The 11th annual Nitto King of the Hammers week will commence with Hammertown opening to the public on Friday, February 3rd, 2017 and continue through Saturday, February 11th, 2017. What is considered the toughest one-day off road race in the world, King of the Hammers (KOH) is also the largest off-road racing event in North America in terms of both competitors and spectators, and the first event of the ULTRA4 Racing season. It combines desert racing and rock crawling, and has expanded from one race to a series of five races held throughout the week and takes place each February in Johnson Valley, CA.
It Just Doesn’t Stop – Growth & Innovation at Home and Abroad
King of the Hammers continues to be the largest off-road event in North America, and ULTRA4 Racing one of the fastest growing motorsport segments in the world. A big part of the credit goes to the original KOH format of unlimited racing, giving fabricators in their home garages a chance to innovate. Today, the Unlimited 4400 Class has made astronomical leaps in vehicle design and capability since the sport began only a decade ago. The fastest growing class is the 4800 Legends Class, where competitors can still design a chassis of their choosing and gain experience before joining the unlimited field. The result? Growth, innovation, and a platform committed to all interested in competing.
MORE: 2016 Nitto King of the Hammers Coverage
While growth has been epic at home, international expansion continues to impress. Four primary races bearing the title of “King” include Portugal, Great Britain, Italy, and France, with a new two-weekend, two-location event called “Off-Road Rampage” were held in 2016. China showed their excitement, hosting an ULTRA4 exhibition broadcast on Chinese television to an audience of 90 million people for a half-hour segment. More than 360,000 people were in attendance to see the event, which was embedded in China’s FB Life Festival.
So far, entries across the 2017 week of racing are up 30% over this time last year. 2016 was the record number of total teams at 441.
Depth of Field – Talented Personalities
King of the Hammers racers represent a wide range of colorful personalities and backgrounds. They hail from across the country and around the globe, are all ages, and have built a dynamic community. What is consistent is the driver, co-driver tenacity from building their cars personally, to continually gutting it out to cross the finish line and defy the high attrition rate of the iconic KOH course. 2016 saw a different winner at every ULTRA4 series race, proving that while there are plenty of eyes on former Kings, there is a depth of talent in the field that keeps it interesting in the race for the crown.
Schedule of Events:
2/4-5 King of the Motos
2/6 Ultra4 vs. SRRS Shootout
2/7 Qualifying
2/8 Smittybilt Everyman Challenge
2/9 Ultra4 UTV King of the Hammers
2/10 Nitto King of the Hammers Powered by OPTIMA Batteries
2/11 KOH The Experience
For more information, visit https://ultra4racing.com/.