King of the Hammers Special

(ANNOUNCER)>> IT'S SIGNATURE RACE IS CALLED KING OF THE HAMMERS, BUT REALLY IT'S MORE THAN ANY ONE THING. IT'S HIGH HORSEPOWER RACE TRUCKS PUSHED TO THE BREAKING POINT. IT'S BUILDING A RIG THAT CAN CONQUER THE MOST UNFORGIVING TERRAIN. IT'S CRASHES SO VIOLENT YOU CAN'T BELIEVE THEY WALKED AWAY. A WEEK OF ULTRA FOUR TRUCKS, MOTORCYCLES, AND UTV'S UP AGAINST BRUTAL CONDITIONS, AND WE'VE GOT IT ALL RIGHT HERE.

(IAN)>> WELCOME TO A REALLY SPECIAL EPISODE OF XTREME OFF ROAD. WE'RE GONNA BE HEADING OUT TO JOHNSON VALLEY, BRING YOU HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS YEAR'S KING OF

THE HAMMERS RACE. AND IN THE SHOP WITH ME IS DAVE COLE, BIG CHEESE FROM KING OF THE HAMMERS AND ULTRA FOUR RACING. WELCOME TO THE SHOP DAVE.

(DAVE)>> THANKS IAN.

(IAN)>> NOW FOR THOSE OF US THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT THE KING OF THE HAMMERS IS, WHAT IS KING OF THE HAMMERS ALL ABOUT?

(DAVE)>> IT'S THE MARRIAGE OF OLD SCHOOL DESERT RACING AND TRADITIONAL ROCK CRAWLING INTO ONE LONG ENDURANCE RACE. IT'S PROBABLY THE HARDEST RACE IN THE WORLD.

(IAN)>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SEVERE TERRAIN RIGHT?

(DAVE)>> YEAH, EIGHT FOOT VERTICAL LEDGES, ENDLESS MILES OF WHOOPS AND HARD DESERT, WE HAD 152 CARS START AND 32 CARS FINISH.

(IAN)>> I LOVE KOH, I THINK IT'S A GREAT EVENT.

BEEN THERE, RACED IT, AND I'M EXCITED TO HEAD THERE. SO LET'S HEAD OUT TO JOHNSON VALLEY, AND CHECK OUT THE 2014 KING OF THE HAMMERS. JOHNSON VALLEY OHV AREA, 25 MILES FROM VICTORVILLE, CALIFORNIA, IS OVER 180,000 ACRES OF SOME OF THE MOST CHALLENGING TERRAIN YOU WILL EVER EXPERIENCE WHILE OFF ROADING.

DESERT, ROCKS, DESOLATION, THIS AMAZING PLACE IS HOME TO KING OF THE HAMMERS.

(DAVE)>> I'M TRYING TO MAKE A COURSE THAT SHOWCASES HOW AMAZING THESE ATHLETES ARE. IF WE MAKE IT TOO EASY ANYONE CAN DO IT. IF YOU MAKE IT TOO HARD IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT. IT'S JUST OUT OF REACH OF MOST PEOPLE AND IT BECOMES LIKE THIS THING THAT'S LIKE HOLY GRAIL, I'VE GOT TO FINISH. AND TO WIN THAT RACE YOU ARE THE BEST AND YOU ARE ON YOUR BEST THAT DAY.

(MEL)>> SATISFACTION COMES FROM BEING ABLE TO DO SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE CAN'T DO. TODAY'S SOCIETY, EVERYBODY'S EVEN. THERE SHOULDN'T BE A WINNER, THERE SHOULDN'T BE A LOSER. THERE IS A WINNER AND THERE IS A LOSER. IF YOU CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT. IF YOU CAN'T YOU CAN'T.

(IAN)>> DESCRIBING A RACE LIKE KOH IS HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS. HIGH SPEED DESERT SECTIONS WHERE YOU AND THE CAR ARE RIDING THE RAZOR'S EDGE OF CONTROL AT SPEEDS CLOSE TO 100 MILES AN HOUR. TO SOME OF THE MOST INSANE VERTICAL ROCK

TRAILS IN THE COUNTRY. WHERE DRIVING THE RIGHT LINE TAKES A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT KIND OF CONTROL.

