July 26th, 2018 – (Johnson Valley, CA) – Hammerking Productions, Inc. is pleased to announce that the world’s toughest one-day off-road race, the Nitto King of The Hammers Powered by Optima Batteries, has tripled the purse for Friday’s ULTRA4 race to $100,000 for 2019. The Unlimited 4 Wheel Drive class, known as ULTRA4s will race Friday, February 8th, 2019. The winner will receive $75,000, 2nd place takes home $15,000, and 3rd place $10,000 for finishing on the podium. An additional $3,750 in payout will go to the driver that has the fastest time up one of the infamous Hammers Trails known as “Idle Issues.”
-
Rugged Ridge Releases New Hitch Thimble and Halo Recovery Rope for Universal Off-Road Applications
Simple Combination Turns Standard Hitches into a Vital Recovery Device
Suwanee, Ga. (July 10, 2018) – Rugged Ridge®, a Truck Hero Inc. company and leading manufacturer of high-quality Jeep®, truck and off-road parts and accessories, today announced the availability of its new Hitch Thimble and Halo Recovery Rope for various applications. (more…)
-
KMC Battle in Blue Grass is Weeks Away
KMC Wheels is the title sponsor for the 3rd annual Battle in Bluegrass taking place July 20th and 21st at Dirty Turtle Off Road Park in Bedford, KY. This is the final race in the 4 Wheel Parts Eastern Regional Series. 55 teams are currently registered to compete!We expect racing to be fierce in all classes as the Eastern Regional Championships are on the line! It is also the last chance for 4400 drivers to qualify for the 2019 King of The Hammers East of the Rockies. If you’ve always wanted to see ULTRA4 Racing up close and personal, this is your chance. The Dirty Turtle Off Road Park provides some great views from the short course and there will also be an ULTRA4 vs. Bouncer Shootout on Saturday night.Return of the Saturday Night Shootout!The Southern Rock Racing Series (SRRS) Rock Bouncers will be joining ULTRA4 for a shootout after racing on Saturday night. It’s $200 for ULTRA4 drivers who wish to compete, and you can sign up by selecting “shootout” under the “racer” tab located here. Space is limited, drivers should sign up ASAP. Non-ULTRA4 cars and SRRS bouncers should contact Clyde Bynum at Clyde@southernrockracing.comSpectator InfoTickets available at the gate!Spectators:Saturday only – $25 per personFriday and Saturday – $35 per personThursday thru Saturday – $45 per personShower House – $5Please note that these prices are special pricing. Camping will not be charged for the weekend.Driver and Team InfoThursday, July 19th4PM – 6PM Early Registration in Dirty Turtle office5PM Tech InspectionFriday, July 20th9AM – 2PM Driver Registration.in Dirty Turtle office.Park open for trail riding/ course inspection. 2PM Qualifying Driver Meeting in hot pits – all qualifying drivers must attend!3PM – 6PM Qualifying for all classes by class7 PM Driver Meeting for all drivers for Saturday racesSaturday, July 21stAll lap counts for races will be determined on site10AM – 11:30AM UTV Race12:30PM – 2:30PM Limited (4500, 4600, 4800) Race3:30PM – 6PM ULTRA4(4400) RaceAwards immediately following for all classes8PMULTRA4 and SRRS Shootout Race LengthThe course is expected to be 3-5 miles in length. Dirty Turtle’s race features an extensive short course;tight, wooded sections and hill climbsPre-Order your Renegade Race Fuel by June 11thRenegade Race Fuel- The official Race Fuel of ULTRA4 will be delivering fuel on site and will be onsite for every ULTRA4 race for the 2018 season. They have access to all types of fuel. Teams can pre-order and it will be waiting on-site for them. Call Jody Morris at 270/467-4219 or email him at: jmorris@valoroil.com to order your fuel. 2018 Renegade FuelContingency Be sure to stop by the renegade booth to get your 4″ x 4″ renegade stickers and sign up for contingency. The top 3 drivers in National points that have used Renegade fuel during at least 3 races will receive the following contingency: 4400: $3000 Total purse – $1500 for 1st, $1000 for 2nd, $500 for 3rd. For 4500-4900 classes, $1250 total purses – $600 – 1st, $400 – 2nd, and $250 – 3rd PitsThere will be one hot pit available during the race.CampingThere is dry camping available starting on Thursday and will be free for teams. Use of the shower house is $5.Hotel InfoHampton Inn Carrollton (two and a half stars)● 7 Slumber Lane, Carrollton, KY 41008 (8.2 miles from the park)● (502) 732-0700Holiday Inn Express & Suites Carrollton (two and a half stars)● 147 Hospitality Way, Carrollton, KY 41008 (8.3 miles from the park)● (502) 732-6770Remember that you MUST mention that you will be staying for the Dirty Turtle event to get these prices. They will only be valid for that weekend.Calling all UTV DriversDid you know that RCV Performance offers a special race program for all qualifying Ultra4 Racing UTV drivers? They offer three levels of Racer Program pricing for product, in addition to access to special race program additional processes to ensure strength and reliability.As an RCV driver, you have access to their racer rebuild and race prep program. Click here for more infoAddress for Dirty Turtle Off Road ParkPlease Note: For those towing to Dirty Turtle. We strongly recommend taking Highway 421 and avoiding Highway 42. Depending on the direction you are traveling from, 421 may be a few extra miles, but is much easier on equipment than the hills found on 42.To RegisterAll Entry fees must be received by July 13th, any entries after this date will be subject to a $100 late fee.Drivers looking to register for this race can:1. Pay for a single race – login with your driver profile then please select your class under racer at this link and hit “register now” to pay the single race price. If you are wanting to register for the shootout, please select shootout as your class.USAC InsuranceAll drivers and co-drivers participating in this event will need USAC insurance available at www.ultra4license.com If you’ve already purchased your annual license for 2018 you are good.Pit CrewTotal cost for entry for pit crew is $25Please note: All attending must either pay for pit crew bands for the weekend or purchase spectator tickets for the weekend.TranspondersTransponder rental fee TBD shortly! -
First Look: Yokohama GEOLANDAR X-MT
How many times have you been wheeling in the past 10 years and noticed someone on Yokohama GEOLANDAR tires? Never? The GEOLANDAR line was popular in the 80’s and 90s…but all but vanished from the offroad enthusiast market.On July 1, 2018, that’s going to change.
