2022 King of the Hammers

Taking on the Toughest Off-Road Race on the Planet

What started as a “beer bet” between friends on a dry lakebed in Johnson Valley nearly 15 years ago has grown to one of the biggest weeks of off-road racing in the world: the Ultra 4 King of the Hammers (KOH). The people are just as spectacular to watch as the vehicles. KOH is a week-long party—imagine Burning Man with the excitement of off-road racing. 

The initial premise was simple, blend rock crawling with high-speed desert racing. KOH requires race vehicles that can handle both terrains. The racecourse seems impossible to those unfamiliar with the race, pitting man and machine against a course filled with rocks the size of a city buses and drop-offs over 10 feet tall.

Weeks before, HammerKing Productions employees and volunteers descend on Means Dry Lakebed to build Hammertown, a 56-acre, high-tech camp. It’s the center of King of the Hammers, and so involved even the Navy and Marine Corps lend a hand. It houses thousands of spectators, participants, racers, crew, and those there for the 10-day party. 

Image the sensory overload of an event like SEMA, but where vehicles are actually put to the test in the desert. It’s hard to take it all in, but luckily, you have ten days to do it. Hammertown features pit crew challenges, qualifying races, pre-runs, vendors, driver meet and greets, and various other events. Plus, there’s food throughout the town and music every night. 

Hammertown is like going to a car show and enjoying the cars in the parking lot; participants and their vehicles are just as fun to watch as the races. You need an off-road capable vehicle to see various sections of the racecourses, and KOH brings out the best and most interesting off-road rigs around. From jacked-up Mercedes to Econoline vans straight out of a 1980s summer camp and every genre of Jeep. 

The KOH community makes it a world-known event. With crazy rigs and dedicated enthusiasts partying for a week straight. The off-road community is a tight-knit group looking for fun with dirt-filled grins, hats made of beer cans, and bound fires that last all night. 

…KOH brings out the best and most interesting off-road rigs around…

The lakebed is in the center of Johnson Valley, which is known for having some of the most challenging terrain on the west coast, with large boulders, steep drop-offs, and narrow trail sections. King of the Hammer’s name comes from the notorious “hammer” trails. Many of the nearly 500 registered racers don’t make it back to the finish line. Johnson Valley trails have also claimed many lives over the years. It puts drivers and crew through various off-road racing disciplines from steep rocky mountains, rolling hills, open sections, and a large dry lake bed, with elevations ranging from 4,600 to 2,300 feet. Modern-day Ultra4 cars require indestructible components and produce over 900 horsepower.

The start/finish line is in Hammertown, allowing spectators to get up close to the action, starting with a closed-circuit style dirt course section. This section of track allows for door-to-door action in qualifying and a unique start/finish to off-road racing.

Across the Means Dry Lakebed, is the high-speed section with divots, obstacles, and hard-to-see terrain. Far from a smooth lakebed like Bonneville, this terrain requires faith in your equipment and nerves of steel to keep full throttle. 

After the Dry Lakebed, the land immediately transitions into technical rock trails with boulders of sizes ranging from a few feet tall to those bigger than the vehicles themselves. Racers go from triple-digit speeds immediately into narrow paths up mountain terrain. From loose sand into jagged rocks, these areas require patience, tough tires, and an impenetrable undercarriage. Don’t be surprised to see multiple rollovers throughout the event. 

What started as a single-day race in the Southern California desert in 2007 has grown to a 10-day event in 2022 with multiple classes, including Trophy Truck, UTVs, and Ultra4 cars. They compete on different days leading up to the Race of Kings’ main event.

This year’s Hammer’s week featured four primary races. First, the Toyo Tires Desert Challenge, a classic style lapped desert race. Second, is the Can-Am UTV Hammer Championship, where UTVs race the same course as the big 4400 cars. Third, is the 4-Wheel Parts Every Man Challenge, which features four separate classes 4600 – Stock, 4500 – Modified Class, 4800 – Legends class, and the EV Class. For the 2022 event, every class was packed with competitors, all attempting to tame the racecourse and bring home the coveted King of the Hammers trophy.

…What started as a single-day race in the Southern California desert in 2007 has grown to a 10-day event in 2022 with multiple classes…

The Desert Challenge featured two days of non-stop action, with the limited class racing on day one. Chase Warren in his Class 10 car held off Mitch Guthire Jr. in his Polaris RZR Pro R for the win. Brady Wisdom took the third spot on the podium in his Class 10 car. Day two featured the Unlimited Race with the Trophy Trucks (T1), and the 6100 trucks (T2) laid down the power in the desert. Qualifying for this race featured a prologue included in the overall time to determine a winner. Last year’s winner Bryce Menzies, one of the favorites to win, had drivetrain troubles that pulled him out of the race after one lap. Kyle Jergensen held off the charge from Luke McMillin, who had a throttle cable issue that cost him precious minutes and left him in third place behind Christopher Polvoorde.

