Crowned Kings at the King of Germany 2025: The Battle, The Breakdowns, and the Glory

Darren Woolway
May 12
6 min read

Updated: May 16

The 2025 edition of King of Germany proved to be one of the toughest, most unpredictable races we've ever faced. What started as a fast-paced, technical event soon became a full-on test of endurance, ingenuity, and team grit. But by the end of it all, we weren’t just survivors, we were Champions, taking the crown in the 4400 class and winning the fan-favourite Shoot-Out Challenge. This marks a first win for this car and a massive milestone in its development journey.

Day 1 Qualifying: A Promising Start

With bright blue skies and smiles all around the green flag dropped at King of Germany and it was go time. The site near Torgau in South East Germany is a derelict army base that is now used for Motorcross racing and its blend of abandoned buildings, incredible jumps and wooded sections made it an instant hit with all the teams. The Prologue course was a 1.6km loop with big jumps to get the heart pumping. We kicked things off with a solid 3rd place in qualifying, only 1.5 seconds off the top spot. It’s a great start putting us in 3rd place for the main race start on Friday.

Day 2: Carnage and Comebacks

Driver Jim Marsden and co-driver James Ayre were locked in and ready. But the track layout told us this was going to be no ordinary race. Originally built for motorcycles, it was brutally narrow, deeply rutted, and absolutely punishing on the cars. It’s a single file rolling start and there is thunder as the cars fly off the line trying to stay ahead of those chasing. It’s a solid session but a broken front propshaft has Jim and James defending their position and they are happy to finish in 3rd place.

Heat 2 and as we line up for the start, we get news that the 2nd placed Schmidt brothers' will miss the start as they try to frantically repair a suspension issue. Its great news for us and we move into 2nd place by default. Still, we pushed hard; hammering through terrain not built for vehicles of this size, catching serious airtime on the jumps and dropping into climbs that needed every ounce of throttle response. But we couldn't find a route past a flying Bernd Schafer as we hug his bumper lap after lap. Then as we near the end of the 30 minute session he pulls into the pits and we thunder past to take the lead.

But our troubles weren’t over. A PDM module had blown, the result of a voltage spike from a failing Air Compressor which had also burned out. With time against us, the team stepped up, rigging a solution that would limp us through Heat 3 with only one functioning fan.

Heat 3 and it was clear air for the boys at the front of the pack. Jim drives smart, keeping the baying pack behind him, giving the team their second heat win. And more importantly they bring back the car in one piece so that head mechanic Michael and the team could spend extra time solving the electrical gremlins from the earlier session. As they roll out the 4th and final heat of Day 2, they do so knowing they have full power and can start to build a lead.

Heat 4, we were back to full power and the team are flying! Jim and James dominate once again to take a third heat win and roll into the pits with big smiles knowing they're sitting in 1st place with a commanding lead. That night the whole team put in a shift to make sure they were ready for action on the final day.

Day 3: Fighting Fire with Pure Determination

It’s another blue sky day in Torgau and we hit the ground running in Heat 1. The car was faultless and we drove tactically building on our lead and loving this fast paced course.

Heat 2 and we hit trouble. We snap a front suspension sway bar, which takes out a front shock absorber. Thankfully it happens near the end of the session and Jim and James cross the line in 1st place. The team replace both in record time and after a spot of lunch we are rolling out to line up for Heat 3.

Heat 3 and the car is amazing, Jim and James are smooth and fast and everything is going in the right direction. Then Michaels phone rings and its James “We have no Fans!” With the car stopped in the Hot-pit it’s a race to try to jury rig a solution. Michael is on it straight away but the seconds are ticking by and so are the minutes…..

With one fan working we get back out on track, but we have dropped two laps and our lead! But with only one fan running Jim and James can only consolidate as they rely on those big Odyssey Batteries to get them to the finish.

Back in the pits and head mechanic Michael comes up with a solution and wires in the fans; bypassing the state of the art electrics that have died. While Jim and James check the scoring to see what they needed to do to win. They will be starting from 10th position in Heat 4 on a track that is virtually impossible to overtake. It’s from moments like these that Jim has built his reputation and he can’t wait to get started.

