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While I am taking a sabbatical from watches and all related things, it might be the time to talk about another favorite thing – cars. I wanted to visit Ultrace for some time, and almost missed the chance this year too, but thanks to my friend I got the weekend ticket and planned the trip. Event itself doesn’t require an extra introduction as it is one of the biggest in Europe, and definitely worth visiting it (sorry for spoilers).
Nevertheless, even the sun has its spots, so there are few things to discuss.
Here you can read one of the watch reviews in case you are looking for a new piece.
Saturday
First of all, separate thanks to the weather department, as both days were just perfect, and only on Sunday evening it was trying to rain a bit. Whole Saturday it was sun shining, warm and good. Well, as long as you weren’t standing in the loooooong queue for the entrance.
I am not sure how it happened at all, but some people were waiting for several hours under the sun. Me and my friend arrived in advance and managed to skip this, but this is definitely not a good experience for others. I love cars, but not that much to get sunburned (spoiler: I got sunburned while admiring cars later).
Whole even was organised on Tarczynski stadium, which is quite large and there is plenty of space for the cars. There is a main exposition in the stadium area, separate parking for drifting teams and also various minor setups for food and other stuff. Keyword is “minor” as food and water were surprisingly sparse for such large event, and you had to stand another queue to eat something or drink something. I definitely recommend to visit covered parking nearby, as people were coming on interesting cars which are worth seeing in person.
There was even the separate area for “art setup”, but in my opinion it could be better. Some blobs on the hoods are not that cool, and I decided not to waste time there and go look at drift show. Merchandise was ranging from some simple stickers up to the special Jagermeister sets with BMW model inside. I managed to get some interesting things, but it felt like there could be more special stuff around, or maybe I am too spoiled. Well, Hot Wheels stand was definitely worth checking out and getting a small model. 🙂
Cars range from the modern types which you can buy stock right now and tune them, up to the old classics in some special treatments. I have to say that mix looked good, and there was plenty of things to admire and check. It is recommended to watch video-report to see some of those cars. I will also post the walkthrough through some areas of the show so that you can get a better idea.
Whole Saturday flew by fast, but overall the dynamics of the show was quite cool, all the loud music, drifting in the background and a lot of great builds to admire. I have to note that a lot of people were with Saturday only entrance, so it was quite packed this day. Food mishap was a bit sad, but we managed to grab a bite and then stop in McDonalds nearby. It was also funny to see police stopping all the tuning cars driving out from the visitors parking, so be warned for the next year. 🙂
Sunday
I didn’t attend the night part of the event, so the Sunday morning was easy. Judging by the alcohol smell from some of exhibitors, it wasn’t that easy for some of them. 😀
Jokes aside, it was interesting to see new cars parked on Sunday as well as a bit less people. You can also try your luck and arrive earlier in order to take photos or just admire cars without crowds around. Weather was a bit more gloomy, but just right for the good photos and videos.
On Saturday judges selected some finalists for the contest, and to be honest, I didn’t see logic or consistency between those candidates. Projects varied from simple tuning up to the complete rebuilds and redesigns of the cars. The same can be said about cars exhibited in the stadium area, as projects looked like lazy efforts on the stance styling…
Well, you will see some of them in the video, so it will be interesting to hear your opinion as well. Sunday is notable that you can see cars in motion, because around 3-4pm everybody starts to pack things and drive away. To be honest, this is something what also surprised me a bit, seeing some exhibitors leaving way earlier than the official closing hour…it was strange a bit. Who knows, maybe next year we will see a bit of a different situation.
Ultrace – Worth It?
Short answer – yes. I would like to visit next year, and I think 2025 event gave some food for thoughts to organisers, so we might see improvements. Keep in mind that the whole exhibition is getting bigger every year, so who knows what to expect in 2026.
From my personal point of view, it could be cool to divide the areas by the brands/regions, so that you can appreciate JDM cars without breaking for some random BMW or VW parked in the middle. I know, there are clubs, but then it can be nice to have a bit more prominent styling as well as description of the build. Such a small change would improve the informational part of the show and make it more engaging for those who like to understand what is going on under the hood.
Another thing to improve on – merchandise, which was way too simple, and I am still wondering why crowd was so obsessed with standing in the queue for some white tshirt. There is a huge potential for having something bigger, and I hope someone will get it.
Overall, if you want to visit big car event which feels like a small world on its own, Ultrace is a great pick. 2026 will come in no time, so be sure to get your own tickets as they sell out fast…