SOME CALL IT A MARATHON. SOME SAY IT'S LIKE BEING IN A 12 HOUR PLANE CRASH. BUT I'M SURE THEY ALL AGREE, KING OF THE HAMMERS IS JUST HARD.

(BRAD)>> IT DIFFERS FROM A REGULAR DESERT RACE BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME TERRAIN. AND YOU'LL GO OUT THERE, AND PUTTING MILES DOWN IN THE DESERT, AND IT'S JUST LIKE YES, YES, YES. YOU'RE WATCHING THE MILE MARKERS CLICK BY, YOU GET TO THE ROCK TRAILS, YOU STRUGGLE. GUARANTEE EVERYBODY OUT HERE JUST WISHES THEY WERE DOING A DESERT RACE, BUT THOSE ROCKS ADD THE CHALLENGE THAT MAKES THIS UNIQUE. BUT IT'S STILL FRUSTRATING TO BE IN THERE, TO BE GOING FIVE MILES AN HOUR AND NOT FINDING YOUR WAY THROUGH.

(IAN)>> THE VEHICLES THAT PARTICIPATE IN THIS EPIC RACE ARE TRUE MARVELS OF CUSTOM FABRICATION. MONTHS ARE SPENT DESIGNING, BUILDING, PREPPING, AND TRYING TO ELIMINATE ANY POSSIBLE FAILURE POINT THAT WOULD PUT YOU OUT OF THE RACE.

(LOREN)>> WE PRETTY MUCH BRING THE WHOLE MOBILE SHOP AND HAVE EVERYTHING FROM SPARE MOTORS, AXLES, TRANSMISSION, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT CAR 100 PERCENT ON RACE DAY.

AND REALLY THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES.

(IAN)>> IN OTHER FORMS OF RACING, THE DRIVER'S

ARRIVE IN PRIVATE PLANES, BUT KOH IS STILL AT ITS HEART A GRASS ROOT MOTORSPORT, WHERE MOST OF THE DRIVERS HAVE SPENT TIME BUILDING THEIR CARS. WHEN THEY'RE OUT ON THE COURSE, THE DRIVER AND THE CODRIVER ARE THE PIT CREW, CAUSE KOH IS A NO CHASE RACE.

OUTSIDE OF THE PITS IN BARREN DESERT THAT IS JOHNSON VALLEY, YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.

JUST GETTING TO JOHNSON VALLEY FOR KING OF THE

HAMMERS CAN BE AN ADVENTURE, WITH RACERS TRAVELING FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. FOR SOME THE GOAL IS TO WIN, BUT FOR MOST OF THE

CARS THAT LEAVE THE STARTING LINE, A MUCH MORE MEAGER GOAL, JUST FINISH.

EVERY CAR THAT IS BUILT TO COMPETE IN KING OF THE

HAMMERS IS DESIGNED TO PUSH THE LIMITS OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE TO DO WHEN OFF ROADING. AS KEVIN SIKALAS FOUND DURING QUALIFYING, SOME DRIVERS PUSH THOSE LIMITS JUST A LITTLE TOO FAR.

GOING TO KING OF THE HAMMERS SHOULD BE ON ANY OFF ROADER'S BUCKET LIST. JUST SEEING THIS EVENT IN PERSON IS A TRUE SPECTACLE, A WEEK LONG GEARHEAD XANADU. BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN'T GET OUT TO JOHNSON

VALLEY STAY PUT, CAUSE COMING UP IS THE WHOLE WEEK'S ACTION BROUGHT TO YOU IN YOUR LIVING ROOM.

(ANNOUNCER)>> UP NEXT THE BRAVE SOULS WHO TAKE ON THE DESERT WITHOUT A ROLL CAGE. PLUS WE'LL MEET THE MAN WHO'S BEEN CROWNED KING TWICE.

