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Category: King of the Hammers (KOH)

  • BFGoodrich Racers Reign at King of the Hammers

    BFGoodrich Racers Reign at King of the Hammers

    BFGoodrich wins overall for the ninth time in 13 years

    GREENVILLE, S.C., Feb. 15, 2019 — BFGoodrich racers dominated the notoriously tough King of the Hammers in Johnson Valley, Calif., handily winning three of the four major events.

    The 235-mile King of the Hammers race takes Ultra4 cars through extreme rock crawling for one of the most grueling events in off-road racing. BFGoodrich racer Jason Scherer earned his third Ultra4 crown at King of the Hammers, and second in a row. No other racer has won back to back. The win earned him a $10,000 contingency prize from BFGoodrich and $65,000 from the race purse.

    Racing on custom BFGoodrich® Baja T/A® KR3-SR tires made specifically to win King of the Hammers, Scherer completed the race in six hours and 32 minutes – five minutes ahead of the next driver. 

    “I’m amazed we’ve started two King of the Hammers races in a row and have won back-to-back races on the same set of tires we started with. That is probably one of the most amazing feats that occurs in this brutal race,” Scherer said. “I appreciate everything BFGoodrich has done for our team to develop the best tires to conquer the harshest terrain imaginable.”

    In the King of the Hammers Desert Invitational, T1 desert trucks raced for a large prize pot of $125,000. In the end, the top five racers were all on BFGoodrich tires. The top three split the entire prize.

    Luke McMillin took first place in the T1 race, winning on 40-inch BFGoodrich® Baja T/A® KR3 tires and taking home $100,000. Justin Lofton, also a BFGoodrich racer, came in second place, winning $15,000. BFGoodrich racer Apdaly Lopez claimed third place and $10,000.

    In the King of the Hammers UTV competition, Mitch Guthrie Jr. won for the second time, competing on BFGoodrich® Baja T/A®KR2 UTV tires.

    “For this race, tire choice is the most important thing, and that’s why I run with BFGoodrich,” Guthrie said. “Not only did I have zero flats, but the tires helped guide me up some of the nastiest rock sections on the planet. Whether it was fast desert lakebed or slow rock sections, my tires helped me win.”

    BFGoodrich Motorsports Manager Peter Calhoun said the weekend wins were a significant milestone as the 2019 racing season gets underway. 

    “The 2019 season is off to a very strong start for us,” Calhoun said. “We’ve seen overall wins in the Dakar Rally, the Best in the Desert Parker 425 and now King of the Hammers. We’re thankful to all the racers who trust us to get them their wins.”

    About BFGoodrich® Tires

    With more than 100 years of heritage, BFGoodrich® Tires is dedicated to providing high performance tires for those who have a passion for driving in virtually any environment. Combining technical expertise with 45 years of motorsports experience, BFGoodrich Tires delivers tires for a full range of driving experiences, from ultra-high performance street to off-road terrain, with one common theme — extreme performance. Upgrade your performance with BFGoodrich and see where our tires can take you at www.BFGoodrichTires.com, www.BFGoodrichracing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BFGoodrichTires or on Instagram or Twitter at @BFGoodrichTires.

  • 4WP Brings Support and Stacked Teams to 2019 King of the Hammers™ Off-Road Race

    4WP Brings Support and Stacked Teams to 2019 King of the Hammers™ Off-Road Race

    4 Wheel Parts, the global leader in off-road performance product sales, is returning to the 2019 Ultra4 King of the Hammers™ for the 10th consecutive year with defending champions in the Ultra4 and UTV classes and title sponsorship of the 4WP Every Man Challenge Race.

    Compton, CA (February 1, 2019) – 4 Wheel Parts (4WP) is proud to announce its participation and official partnership with the toughest one-day off-road race on the planet: King of The Hammers. Dubbed the “Ultimate Desert Race,” the 2019 Nitto King of the Hammers Powered by OPTIMA Batteries combines breakneck racing speeds with extreme rock crawling and will be held February 1-8 in Johnson Valley, California.

    “King Of The Hammers is a truly unique opportunity to spectate and participate in one of the world’s most challenging off-road events,” said Joey DiGiovanni, 4WP Director of Creative Marketing & Partnerships. “This year is especially exciting as we have built up the best roster of 4WP athletes to ever represent us in competition, as well as being the title sponsor the always-exciting Every Man Challenge race.”

    At the beginning of each February, a pop-up city called “Hammertown” rises from the desert as tens of thousands of off-road enthusiasts descend on the area, an off-road shopping market emerges and hundreds of professional teams arrive to vie for qualifying positions. In a little more than a decade the race has evolved from 12 teams racing for bragging rights to more than 300 sponsored teams competing in front of 35,000 fans in person and nearly 500,000 watching online. The UTV Race, the 4WP Every Man Challenge (EMC) and the Toyo Desert Invitational (truck race) all lead up to the Ultra4 Championship Race held on Sunday, February 8. The vehicles in the Ultra4 class reach speeds in excess of 100 MPH and sport gear ratios as low as 100:1 for technical rock crawling, while the drivers’ endurance is tested to beat the grueling 14-hour cutoff time.