Heat 4 and the heat haze from 10 angry Ultra 4 cars muddles with dust in the air and engines roar at the rolling start. The boys are taking no prisoners and pass two cars before the second jump, passing a third in the air. It’s a great start as they fight through the heavy dust. A kilometer in and they find Dutch ace Robert Betsema on his side and blocking the course. They lose 20 seconds as the car in front tries to find a route past and leaders are getting further ahead. Once clear Jim puts down the hammer and is still passing cars. The car is insanely good and the boys reel in each car, one at a time. On lap 4 they get behind the lead car of the Schmidt Brothers and an epic battles erupts. However; with the clock counting down they can’t find a route past and finish in 2nd. But have they done enough to take the overall win?

Final Standings, Knock Out Madness, and Victory

While we waited for the official times (which varied depending on whether you looked at Sportity or the published results), we entered the Shoot Out Challenge; a crowd-pleasing spectacle where cars race head-to-head, loser eliminated each round. It was wild, chaotic, and brilliant fun and the guys beat all comers to take the win!

At 8pm, the final results were confirmed. Despite the mechanical gremlins, burnt components, and monster repairs, we’d done it:

1st Place in the 4400 Class

Crowned King of Germany 2025

It was a huge win for this car, the result of years of development, and the first time everything came together just right not least due to the immense skill and hustle from the entire crew.

Sponsors That Made It Possible

- Odyssey Batteries – Relentless power delivery, even under brutal draw.

- Fox Shocks – Their performance allowed our drivers to stay sharp through hits that would leave others rattled.

- Spidertrax Axles – Built tough, with zero failures across two hard-hitting days.

- ARB Air Compressors – Air systems gave us control and locker engagement when needed.

- SWEPCO Lubricants – Kept our components cool and protected, even while running hot in compromised airflow.

-FK Rod Ends, Lazer Lights, Branik Motorsports, Raceline Wheels, Maxxis, Wilwood Brakes, Radial Dynamics, Miller Motorsports, D&G Tuning, Allisport, Pro-linx Suspension, Corbeau Seats UK, Blackbird Industries, STEEL-IT, Tireballs, Damar Webbing, Samcosport, Rip N Roll, Advance Adapters, EBC Brakes, Duck Smart, Morris Lubricants, FEIN – Power tools and Gigglepin Winch.

Without these brands, and the trust we have in their products, this race simply wouldn’t have played out the way it did.

Watch, Follow & Stay Tuned

YouTube Live Streams: (38) Gigglepin - YouTube Final edited videos will be released over the coming weeks — these will go onto YouTube Instagram www.instagram.com/gigglepinwinches Facebook www.facebook.com/teamgigglepin

To our crew, sponsors, and supporters — thank you. This win belongs to all of us.

Car Stats

Engine: CBM LS7 V8 (625BHP) Gearbox: GM Edge 4L80e 4 speed automatic race transmission controlled with a Holley Dominator ECU Transfer box: Atlas 2 speed race case 1:5 ratio Chassis / Frame: Miller Pro Chassis Suspension: Front Coil-overs - Fox 2” Coil overs with piggy back remotes Front Bypass shocks - Fox 2.5” 14” travel with 4x 1” bypass tubes and piggy back remote Front Bump stops - Fox 2” with 2” travel Rear Coil-overs - Fox 2” Coil overs with standard remotes and dial up rear adjust Rear bypass shocks - Fox 3.5” 14” travel with 5x 1” bypass tubes, Gold valve and piggy back remotes. Rear Bump-stops - Fox 2.5” with 4” travel

Springs: Full-flex and Eibach

Axles & Diffs: Spidertrax latest generation 4”Pro-Series housings fitted with 40 spline shafts on the front and 45 spline in the rear. Tubeworks 10” differentials fitted with spool or ARB RD99CE locking differential centres using 6:1 ratios running high pinion front and rear Wheels & Tyres: Raceline Monster beadlocks / Maxxis Trepador 40/13.5×17 Cooling: Engine coolant: AlliSport radiator with Spal fans Engine oil: 2x Gigglepin tubular heat exchangers Transmission: 2x Laminova coolers Steering: 2x Gigglepin tubular heat exchangers Winches: Gigglepin GP100 with standard drum, Bowmotor 2 (12v), Pro 150 (12v) solenoids, Hurricane gears, +50% ratios and Motor Brake System (MBS).