 With the desert racing out of the way, it was time to go to the rocks. First up was the UTVs maneuvering through the rocks, flying through the desert, and running door-to-door on obstacles. Kyle Chaney held off Hunter Miller for the win, and Paul Wolff battled his way through for a third-place finish.

One of the most fantastic races to watch is the Every Man Challenge, where you can race everything from a vintage 4400 car to a stock Suzuki Samurai taking on the course. This years’ race had an extra level of excitement as the Ford Performance team was on hand with new Bronco race vehicles. They swept the stock 4600 class with Vaughn Gittin Jr., Brad Lovell, and Bailey Cole, finishing 1-2-3 for Ford.

Dan Fresh was your overall winner and 4800 Legends class winner with a speedy time beating Toby Stacy by over 30 minutes, with Chayse Caprara taking the third spot just minutes behind Stacy. In the Modified 4500 Class, John Mathews held off a strong charge from Joe Gatlin to win, with Kenneth Goodall earning the third podium spot.

Only one race was left to crown the 2022 King, The Race of Kings. With over 100 entrants this year, the field was stacked with plenty of cars and drivers gunning for the top spot. However, the race came down to two guys, three-time king Jason Scherer and longtime competitor and top challenger Raul Gomez. These two battled all day with Jason out front most of the day before a costly flop had him winching early on the third lap.

With Gomez out to a solid lead, a high-center had him winching while Scherer could make up time. Another late-game flat tire made it impossible to catch up to Gomez, who earned first win in Johnson Valley and the first solo competitor to take the title. Finishing in the third spot was Josh Blyler, who battled his way through the field after qualifying 20th for an impressive finish.

 The King has been crowned for this year, and that means guys like Scherer, Levi Shirley, Erick Miller, Shannon Campbell will be looking to take back the crown next year as the target is now squarely on Gomez’s back.

The Basics 

• King of Hammers began as a private event, created by rock-crawler champion Dave Cole and desert racer Jeff Knoll. 

• King of Hammers is typically held on the first week of February. While technically the King of Hammers race is a one-day race, there’s a week of events leading up to that final day. 

• King of the Hammers is held on the Means Dry Lakebed, as a part of the Johnson Valley OHV. California has state-run areas known as OHV areas (Off-Highway Vehicles), where off-road vehicles can be used. 

• Johnson Valley is known as the Home of the Hammers, having several intense trails such as the Jackhammer and Sledgehammer trails. 

• The center of King of Hammers is Hammertown, where teams, sponsors, and participants turn the desert into a temporary city of racing. Admission includes access to Hammertown and gets fans close to the start/finish line.  

• Different areas of the racecourse are easily accessible with a stock off-road vehicle. 

• Past winners and those who participated in the first event are invited to return at every race thereafter.
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

2019 King of the Hammers

It’s not often when something comes along that is an entirely new concept, especially in motorsports. The King of the Hammers race in Johnson Valley, California has done just that. It has spawned the Ultra4 series that holds events across the country and around the world. It combines the high-speed element found in desert offroad racing with the challenge of rock crawling in huge boulders. The result is rock racing, and the biggest rock racing event on the planet is King of the Hammers (KOH).

KOH draws people from all over the world. Every year an impromptu city appears on the Means Dry Lake in Johnson Valley. Tents and motorhomes spread out from the epicenter called Hammertown. Hammertown contains the competitor’s garages, vendor’s booths, the JumboTron, and the start/finish line. You could spend the entire week in Hammertown, and some do. Ultra4 sees to it that live cameras are spread around the course sending their feed to the internet, and the JumboTron in Hammertown.

The terrain out on the course is extremely rough, and some spots require a strenuous hike just to reach, so Ultra4 places cameras in those action-packed places. They even have some cameras set up on cables that run back and forth from one side of the canyon to the other.

…some spots require a strenuous hike just to reach.

The result is stunning footage with an incredible perspective. You can sit in your lawn chair and witness the action in some of the most remote locations on the course as it is happening. You will also be front and center when the finishers roll up on the podium and celebrate their success.

The attrition at this race is huge so just finishing within the time limit is a major accomplishment. In order to mix it up, the course changes every year. There are countless combinations of rock trails and desert tracks available to run.

…you can burn up your car before you even get to the rocks.