    4WP will lead off with their UTV team, featuring Mitch Guthrie Sr., Mitch Guthrie Jr., Sara Price and Craig Scanlon. Guthrie Jr. won the UTV race last year on a Polaris RZR, defeating teammate and father Guthrie Sr., a UTV legend and six-time King of the Hammers UTV champion. Jason Scherer, Raul Gomez, Tom Wayes and Brent Goegebuer will represent 4WP in the signature King of the Hammers Ultra4 race. Scherer is among the most decorated drivers in KOH history, winning in 2009 and 2018 and reaching the podium on three other occasions.

    In 2012, the 4WP Every Man Challenge (EMC) was established in an effort to bring core fans back into the race. King of the Hammers was created by grassroots enthusiasts but the event’s rapid ascent in popularity brought with it formidable professional teams backed by cutting edge technology and hefty bankrolls, leaving many of its original supporters in the dust. The race is a testament to DIYers and diehard fans, who come in droves from around the country with their garage-built rigs and volunteer chase crews to populate Hammertown and seek glory on the podium.

    4 Wheel Parts will once again have a significant retail presence in the Hammertown marketplace as they roll in with their “Showroom on Wheels” and $100,000.00 worth of off-road inventory. In addition to supplying parts and services for racing teams, 4WP representatives will be offering products at substantial discounts to the countless fans in attendance and giving away free Illumicraze phone accessories. Customers who stop by can also find out how to enter to win a brand new Polaris SXS UTV with a retail value of over $18,000.

    “We encourage fans, racers and enthusiasts alike to come visit our massive Showroom on Wheels booth located directly next to the Tribe 16 firepit inside Hammertown,” added DiGiovanni. “They can take advantage of our massive on-site inventory with exclusive KOH specials or pick up some of our newly released 4WP merchandise, such as t-shirts, hoodies, hats and beanies.”

  • 2019 KOH Week Competitor Updates

    2019 KOH Week Competitor Updates

    Happy Holidays! 
    2019 KOH Week will be one for the record books!  We have nearly 345 teams committed to participate. This email is full of important updates for teams, including last call for Hammertown addresses, KOH Pre-Show info, and reminders about qualifying for the UTV and EMC classes! Please read through this email carefully to make sure you are staying on top of important info!

    The 4 Wheel Parts KOH Pre-Show at AMADA will be LIVE from Orange County on 1/9! 
    Everyone is welcome to attend! Starting at 4PM we will be doing tours of Amada. At 5PM they will be serving food and at 6PM we will go live for those who aren’t able to join us on site. We will discuss starting order for qualifying, details of the race, and what new things can be expected during this year’s KOH Week. 

    Last Call for Hammertown Garage Requests: 
    Dave plans on assigning Hammertown garage requests this weekend. If you already requested a Hammertown spot when you registered, you’re all set, but if you have yet to do so, Friday’s the last day before most spots are assigned! Click here to request your spot. If you’re not sure you paid for a spot, already, you can always check your receipt which was emailed from orders@ultra4racing.com OR you can login and check under your account and order history to see what you’ve already paid for!  

    Renegade Fuel — Official Fuel of UTRA4 and KOHRenegade Race Fuel — The Official Race Fuel of ULTRA4 will be delivering fuel on site on the Lakebed, and will be on site for every ULTRA4 race for the 2019 season. They have access to all types of fuel. Teams can pre-order fuel and it will be waiting on-site for them at any given race. Call Jody Morris at 270-467-4219 or email at: jmorris@valoroil.com to order your fuel.

    RCV Offers Support for 2019 Season to ULTRA4 Teams As the Official UTV Axle of Ultra4 Racing, RCV is offering three levels of support for Ultra4 UTV drivers for the 2019 season. The program is open to any new and existing RCV UTV driver. The various levels of support allow product to be obtained at discounts not available to the public.  These racer accounts include many additional benefits such as access to the Race Prep/Rebuild program. Drivers may schedule to send race axles in to be inspected and race-prepped at any time throughout the season.

    Click below to submit your Race Program request form:
    https://www.rcvperformance.com/rcv-racer-program

    RCV Performance offers proven race products for Polaris, CanAm, & Yamaha.  Axles are available in OEM length and most long travel applications.  Prop Shafts are available in Chromoly or Carbon Fiber.  Please allow 2-4 weeks for custom-length axles or CV prop shafts to be made.

    New!  All RCV UTV components are backed by a 1 year warranty against breakage.

