Johnson Valley, CA. 2-10-14 – Casey Currie returned for the 2014 Griffin King of the Hammers this past weekend, expectations for a win may not have been met, but the odds of finishing the race were on Curries side. The week long event took place in Johnson Valley, CA where over 40,000 off-road/rock crawling enthusiasts flocked to watch 158 entries take their chance at the 150 mile brutal course.

After Curries 3rd place finish in Wednesdays UTV race, he helped his uncle, John Currie prepare for Thursdays Every Man Challenge. John qualified 1st for the race. Just miles into the start of the race, John gained a significant lead on the other competitors and continued to hold that lead all the way to the finish.

“We make sure that racing is fun for our entire family and it was great to see my Uncle as well as my brother finish on the podium,” stated Casey Currie. “Knowing that my uncle won the EMC in the same vehicle I raced on Friday solidified my concerns on being a top competitor for the King of the Hammers race.”

Casey qualified the #88 Ultra 4 truck in the 44th starting position. The race began at 8am sharp and once on the course, Currie set a steady pace for the first lap. The first lap of the race consisted of dry lake-beds, sand washes and dunes. Currie finished the lap with no major issues and came into the main pit physically in the 20th position.

Laps 2 and 3 were more demanding and difficult with the course making its way through Clawhammer, Wrecking Ball, Chocolate Thunder and more. These laps would take there toll on numerous Ultra 4’s. Some out of the race, others rolled over and giving it all they have to get back on all fours. Currie and co-rider, Oren managed to make the right decision when making their way up the waterfalls.

“It is important to have a co-rider with you that is smart, calm and can assess the situation. This is just what Oren does,” said Currie.

As Currie made his way up “Backdoor” one of the hardest obstacles of the course, Oren had the challenge of guiding Currie up the slippery rocks. Other stuck vehicles would block the best lines and another vehicle would roll on its lid right next to them. This would be the only part of the course that would set the team back on time, but it wasn’t long before they made their way to the top and continued towards the finish.

In ten hours and 50 minutes, Currie and Oren crossed the finish line. Once at the finish the celebration was well deserved as the team got the results of a 14th place finish. This was worth celebrating since the #88 Ultra 4 was the first vehicle to come in that had only 14inches of travel, where as all the other finished had 20inches.

“We couldn’t be happier with our finish. It was a long day out there and the course was rough. The ruts were huge and dealing with other stuck competitors was a challenge. There is always the chance that they can take you out as well. Finishing in the top 15 out 158 speaks volumes of our team and the vehicle. Big thanks to everyone who puts this race together and on a great week of racing,” stated Currie.