I was invited to attend the media release of the new Yokohama GEOLANDAR X-MT G005 series at Johnson Valley CA, home of the famous Hammers trails. This area is well known for its brutal terrain and challenging wheeling. What better location to put this new Extreme Mud Terrain tire through its paces.
The GEOLANDAR X-MT boasts a highly aggressive tread pattern, excellent for rocks, sand, dirt and mud. It’s built to contend one on one with the other kings of the rock crawling market, including the BFGoodrich Krawler. Our test mules ran the 40×13.50R17LT size on a variety of built rigs. I piloted the well-known GenRight Terremoto with Tony Pellegrino keeping a close eye on me…from the back seat <wink>
Our test covered much of the GenRight KOH Experience course. The GEOLANDER X-MT tires handled every mistake I made…carrying too much speed into a washout, tagging rocks, missing turns and taking optional lines, and generally just overdriving my skillset (I’m a crawler, and 600+ horsepower and suspension to match shows my driving weaknesses). The GEOLANDAR X-MT didn’t care…traction was excellent, directional stability pulled me back on the lines easily, and the tires found plenty of traction when I failed to read lines on the rocky climbs. Honestly, they almost made me look like I knew what I was doing.
We tested in the 8-10 psi range…the tires easily wrapped around obstacles and found traction. The high void ratio allowed the X-MT lugs to hold onto edges and pull the tire up and over. That same open design allowed them to excel in the sand, similar to a paddle tire. Sidehills were no issue either, the center tread design helped control any issues there. The new GEOLANDAR X-MT boasts the following:
- Open design tread blocks, designed to offer optimal traction, controlled crawling and easy self-cleaning…combined with aggressive sidewall and shoulder lugs, they should offer excellent sidewall protection
- Triple-density polymer compound for long wear and cut resistance
- New GEO-SHIELD construction with a 3-ply construction and extra thick sidewalls
- Computerized tread pattern to minimize noise and maximize comfort for those trips between trailheads
Testing was with the 40×13.50R17 and Yokohama is keeping them big for the GEOLANDAR X-MT. Available sizes will cover 17-20 inch wheels and 35-40 inch diameters…and yes, there are 42’s coming. Also coming are 38″ and 40″ tires for 22″ and 24″ wheels. Stickys?? YES…but availability may be limited initially to the race programs.
I was impressed with what Yokohama brought to the terrain, and look forward to seeing them hit the market and the enthusiasts. Watch for the new GEOLANDAR X-MT on the trails and I suspect you’ll be impressed as well.
A week after this photo was taken, Cameron Harris placed first at the Old School Rock Crawl in Legends Class with his Yokohama GEOLANDER X-MT tires….congratulations! 
The GEOLANDER X-MT tires made short work of every obstacle. 
Yes, there is some serious void ratio on the X-MT’s 
-
Travis Pastrana and David Donohue Climb to Victory on Yokohama Tires in the ‘Race to the Clouds’
Pastrana, on ADVAN A052™ street tires, takes the inaugural Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Pikes Peak Hill Climb Trophy by Yokohama; Donohue wins Time Attack 1 on ADVAN A005™ slick tires
SANTA ANA, CA. – (June 26, 2018) –Yokohama Tire’s successful return to the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was highlighted by the inaugural running of the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Pikes Peak Hill Climb Trophy by Yokohama and victory in the Time Attack 1 class. Travis Pastrana took the win in the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport class on ADVAN A052™ street tires, while David Donohue captured the win in Time Attack 1 on ADVAN A005 racing slicks. (more…)