(IAN)>> 2014 MARKED THE EIGHTH ITERATION OF THE

GRIFFIN KING OF THE HAMMERS PRESENTED BY NITTO TIRE. SPANNING BACK TO THE YEAR 2007 WHERE 12 FRIENDS TOOK TO THE JOHNSON VALLEY DESERT IN HOPES OF EARNING THE TITLE OF KING, AND GIVING WAY TO ONE OF THE BIGGEST OFF ROAD RACES IN NORTH AMERICA AND ONE OF THE HARDEST IN THE WORLD.

(BRAD)>> USUALLY I TELL PEOPLE IT'S LIKE THE BURNING MAN OF OFF ROAD BECAUSE THERE'S THIS HUGE FESTIVAL OUT HERE, AND WE'RE ALL CELEBRATING SOMETHING PRETTY ECLECTIC, WHICH IS DRIVING AS FAST AS YOU CAN OVER THOSE ROCKS.

(ERIK)>> THE KING OF THE HAMMERS IS JUST LIKE THE SUPER BOWL OF OFF ROAD RACING. IT'S THE BEST OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD ALL GATHERED IN ONE AREA, ONE OF THE MOST SPECIAL AREAS IN THE WORLD, FOR A WEEK.

(IAN)>> JOINING THE KING OF THE HAMMERS RACE WOULD BE ITS WEEK LONG SERIES OF EVENTS, MADE UP OF KING OF THE MOTOS, KOH UTV RACE, AND THE EVERYMAN CHALLENGE.

DUBBED AS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT MOTO STYLE EVENTS ON THE PLANET, KING OF THE MOTOS WOULD TEST THE SKILLS OF SOME OF THE BEST RIDERS BOTH DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY. AS THEY WOULD BE FORCED TO TACKLE LONG STRETCHES OF REMOTE DESERT IN ADDITION TO ROCK TRAILS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM THE KING OF THE HAMMERS RACE. TRUE REBELS IN THE SPORT, THESE RIDERS FACE THE DESERT ALONG, NO ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OF A CODRIVER, OR EVEN A CAGE. 34 RIDERS STARTED THE RACE, ONLY 23 FINISHED. CODY WEBB TOOK THE CHECKERED FLAG ON HIS BETA. ONE OF THE QUICKEST GROWING OFF ROAD AND RECREATIONAL SEGMENT IN THE COUNTRY, THE UTV WOULD BE YET ANOTHER FACET OF THE KOH EXPERIENCE.

36 UTV'S WOULD TAKE THE GREEN FLAG THAT MORNING AND HEAD OUT INTO THE DESERT AND THE ROCK TRAILS OF JOHNSON VALLEY, PROVIDING THE ULTIMATE ENVIRONMENT TO TORTURE TEST THESE SIDE BY SIDE MACHINES. TAKING HOME FIRST IN UTV WOULD BE MITCH GUTHRIE, REPEATING HIS WIN FROM 2013. THE APTLY NAMED SMITTYBILT EVERYMAN CHALLENGE, OR EMC FOR SHORT, WOULD PROVIDE AN ENTRY LEVEL CLASS OF COMPETITIVE OFF ROAD RACING. BORN FROM OFF THE LOT JEEP PLATFORMS, TOYOTAS AND SIMILAR, THE EMC PAVED THE WAY FOR FANS AND OTHERWISE ONLOOKERS OF THE KING OF THE HAMMERS RACE TO STRAP ON A HELMET, STRAP INTO A SEAT, AND TAKE PART IN THE EXPERIENCE OF RACE WEEK. FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR JOHN CURRIE WOULD

FINISH FIRST OVERALL, AND FIRST IN

THE MODIFIED CLASS. FOLLOWED BY FIRST PLACE STOCK CLASS, ERIK MILLER. FIRST PLACE SPEC CLASS, JESSE COMBS, AND FIRST

PLACE IN LEGENDS, BRAD LOVELL. THESE PRELIMINARY EVENTS WOULD BE JUST THE TEASE OF RACE WEEK, CAUSE WHAT COMES NEXT IS THE KING OF THE HAMMERS.

