MOORESVILLE, N.C. — At the beginning of February, I was fortunate to attend arguably one of the most unique motorsports events on the planet — the 2022 edition of the legendary King of the Hammers.
It is one of the most prestigious off-road races in the world. It takes place in the middle of the Mojave Desert, about an hour outside of Palm Springs in an area known as Johnson Valley, Calif.
King of the Hammers is the brainchild of Ultra4 promoter Dave Cole. The event has been staged for 15 years amid rugged terrain that is a brutal combination of high-speed desert and vehicle-busting boulders.
We flew into Palm Springs and drove out into the Joshua Tree National Park. As you get further into the Mojave Desert, you eventually come over a rise and are able to see the temporary city known as Hammertown spreading out for miles.
Everything about Hammertown and King of the Hammers is temporary.
The construction begins around Thanksgiving. The marking of the course, electrical power lines, massive tents for the media center and VIP area — everything — has to be brought in and then taken back out. Nothing gets left behind.
In fact, one thing we were very impressed with was how clean the event was. Everybody attending King of the Hammers was very respectful of the desert and made use of the thousands of trash cans to dispose of their garbage, leaving the desert just the way they found it.
The competitors begin arriving over the holidays to pre-run the course and map out the best lines through the vicious rock sections where the race can easily be lost. Many spend up the two weeks leading up to the event living off the grid while making final preparations for race week.
One of the biggest challenges in attending King of the Hammers is that you need to be prepared for anything and whatever it is you may need, you must bring it with you.
The KOH staff does a remarkable job of getting some creature comforts such as electricity to Hammertown. However, you need a motorhome to stay in or make the late-night, daily drive back to civilization.
A four-wheel-drive vehicle, UTV, Side-by-Side or a dirt bike is a must if you plan on getting out into the desert to watch the competitors tackle such famed course sections as “Jackhammer” or “Sledgehammer.” There is no way you are getting there in a car and it’s a very long hike across the desert.
Come prepared for every possible weather condition. It is a desert, so the daytime temperatures tend to be cool with it getting just plain frigid at night. Layering is the best way to combat the changing conditions during the day. One thing that never changes is the dust. It’s everywhere and blowing constantly.
Races are run every day for a variety of categories. The most popular race is the Every Man Challenge, which is basically what it sounds like. It’s a race that gives budget-minded competitors a chance at Hammers glory.
The main event is the Race of Kings for the unlimited machines with build budgets north of $300,000.
The unlimited machines are packed full of the latest technology and pump out 900 horsepower. They are incredible machines capable of crawling over boulders that are bigger than a Volkswagen Beetle, while screaming across the desert floor at speeds approaching 150 mph. Where most racing machines are designed to master one specific task, the Ultra4 Unlimited machines must be skilled at overcoming multiple challenges as fast as possible, while surviving the all-day pounding.
King of the Hammers is also one of the best ticket values in racing. For $50 you get 10 days of racing, access to Hammertown, the pits, manufacturers’ midway and the ability to explore all of the Mojave Desert you want, plus at least two concerts. That’s $5 a day with camping only $25 for the length of the event.
King of the Hammers was an incredible adventure and one we highly recommend to any race fan interested in having a different experience that will never be forgotten.
Congratulations to NASCAR on a very successful Busch Light Clash at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. Yes, it was a race. In fact, it was a pretty good race. But it also was about entertainment and that’s just as important when discussing the future growth of the sport.
According to NASCAR officials, 70% those who bought tickets to the Coliseum had never been to a race before. It looked like those in attendance were definitely having a good time. Hopefully, the same fans will visit Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway and Phoenix Raceway. Maybe they’ll even venture as far as Daytona Int’l Speedway.
We have also heard from some who were there that many executives from major corporations were in attendance to see what the new NASCAR is all about.
This, too, is a an indicator that the NASCAR racing is trending in a very positive direction.
Kudos to Ben Kennedy, Steve Phelps and their team for pulling off a tremendous event and laying the groundwork for future growth.