    To set up an account:  Complete the RCV Sponsorship Form and submit your racer proposal via email to ricky@rcvperformance.com.  You must register an account and log in to access the Sponsorship form.


    ShareMyCoach Returns as Official RV Partner of King of The Hammers and ULTRA4 Racing

    With more than $50 Million in inventory and 7 locations currently on the west coast, the privately held ShareMyCoach, is an ideal partner to help meet the increasing demand for RV and travel-trailer rentals as Nitto King of The Hammers powered by Optima continues to grow exponentially in both teams and spectators each year. Some of the amenities ShareMyCoach is able to offer include; pre-purchasing groceries, shipping personal items in advance to be delivered to the lake bed along with the rental RVs, hotel quality linens and bedding, and the rental of high-end electrical bicycles. All rentals include standard housewares and the amenities needed to operate the vehicle.  Please click here to see what options are available. 

    Qualifying Option for Limited and UTV Drivers Click here to pay for qualifying if you haven’t already done so. Anyone in the 4500, 4600, 4800, 4900/UTV Classes that wanted to qualify MUST pay for qualifying by 1/4/2019.  With the live show in two weeks, you must be signed up by 1/4 if you wish to qualify! If you have yet to pay for qualifying, you must do so immediately!  
    Qualifying is not a requirement. The cost to qualify will be $250. This covers all the expenses involved with qualifying which include: permit fees for racing, on-site medical, and live coverage. UTVs will qualify on Saturday 2/2. PLEASE NOTE IF YOU ARE RACING PARKER ON SATURDAY AND NEED TO QUALIFY ON FRIDAY, please contact Shannon@ultra4racing.com. All EMC Classes 4500s, 4600s and 4800s will qualify on Monday, 2/4.
    As was the case in 2018, 4500s and 4800s will start in the order they qualify regardless of class. Those that do not wish to qualify will be randomized, and start behind those that qualified. Non-Qualifying 4500s and 4800s will be randomized together and will start behind qualified drivers from both classes. 4600s will start behind 4500s and 4800s in the order they qualified followed by randomized starts. You cannot pay to qualify on site.
    We will be randomizing the names of those that did not pay to qualify and drawing them at the 4WP KOH Live Pre-Show in January. 4400s and Trophy Trucks already pay for qualifying in their entry fees and do not need to pay additionally for this option. 

    USAC for Drivers USAC Insurance is available at the following link: ULTRA4license.comWhen drivers sign up for USAC insurance online they will receive scannable tickets (QR Codes) for their competitor entry which includes their Hammertown parking stickers redeemable at the front gate on Boone Rd. Please save these tickets! Those registering will receive an email, but can also print or text tickets. 

    Annual Vs. Single Event
    Drivers racing only KOH may sign up for single-event USAC insurance. Those paying for single-event insurance, must pay their tech fee separately on ultra4racing.com  Drivers racing multiple ULTRA4 races should sign up for annual USAC insurance, which also covers the cost of the annual tech fee. 

    No Parking stickers are comped for Camper Passes. Everyone must pay the $20 per camping vehicle either at the gate or online and present proof of purchase at the gate. Camper passes are also available at ultra4license.com Please note: Co-drivers and Pit Crew are also eligible to purchase additional parking stickers when they purchase their USAC Bands. Only the person whose name is on the ticket can pick up the parking stickers at the front gate.If more parking stickers are needed after all team members register, they will be available for purchase on-site with cash. Supplies are limited to keep traffic in Hammertown reasonable. Parking stickers are non-refundable, so please do not purchase more than necessary. 

    USAC Insurance for Co-Drivers and Pit Crew
    Pit Crew and Co-drivers can sign up for either single use USAC insurance or an annual USAC insurance pass at this link: ULTRA4License.com. When registering, Co-drivers and pit crew will receive a ticket/QR Code. Please retain this code either via email, text or print. You will need to present it at the front gate to receive your wrist band. 

    Annual vs. Single Event: 
    If Co-drivers are racing more than one race in a season, the annual license is the way to go. For pit crew, the annual license makes sense if crew are planning to attend at least 4 ULTRA4 races in a season, or they would like the hard card for benefits such as the Jeep Discount Program. Pit passes will be available for sale on the lake bed as well, but this process allows pit crew members to sign their waiver and pick up their own bands when entering Hammertown and streamlines the process at the front gate. 

    Co-drivers and Pit Crew are eligible to purchase additional parking stickers when purchasing their USAC for KOH. Only stickered vehicles will be able to drive, park and camp in the Hammertown Garage areas. Only the person whose name is on the ticket can pick up the parking stickers. If more parking stickers are needed after registration, they can be purchased at the front gate with cash.