(ANNOUNCER)>> JUST AHEAD, FROM GREEN FLAG TO CHECKERED, COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE MAIN EVENT.

(IAN)>> INTENSE ACTION FROM THIS YEAR'S KING OF THE HAMMERS RACE, AND RIGHT NOW IN THE SHOP I'VE

GOT LOREN HEALY, WITH ME. LOREN, WELCOME TO XTREME OFF ROAD.

(LOREN)>> ABSOLUTELY, THANKS FOR HAVING US OUT.

(IAN)>> NOW WE'VE SEEN THE RACE, WE'VE SEEN THE

TERRAIN, WE KNOW IT'S BRUTAL. GIVE ME A RUNDOWN OF WHAT KING OF CAR DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO COMPETE IN THIS KIND OF RACE.

(LOREN)>> WELL THIS IS A JIMMY'S FOUR BY FOUR ROCK CRAWLER. KIND OF HYBRID CAR BETWEEN A ROCK CRAWLER AND A GO FAST DESERT TRUCK.

(IAN)>> ALRIGHT, AND WHAT ARE THE SPECS ON THIS CAR FRONT TO BACK?

(LOREN)>> IT'S GOT SPYDER TRAX AXLES UNDERNEATH IT. SOME KING SHOCKS FOR KEEPING THE CAR GOING REALLY FAST OUT THROUGH THE DESERT.

WE'VE GOT FORGED ALUMINUM ATX WHEELS AND NITTO TIRES ON HERE. JUST A REALLY GOOD WELL BUILT RACE CAR.

(IAN)>> AND THESE ARE LIKE A HYBRID RIGHT, LIKE HALF TROPHY TRUCK, HALF ROCK CRAWLER, BECAUSE YOU'RE A COMBINATION OF GO FAST AND GOING REALLY SLOW RIGHT?

(LOREN)>> YEAH ABSOLUTELY, WE HAVE TO GO 120 MILES AN HOUR OUT THROUGH BIG WHOOPS AND OUT THROUGH THE DESERT, AND THEN WE'VE GOT TO SLOW DOWN, GO INTO LOW RANGE WITH OUR TRANSFER CASE, AND THEN WE'VE GOT TO CRAWL THROUGH THE ROCKS OVER THE

SIZE OF VOLKSWAGENS.

(IAN)>> AWESOME, WELL WE'RE GONNA HEAD BACK OUT TO JOHNSON VALLEY TO CHECK OUT THIS YEAR'S KING OF THE HAMMERS RACE.

QUALIFYING FOR THE MAIN EVENT WOULD TAKE PLACE ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY OF RACE WEEK, AND WOULD REPRESENT A MIX OF TERRAIN MIRRORING THAT OF THE MAIN RACE, PACKED TIGHTLY INTO WHAT WOULD BEST BE DESCRIBE AS A SPRINT.

EACH DRIVER WOULD TAKE THEIR TURN ON THIS SHORT PIECE OF RACE COURSE, ALL VYING FOR THE TOP QUALIFYING SPOT TO ENSURE A GOOD LEAD OUT OF THE GATE AT THIS YEAR'S RACE. QUALIFYING FIRST OVERALL WOULD BE TEAM NITTO TIRE'S NICK NELSON, FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY KOH VETERAN TOM WAYES, AND 2012'S KING, ERIK MILLER. TEAMS ASSEMBLED AT SIX AM RACE DAY MORNING, SIDE BY SIDE, IN ROWS OF TWO, READY TO LEAVE THE LINE EVERY 30 SECONDS UNTIL ALL 145 CARS WERE SENT OFF THE STARTING LINE WITH THE GREEN FLAG DROPPED TWO HOURS LATER. LIKE GLADIATORS EAGERLY AWAITING THEIR TURN IN THE COLISEUM, EACH DRIVER HAD TO WATCH AS THEIR COMPETITION LEFT THE LINE IN FRONT OF THEM.