The challenge of each trail changes depending on whether they are racing uphill or down. The course will vary by the number of rock trails they do and the order in which they do them. The desert sections usually allow faster competitors to make their way to the front.

Despite a fast time in the desert, competitors still have hours of punishment in the rocks. The desert tests the car’s suspension, and the efficiency of all the moving parts at high speeds. If you get it wrong, you can burn up your car before you even get to the rocks. The drivers have to be sharp as well as the desert can lure you into complacency and then deliver a crushing blow. A flat tire can cost you precious time and many positions.

KOH has had several winners since its inception in 2007, but one can’t help to see that there is a group of elite that can win, and have won on a regular basis. There is a unique set of skills needed to come out on top. Randy Slawson (who won as a co-driver in 2007), Erik Miller, and Loren Healy have all been crowned King twice. Shannon Campbell and Jason Scherer have won 3 times. Scherer, this year’s King, has the additional distinction of having been the only driver to win back to back, as he was last year’s winner too.

They all share success, and they all have similar personalities. They are not demonstrative, or outrageous. They don’t engage in the braggadocio normally associated with motorsports. They do their talking when they get behind the wheel. Scherer is fast because he’s smooth. The same goes for Slawson and Miller.

They do their talking when they get behind the wheel.

They all have strong followings. Healy and Campbell are much more aggressive. Healy just refuses to lose, and the sight of his piercing red headlights coming closer strikes fear into the competition. Campbell is soft-spoken, but a beast behind the wheel.

When he comes within a mile of anyone, the typical reaction is to move back. Not because he’s out of control, it’s because what most people would think is an impossible line, Campbell sees as a bump in the road. His big, loud, black car, that he builds himself, is downright intimidating. While Scherer, Slawson, and Miller make it look easy, Healy and Campbell make it look incredible.

Any way you look at it, KOH is an event unlike any other. It’s the toughest single-day offroad race in the world and ranks right up there with the Dakar Rally, and the Baja 1000. It’s come a long way in just over 10 years and looks to continue its growth in the future. Will Campbell get the 4th win? Will Scherer cement his name in the record books with a 3rd straight win? It’s a safe bet that one of the other top contenders will eventually join the 3x club, but a fresh face might show up and add their name to the list of Kings. It’s anyone’s guess because the Hammers trails will always have the final say.

What Is the Every Man Challenge?

The Ultra4 Racing King of the Hammers (KOH) is the off-road experience you can’t miss out on, but there is a need to qualify for it. Fortunately, for those on a tighter budget, the Every Man Challenge is around to let stock and lightly modified rigs race on a similar course as the big one.

How The King of the Hammers Got Started

As cliché as it sounds, KOH started in 2007 with a group of guys lead by Dave Cole and Jeff Knoll who decided to have a race on a Friday in the middle of Means Dry Lake. From the group of 50 to 60 drivers that were sent invites, 12 drivers showed up with rock crawling rigs. They weren’t specialized as we see now, and many were just trucks built for fun and hobby driving. Some rigs just had air shocks and leaf springs, something you don’t see now except maybe in the 4600 Stock Class. Of the 12 racers that showed up, John Reynolds with Randy Slawson co-driving won the first ever KOH.

For years to come, the King of the Hammers was an invite-only event with NO media, spectators, and vendors. Of course, when you make something hard to get, you make more and more people want to join. As the race grew in spectacle and in the spotlight, more and more people wanted to enter the race with their own rigs, including stock and lightly modified vehicles.

The Every Man Challenge

In the middle of 2011, Ultra4 announced that a new event would take place the Monday before the 2012 King of the Hammers—the Smittybilt Every Man Challenge (EMC) now the 4WP Every Man Challenge. This was the opportunity for non-professional drivers to race on the same course as the big event but slightly modified for the smaller tire restrictions.

…it’s not impossible to race a street legal rock crawler and potentially win in Modified Class.

It was originally open to only 100 vehicles and the list was filled before the start of 2012. The entry list has increased over the years along with the addition of 2 more classes in 2014: the Legends Class for older 4400 cars that were not as competitive and a new Spec Class.

Can Someone Really Just Show Up and Run?

When it comes to the EMC at KOH, that’s somewhat how it works. Obviously, you still need to register but you can enter with your street-driven rig and race on a similar course to the Unlimited class in KOH. Doing this in the stock 4600 class is a little more realistic for a street-driven truck or Jeep, but it’s not impossible to race a street legal rock crawler and potentially win in Modified Class.

4600 Stock Class

The Stock class rules are simple—and probably the most restricted at the same time. You can basically run your trail rig as long as it meets the following characteristics: stock OEM frame, factory engine, factory transmission, 35-inch DOT tires, single 2.5-inch diameter shocks per corner and mechanical steering.