    New for 2019: Everyone with a camping vehicle MUST purchase a camper pass, also available at www.ultra4license.com

    2 Ways to Qualify for Friday KOH Race on the Lake Bed1. Those who register and pay for LCQ are automatically signed up for Monday’s Shootout. The Shootout returns to Backdoor on Monday Night. The Top 10 drivers in the shootout are automatically qualified for Friday’s KOH Race. Please note: the driver is pre-qualified, but the car must still pass ULTRA4 tech to race.  

    2. LCQ – 25% of the drivers signed up for LCQ will qualify for the main race via LCQ,  regardless of Shootout results. That means if 20 drivers sign up for LCQ, 5 Drivers will receive LCQ spots for the main race via the traditional LCQ held on Tuesday Afternoon.  Please note, Drivers entering via LCQ only need to pay for the LCQ entry. Should a driver qualify into the main race, they will then owe the balance of the entry fee on the Lakebed and will be charged at the pre 12/1 costs. 


    KOH Week Media Credential Applications Available.  Click here register for Media credentialsEvery year the number of media requesting credentials at KOH increases. Because of this demand, media wishing to receive credentials for KOH Week 2019 should be careful to fill out their media credentials in full. Team Media is limited to 2 media members per team. Please choose your media credential applicants wisely as we will not grant additional media if two media credentials have already been issued for your team. 

    Daddy’s Famous Foods Offers Catering For TeamsDaddy’s Famous Foods is back again and better than ever, offering their outstanding catering services! They will be ready to serve starting January 21st until February 9th, with a larger dining area and more food options, including vegetarian/vegan and Gluten Free options. To-go meals are available if you are unable to make it to the catering tent. Private catering orders can be placed for special events at your vending area or camp site. For more information, please contact Brad Young (949).533.4331 or daddysfamousfoods@gmail.com

    REGISTRATION:Prices go up again on 1/2/19 If this is your first time racing KOH Week, please start here. How To Register:All drivers must login to register. If you’ve raced with us in the past, you already have a driver profile. Please do not make a new profile, as your race history is associated with your existing account. You must login with your username (or email address) and password. If you don’t remember your password, simply click on “request new password” with the username or email address you used.  

    • Once logged in, select 2019 KOH Week from the schedule
    • Select the “racer” tab
    • Select your class
    • Select the the “season commitment” button if you wish to receive a discounted entry fee at KOH for committing to race at least 3 regional races next season. 

    For those signing up for KOH Week, you have two options: you can select either the single race price (more expensive), or the series committed price (less expensive). Drivers that commit to racing at LEAST 3 races in either the Eastern or Western Regional Series receive a significant discount on their KOH Week entry fee, as well as their series entry fees. You DO NOT need to pay for the whole series until after KOH. Series committed drivers must pay for the season by April 1st.  PLEASE NOTE: Drivers that select the series price and do not race 3 races will be charged the KOH price difference plus a handling fee. 

    Reminder! When emailing Tech Inspector at Tech@ultra4racing.com

    Drivers emailing tech with questions must cite the rule in the rulebook they have a question about when emailing tech. If you do not do so, you will be asked to refer to the rulebook before your question can be answered.

  • 2019 King of The Hammers Dates Announced

    2019 King of The Hammers Dates Announced

    JOHNSON VALLEY, CA: Mark your calendars, the dates for the 2019 King of The Hammers are set! Hammerking Productions cordially invites all off-road enthusiasts to join us in the desert of Johnson Valley, CA from February 1st through February 9th, 2019.

    (more…)

  • BFGoodrich Tires Garage Supports Racers and Spectating Enthusiasts at 2018 King of the Hammers

    BFGoodrich Tires Garage Supports Racers and Spectating Enthusiasts at 2018 King of the Hammers

    Racers: Contingency, Pit Support, Tire Mounting & Sales Enthusiasts and Racers: Full Garage, Tow Service, Oil Recycling Center, Educational Clinics, Benefits, Win BFGoodrich Tires

    MESA, AZ   JANUARY 26, 2017:  BFGoodrich Tires™ is excited to offer 2018 King of the Hammers attendees and racers many opportunities, starting Monday February 5th through Friday February 9th at two different Hammertown locations. (more…)

  • Journey to The Hammers Returns to NBC Sports July 27th

    Journey to The Hammers Returns to NBC Sports July 27th

    “Journey to the Hammers” Returns to NBC Sports July 27th
    8PM PT | 9PM MT | 10PM CT | 11PM ET

    Journey To the Hammers returns to NBC Sports, Thursday, July 27th.  New episodes debut on Thursday nights at 8PM PT / 11PM ET for the next 7 weeks. The series picks up at the start of 2017 KOH Week with the King of the Motos race presented by Baja Designs. The number of episodes for 2017 has almost doubled over last year. Fans can expect more time to devoted to each race during KOH Week as well as the individual series races.  The Nitto King of The Hammers Powered by Optima Batteries will be a full hour long episode as it was in 2016.  (more…)