ONCE ROUNDING THE CORNER OFF THE LINE IT WOULD BE A DRAG RACE, PITTING DRIVERS IN A FULL THROTTLE SHOWDOWN BEFORE THE COURSE WOULD NECK DOWN A COUPLE HUNDRED YARDS LATER, LEADING DRIVERS INTO THE DESERT FOR AN ALL DAY BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL. DRY, DUSTY CONDITIONS MADE VISIBILITY DIFFICULT, AND THE WINNING OF THIS DRAG RACE ESSENTIAL TO STAYING IN CLEAN AIR FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE RACE. WITHIN ONE MILE OFF THE START TEAMS WERE FACED WITH AN IMPORTANT DECISIONS. ONE OF THE HARDEST OBSTACLES IN JOHNSON VALLEY, THE BACK DOOR WATERFALL, NEEDED TO BE

RAN AT LEAST ONCE OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR THREE LAPS. WHETHER DRIVERS CHOSE TO RUN THIS OBSTACLE EARLY OR LATE, CARNAGE ENSUED ON THIS WATERFALL ALL DAY LONG.

BEYOND BACK DOOR LOOMED 52 MILES OF HARSH DESERT, MAKING UP THE ENTIRETY OF THE FIRST LAP OF THE RACE BEFORE TAKING ON THE FINAL TWO LAPS, WHICH WOULD VISIT THE GRUELING ROCK TRAILS OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE HAMMERS.

(ANNOUNCER)>> UP NEXT IT'S DOWN TO THE WIRE AND DOWN TO THE BONE IN A FULL THROTTLE RACE TO THE FINISH.

(IAN)>> AS THE DAY PROGRESSED IN JOHNSON VALLEY AND THE DRIVERS HEADED DEEP INTO THE ROCKS OF THE HAMMERS, THE RACE WAS WELL UNDERWAY. DRIVERS NAVIGATED THROUGH THE TRAILS DODGING BOULDERS AND COMPETITORS ALIKE. AT THE CONCLUSION OF LAP ONE NICK NELSON REMAINED IN THE LEAD BEHIND THE WHEEL OF HIS JIMMY'S IFS CAR, FOUR MINUTES AHEAD OF TOM WAYES WITH CHICKY BARTON TRAILING BY SIX MINUTES IN THIRD OVERALL POSITION. WAYLAND CAMPBELL AND JASON SCHERER WOULD FOLLOW THE TOP THREE FINISHING LAP ONE IN EXACTLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME, ONE HOUR, SIX MINUTES AND 23 SECONDS, MATCHING PACE TO THE SECOND. LAP TWO AND THREE WOULD SIGNIFY THE START OF THE ROCK TRAILS THAT MADE KING OF THE HAMMERS KING OF THE HAMMERS. AMOUNTING TO A TOTAL OF ROUGHLY 50 MILES OF ROCKS, SURE TO PUNISH EVEN THE MOST COMPETITIVE RACE CAR. AND TOM WAYES WOULD BE LEADING THE PACK, CHARGING HARD THROUGH THE DESERT, FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY 2010'S KING LOREN HEALY, AS WELL AS 2012'S

KING ERIK MILLER. NOT FAR BEHIND 2013'S KING, RANDY SLAWSON'S, STAYED IN THE HUNT. THE FINAL LAP WOULD BE A BATTLE FOR NOT ONLY VICTORY, BUT SURVIVAL, AND THE COMPETITION WOULD BE FIERCE.

WITH TALK OF A POSSIBLE UNINTENTIONAL COURSE

CUTTING, TOM WAYES WOULD FACE THE POSSIBILITY OF A TIME PENALTY, AND HE KNEW HE WOULD NEED TO PUSH HARD TO WIN OR AT THE VERY LEAST STAY ON THE PODIUM. LOREN HEALY, FIGHTING A PUNCTURED RADIATOR, WOULD ALSO BE PUSHING HARD AS ERIK MILLER DROPPED OUT OF CONTENTION DUE TO A STEERING ORBITAL FAILURE. THE WAR OF ATTRITION WAS ON. AS WAYES CLICKED OFF THE FINAL MILES OF THE RACE, HE FLATTENED HIS FRONT DRIVER TIRE. UNWILLING TO GIVE UP, HE PRESSED ON, DRIVING THROUGH THE OPEN DESERT DOWN TO THE BARE WHEEL AS HIS TIRE FRAGMENTED IN A FINAL PUSH TO MAKE

IT TO THE FINISH.