If you’re looking to make a better-than-stock rig, there are two classes for you:

4500 Modified Class

Essentially, the 4500 Modified class is the next step up from Stock. It’s limited in what you can do but it’s far more open and budget-friendly than the 4400s. It’s a 37-inch tall DOT tire class that also requires rigs to be steered directly by the driver. That means that there is no hydraulic steering, you’re not moving a valve to turn the tires. You can have a hydro-assist, but the steering wheel must be connected to a steering box that’s connected to the wheels.

…it’s far more brutal than the mileage indicates.

You’re also limited to two shocks per corner that are 2.65-inches in diameter with a stroke of 14-inches. They must also be connected directly to the axle, so you can’t make a cantilever suspension or anything that would give it a mechanical advantage to increase the suspension rate to increase wheel travel.

The biggest cost saver, though, is that the entry must be a production vehicle and the body must resemble an OEM body. There is also a limitation to what you can do to the frame. So, there needs to be something that replicates the cab, bed, doors, fenders, hood, and other body pieces that the original truck or SUV you’re entering as. They can be modified for clearance, but only enough for clearance. You can run any make engine and the only limitation is engine location; The rear of the engine block must be located in front of the furthest forward portion of the driver’s seat. Other than that, there isn’t much else limiting the Modified class.

4800 Legends Class

With the extreme advancement of the 4400 Class, a lot of rigs were made less competitive in a short amount of time. In recognition of that and wanting to give these rigs a place to run, the Legends class was created to allow these rigs to race. These rigs are limited to a two-seater rig with a front-engine, single shock per corner, solid axles, and 37-inch DOT tires. Other than that, there isn’t much limiting the 4800s and they are a call back to the early years of KOH.

This technically makes the 4800s a much easier step up to the 4400 class and the King of the Hammers. Adding a set of longer shocks and bigger tires for that race can make these rigs rather competitive against the 4400s. Many 4800s have been rebuilt to 4400 rules without much modification, thus making them an economical way to go from EMC to KOH. Well, relatively economical considering you’re still building a $300,000 to $500,000-plus vehicle for either class. To date, though, no rig has won the EMC and the KOH in the same week.

It’s A Start

What’s great about the Every Man Challenge, it gives those who aspire to race in the King of the Hammers a place to run and prepare themselves for that big race. Even though it may be shorter than most open desert races, it’s far more brutal than the mileage indicates.

They don’t call it the Hammers for nothing.

What’s even better, anyone can enter. If you’ve got a stock, leaf-spring truck that you drive on the road but want to race it, you have a place in the EMC and the 4600 Stock Class. Even though it is the slowest class, it is the one where you’ll learn the most about Johnson Valley and the rock features they race on.

At the very least, you get a chance to race on a compact version of the course that makes up the King of the Hammers. While having a huge budget is nice, the King of the Hammers and EMC is quite possibly the last race where you can drive your vehicle to the event, race in it, and possibly drive back home if you haven’t completely torn your vehicle to shreds. However, you might want to bring a trailer just in case.

They don’t call it the Hammers for nothing.

No Tougher Test Than KOH, King of the Hammers

The Ultra4 series, King of the Hammers race, (KOH) is touted as the toughest single day off-road race in the world. Anyone who has witnessed it will back that up. The course changes every year, but always includes a mixture of grueling desert terrain, and punishing rock trails. It’s a brutal, soul crushing endeavor that will test the resolve of even the most hardened competitors.  The racer who conquers the terrain, and the competition is crowned King, but many competitors hope to merely finish the course without timing out. The challenge and spectacle of KOH draws competitors, fans, and media from all over the globe. A desolate dry lakebed in Johnson Valley, California is transformed into a makeshift city of over 50 thousand people during the event. Part high-speed desert racing, and part hardcore rock crawling, it has created a whole new category of motorsports; rock racing.

The first gathering in 2007 was to see if the assembled competitors could even survive the course. Known as the O.G. 13 run, there were actually only 12 cars that could make it, but O.G. 13 sounds better, so it has stuck to this day. Those original competitors, and anyone who is crowned king, are entered into the race; everyone else needs to qualify. In the decade that has elapsed, KOH has expanded into the Ultra4 series that holds racing events across the country. Each Ultra4 event is unique to the terrain found at its location. Top finishers earn a spot in the big race in Johnson Valley.

