Jordan Pellegrino, the 16 year old son of Tony Pellegrino and driver of the #4585 Modified class race car, proved that he is a strong and capable driver in the Smittybuilt Everyman Challenge. Taking place on Thursday of race week, the Everyman Challenge was a 130 mile charge through the desert, in which drivers faced all the same obstacles as the Unlimited class, except for going through Backdoor and Resolution.
Pellegrino lead the pack nearly all day. From his 23rd seat starting position, he quickly passed the entire field, with co-driver Gunnar coming over the radio every minute or so to say they’d “passed another one!”, battling only Brandon Currie and Mitch Funk for third. When, after the first lap through Jackhammer and over Chocolate Thunder, 
Currie fell victim to a flat tire and Funk ran into other break-downs, Pellegrino charged into first place. He quickly gained a 40 minute lead, due in part to seamless pit stops and serious fuel strategy planning, which he held until nearly reaching Sandhill, just 6 miles before the finish line.
The call came in over the radio that the car was experiencing vibrations– it felt like a driveline issue or a flat. Everyone was hoping for a flat— that’s an easy fix, but sure enough, the car’s front drive line had fallen apart. It was a quick decision to continue on without the option of 4 wheel drive: Pellegrino had enough of a lead that he could power through the rest of the race and still come out on top. They got back in the car and went about another 100 feet and then…the #4585 race car came over the radio to say that they now had lost the rear driveline, and that the rear truss had broken completely off.
This was heart wrenching news, but both driver, co-driver, and the whole GenRight team were undeterred. Jordan and co-driver Gunnar spent nearly four hours trying to repair the car on course, even getting help from passing cars on the course, but to no avail. (Fun fact: racers may receive “outside help” only from other active racers or in the pits, otherwise they may be DQ’d. Luckily, Ultra4 is home to some of the best sportsmen around who are willing to help out another driver, even if it means sacrificing a few minutes on their own time.) The #4585 car would not make it across the finish line, but one thing is for certain: it was not for lack of effort.
Jordan hugs mom after a long, trying race day.
These types of issues are just part of racing a long and strenuous course. The King of the Hammers, even at the Everyman Challenge level, tests a drivers skill, their endurance, their communication with their co-drivers, and their equipment. If one of these aspects is not perfected for race day, chances are, you won’t come out on top. Unfortunately for Jordan and team GenRight, even with skill beyond Jordan’s 16 years, and months of preparation, bad luck can still creep in.
Even with the bad luck, Pellegrino drove like a seasoned driver and competed like a world-class sportsman, gaining him even more respect and admiration from his peers. A disappointing finish only drives him and the GenRight team to make improvements for next year, as Tony now knows that “the kid can drive! Now I just have to build him an even better car!”
