Youth 1000, UTV 170, 4900, 4600 Stock, 4500 Modified, 4800 Limited, and 4400 Unlimited.
How is the race format different from a typical Ultra4 weekend?
Instead of heat racing, Black Hills runs a single endurance race per class with staggered starts and a Grand Prix-style finish on race day.
Sources
- Raceline Wheels Named Title Sponsor for Black Hills Throwdown — Ultra4 USA
- Black Hills Throwdown Event Page — Ultra4 USA