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What Is King of the Hammers?

May. 25 2020 Where to Ride? (Street, Off-Road, & Water) By Berts Mega Mall

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King of the Hammers: Ultimate Desert Race

King of the Hammers (KOH for short) is a race event that takes place in Means Dry Lake at Johnson Valley, California. Means Dry Lake turns into “Hammertown”. It is said to be one of the toughest off-road races in the world. The off-road races combine desert racing and rock crawling and only the best make it through. KOH was founded by Jeff Knoll and Dave Cole in 2007. The first race was a 12-team non-spectator invitational race.  Now you can expect more than 400 teams and 60,000+ spectators. There are several races each day, some that lead up to the main event held on the Friday of the week it is held in.

 

When is the King of the Hammers?


The King of Hammers event is a once a year event. It is held during the first week of February and lasts about a week. Occasionally, it can be held on the second week of February, just be sure to check the dates each year if you plan to visit. Spectators can visit any of these days but attending towards the end of the week is recommended because the main event is on Friday of the week.

When is the King of the Hammers?


The riding area can be entered from Highway 247 at Old Woman Springs Road or Camp Rock Road, 55 miles southeast of Barstow. Most visitors access the area off Camp Rock Road by driving north off of Highway 247. Staging for many competitive events is at Anderson Dry Lake, 10 miles north of Highway 247 and east of Camp Rock Road. These are graded dirt roads. King of the Hammers main camp takes place off Boone Road and is the southernmost entrance to the OHV area. Off Highway 247 in the town of Johnson Valley.

 

What type of off-road vehicles race?


Race vehicles allowed are UTV’s, Toyota Desert, Ultra 4 cars, and other 4X4 cars. Each of these cars race in their own race category. Ultra 4 vehicles are capable of speeds over 100mph for the desert sections of the race, but also have gear ratios of 100 to 1 or lower for the rock crawling portion of the races. Racers are allowed to modify their engines to have up to 800hp.

 

What are races are conducted?


The event begins on a Friday and that is when gate open and all racers are made sure to be registered. The races cover over 200 miles of the Johnson Valley and take hours to complete.  Then throughout the rest of the week, their races include:

  • UTV Qualifying
  • UTV Race
  • 500/4600/4800 Qualifying & Monday Night Shootout
  • 4400 Qualifying
  • Every Man Challenge Race (EMC)
  • Toyo Desert Invitational
  • Nitto King of the Hammers Race

 

Conclusion:


Join the thousands of spectators who come out to watch the King of the Hammers each year. This once a year race has been successful for over 10 years and every year this event becomes more and more popular. Watch as racers handle some of the toughest known trials in the world like the Jack Hammer and Sledge Hammer trail, with names like those there is no wonder why they must be so tough. There is a lot of work put in by the people who host the race and the racers who attend every year. Mark it on your calendar and get out to the next King Of The Hammers event!

Related:
-What is the Dakar Rally?
-The Ultimate Off-Road Guide to Johnson Valley
-The Ultimate Off-Road Guide to Ocotillo Wells

 

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