Jason Sherer (above left) battled long and hard against “Easy” Rick Mooneyham (above right). Scherer was able to pull away from Mooneyham when an obstacle on Wrecking Ball caused Mooneyham to be sidelined until repairs could be made. From then on, Scherer was well on his way to victory lane.

The Next Big Thing

Who would have thought that in a few short years an idea about an off-road race would not only become a reality but one of the largest events to hit off-road motorsports in many years? Conjured up in the minds of Hammerking Productions owners Dave Cole and Jeff Knoll, this great race is proving to be the next big thing north of Baja.  

From its humble beginnings of 13 invitees to this year’s staggering full field of 92, the King of the Hammers race is proving to be valid and has taken precedence in rock-sports. Combining the two flavors of rock and desert in a single race is what makes this competition like no other in the world. Teams not only have to survive the unforgiving terrain in the desert but must also endure the punishing rock trails for which the Hammers is so famously known. 

Greg Hussey (above) makes good time in the desert during the Last Chance Qualifier race. Hussey was one of 37 teams vying for a spot in the big show where he was the first LCQ’er to finish, taking home a ninth place finish.

A New King is Crowned

King of the Hammers 2008 winner Shannon Campbell was thought to be a shoe-in for a repeat victory. But transmission failure took the notable racer out within the first 20 miles, giving the rest of the field a greater chance at a first place finish.  Jason Scherer of team Rage 4th got to the front early and never looked back.  Battling Rick Mooneyham for the majority of the race, Scherer kept pushing on and in the end was able to hold off some of the biggest names in rock-sports history. The valiant effort was enough to secure the $10,000 first place prize, and more importantly to most, the coveted King of the Hammers scepter, a symbol as great as the Lombardi Trophy to football or the Stanley Cup to hockey. With the scepter comes great pride, a sense of accomplishment and respect from thousands of off-road competitors and enthusiasts.

Media exposure is a big part of King of the Hammers. Here, Stephen Watson of Off-Road Design (left) gets some helicopter coverage that will be out in the 2009 King of the Hammers video.

Walker Evans (above center) was on hand for the honorable role of Grand Marshal. Evans was also seen on course where he was lending his spotting skills to get teams through some of the tougher rock sections.

“Integrity Has no Need of Rules”

The King of the Hammers race was not without its share of drama, and it would be easy to write about some of the negative happenings at the event.  A race such as this, which has propelled itself further than anyone could have dreamed in such a short period of time, is sure to have its growing pains. With those growing pains comes experience, the greatest teacher of all.  At the end of the day, a number that represents your position in an event means nothing if integrity and honor have been sacrificed.  

This year’s second-place finisher experienced a roller coaster ride of highs and lows that would take him from runner-up to self-disqualification. Randy Slawson, of Team Randy Built, was well on his way to a top finish when a misunderstanding took him off-course when trying to reach the BF Goodrich sponsored pit.

Randy Slawson works his way up Claw Hammer. Although extremely fast all day, Slawson accidentally short-coursed a section early in the day and later withdrew from the race after receiving the news.

“I made a wrong turn that brought me into the pits from the opposite direction,” Slawson explained. “In the chaos of trying to pit and trying to get back on course, I missed a section.” (It was noted by race director Dave Cole, that the time saved was approximately two minutes.)

Trying to make the best decision, Cole gave Slawson a one-hour penalty, dropping him from second place to fourth place. Slawson, who was reading the news on an online forum when he got the call from Cole, was very disappointed. 

“It was never my intention to short the course,” Slawson said. “I was asked by Jeff (Knoll) if I missed Sun Bonnet and I assured him that I hadn’t. I had no idea about the other section prior to entering pit 1.” 

Slawson took it upon himself to “follow the letter of the law” and disqualified his #248 car from the 2009 King of the Hammers.

“The penalty is black and white,” he said. “If you go off course, you get DQ'd.” 

With the integrity and sportsmanship from guys like Randy Slawson, there is no doubt that future King of the Hammers races will be represented well for many years to come. Ernest Hemingway may have put it best when he said, "Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games."  King of the Hammers is a sport that is here to stay.

King of the Hammers Results

1. Jason Scherer 4:42.49

2. Casey Currie 4:58.57

3. Rick Mooneyham 5:20.01

4. JR Van Ortwick 6:02.16

5. Brad Lovell 6:05.47

6. Rob Mckinney 6:10.12

7. Adam Woodlee 6:19.39

8. Joachim Schewiesow 6:23.13

9. Greg Hussey 6:33.30

10 Wayne Israelsen 6:37.00

The sun sets over Means Lakebed at Johnson Valley, California.