The unique nature of KOH, and its incredible challenge, attracts a very diverse pool of competitors. Recreational four wheelers, competition rock crawlers, short course and desert racers, adventure seekers, even some celebrities have taken the green flag. Despite the miles of desert that have to be negotiated, most agree that the race is won in the rocks. Maybe that’s why the professional desert racers that have competed over the years have failed to finish in the top tier. In fact, the same 5 racers have shared the crown over the last 11 years. Erik Miller, Randy Slawson, Loren Healy, and Jason Scherer all have 2 wins, (Scherer joined the 2 time winners club this year). Shannon Campbell has three titles to his name. Had Randy Slawson won this year, he would have joined Campbell with 3, but a crack in his exhaust pipe cooked the transmission fluid and left him on the side of the course only a mile from the finish. He was in an intense, wheel to wheel battle with Jason Scherer all day long and came up just a little short. It might seem like a safe bet to pick one of these drivers to win any given year, but as Slawson proved, anything can happen. In fact, both Slawson and Loren Healy got wins after earning the only remaining starting spot during the last chance qualifier race. Slawson is considered a local, spending years 4 wheeling in Johnson Valley. Healy hails from New Mexico, and was a recreational trail runner before being elevated to a King of the Hammers.

As diverse as the drivers are, the cars are even more unique. Ultra4’s premiere class is unlimited. Rules exist to ensure safety for the competitors but nearly everything else is left up to materials, technology, and imagination. Desert racing has taken 50 years to get where it is today. Ultra4 has taken advantage of desert racing technology, namely in the area of shock technology, but the evolution of the cars has progressed at a staggering pace. The cars that participated in the first “Race” in 2008 would have a hard time qualifying for the race today. Rock crawlers with air shocks would not be able to match the pace that competitive cars are running today. Huge bypass shocks, mega horsepower engines, and bullet proof driveline components have become compulsory. In order to be in contention for the win, you need to be continuously moving. Stopping to winch, making repairs, or suffering flat tires are all serious setbacks. No outside assistance is allowed outside of designated pit areas. If a driver has problems, repairs need to be made in the field with spares carried on-board. If other parts or tools are needed, they have to be retrieved from a pit area and carried back to the stranded vehicle. The only exception to this rule is if a fellow competitor offers to help. Most competitors will help other others because they know it could be them and someday they will need the favor returned. Every year some poor soul has to hike through incredibly brutal terrain and retrieve some ridiculously difficult component to carry like a driveshaft, battery, or spare tire. This race is not for the weak. It’s also not for the timid. One rule that has caused tempers to flare, but is entirely legal, and necessary, is the bottleneck rule. If a vehicle becomes stuck or incapacitated in the course, competitors are within their rights to drive over them. Whether it’s a huge rock, or another car, Ultra4 vehicles are capable of going over either one in short order.

In the beginning, there was only one class. Now the program has expanded to include several races that take place over an entire week of events. King of the Motos is the two wheeled version of KOH and is similar in its extremely challenging nature. 2018 winner Cody Webb was the only rider to complete all 140 miles making him the obvious winner of the toughest King of the Motos races to date. It was Webb’s fourth KOM win of his career. Next up on the schedule was the UTV race. It’s unfathomable that the UTV’s can traverse the same trails as the Ultra4’s but they do. This year’s UTV race was especially brutal as only 12 out of 118 teams finished the course within the time limit. Mitch Guthrie Jr. took his first win as a driver at KOH, but he is no stranger to the race. His father has won the race 6 times; all with Mitch Jr. riding along as co-driver. Mitch Sr. suffered a rollover on backdoor but recovered to finish in 3rd place behind Branden Sims who was 2nd.

In order to broaden the opportunities to compete at KOH, the Smittybilt Everyman Challenge was devised. The EMC has three classes of limited cars competing; offering a class for almost anyone. Incredibly, the top three finishers on the podium were all from a different class. 1st overall was Baja 1000 winner, Dan Fresh racing his 4500 class Jeep Wrangler. The second truck to cross the line was driven by Casey Gilbert. Gilbert was driving in the 4800 legends class. The third truck to cross the line was driven by Jessie Combs who was competing in the stock class, 4600. She was the 59th truck off the line in the morning, and worked all the way through the pack to take the stock class victory and 3rd place overall. In addition to being the fastest woman in the world after an official run of 398.954 mph in the North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger in the Alvord desert, claiming the women’s 4-wheel land speed record in 2013, she is a KOH veteran, and would also run the Ultra4 race on Friday.

King of the Hammers has evolved into one of the most incredible motorsports events in the world. It attracts thousands of fans, the most elite racers in the world, as well as the average Joe who builds their own car in the garage. It has spawned a completely new genre of racing, and remains one of the toughest tests on the planet. If you’ve never been, make plans now. You will be treated to nothing less than the most amazing experience ever.