WITH MANY DRIVERS STILL IN CONTENTION, THE FINAL MILES OF THE 2014 KING OF THE HAMMERS WOULD BE SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING DESERT RACING THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN.

DESPITE HIS FLATTENED TIRE, WAYES WOULD CROSS THE FINISH LINE IN PHYSICAL FIRST PLACE,

WAITING FOR HIS TIME PENALTY AND FOR THE NEXT FINISHER. LOREN HEALY AND DERRICK WEST WOULD CROSS THE FINISH NEXT NEARLY SIDE BY SIDE. HOWEVER WITH LOREN LEADING ON TIME, AWARDING HIM THE OVERALL WIN. LOREN HEALY, 2014'S KING OF THE HAMMERS CHAMPION. FINISHING AFTER LOREN HEALY, IN ORDER, WOULD BE SECOND PLACE, TONY PELLEGRINO, THIRD PLACE, BILL BAIRD, FOURTH PLACE, JAKE HALENBECK, AND FIFTH AND SIX PLACE, NITTO TIRES' DERRICK WEST AND RICK MOONEYHAM. FOLLOWING THE ONE HOUR AND 10 MINUTE TIME PENALTY, TOM WAYES WOULD LAND IN SEVENTH PLACE OVERALL. LOREN NOW JOINS AN EXCLUSIVE CLUB CONSISTING OF HIM AND SHANNON CAMPBELL, THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE TO EVER WIN TWO KING OF THE HAMMERS RACES. ALRIGHT GUYS, THERE YOU HAVE IT, THE END OF THIS

YEAR'S KING OF THE HAMMERS.

WE ALL SAW LOREN BRING HOME THE CHECKERED FLAG, CONGRATULATIONS MAN.

(LOREN)>> THANKS IAN, I APPRECIATE IT, AND THANKS

FOR HAVING US OUT HERE.

(IAN)>> ANYTIME MAN, NOW I'M GOING TO ASK YOU BOTH THE SAME QUESTION. WE'LL START WITH YOU DAVE. DAVE, WHAT'S NEXT FOR ULTRA FOUR?

(DAVE)>> YOU KNOW I'M JUST GONNA KEEP PUTTING ON GOOD RACES FOR THE RACERS AND LET THEM DO THEIR THING. IF THEY'RE HAPPY THEN THE CROWD WILL BE HAPPY,

IT'S ALL GOOD.

(IAN)>> AWESOME, LOREN, WHAT'S NEXT FOR LOREN HEALY RACING?

(LOREN)>> WE'VE GOT SEVEN MORE RACES TO RACE THIS YEAR. SO IT'LL BE A LONG SEASON, AND THEN GET READY FOR KING OF THE HAMMERS NEXT YEAR.

(IAN)>> NEXT YEAR SAME CAR, DIFFERENT CAR, FIRST BACK TO BACK WIN MAYBE?

(LOREN)>> FIRST BACK TO BACK WIN, YEAH THAT'S DEFINITELY A GOOD GOAL, AND I PROBABLY WON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO IF I'LL BE RACING THIS CAR AGAIN UNTIL THE END OF THE SEASON. SEE WHAT KIND OF SHAPE IT'S IN.

(IAN)>> YOU KNOW YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT CAMERA

RIGHT NOW AND CALL OUT ANY DRIVER.

(LOREN)>> NOT IN MY PERSONALITY TO CALL OUT ANY DRIVER.

(IAN)>> ALRIGHT, WELL THANKS FOR JOINING US FOR THIS YEAR'S KING OF THE HAMMERS SPECIAL!