Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0
We all know King of the Hammers is growing year over year, but it must be said; the size of this year’s King of the Hammers is just insane. We say this in a good way, of course, another testate to Dave Cole for moving this event, and sport in general, in the right direction. We are still waiting for a semi-official count of those in Hammertown, but we know from first hand experience (we’ve been part of KOH since the beginning) the number of spectators, drivers, and teams is beyond anything that could have ever been dreamed of. It’s crazy, and we love it.
Today wrapped up the rest of qualifying, setting the starting order for 156 Pro racers for Friday and 77 EMC racers for Thursday. Add to this the 24 UTV racers who ran today (congrats Mitch Guthrie for the win) & the 75 Moto racers who ran last Sunday, and you can see where we’re coming from. It’s a wild ride, to say the least, and we can’t wait for Thursday and Friday.
If you’re getting ready for the next two days, be sure to check out Thursday’s running order at http://bit.ly/1es6SiW and Friday’s running order at http://bit.ly/1e4MsX6 . Also, DO NOT MISS the live coverage this year over at http://ultra4racing.com/live/ . This page includes a live multi-channel video feed and chat, and will honestly keep you in the loop during race day better than being in Hammertown alone. The coverage has been amazing this year, the best ever, so a big congrats to Shannon Welch and the entire production crew for knocking it out of the park.
Finally (one last word), a huge thanks to all of the drivers and teams supporting Spidertrax and Spider 9 products this year. For Friday’s main race, 8 of the top 10 off the line are drivers powered by Spider 9 axles and components. A testament to both the product and support we have from amazing racers. Thank you, and best of luck tomorrow and Friday to everyone racing. We’ll see you out there!
Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0
It’s Tuesday, which in Hammertown means it’s a full day of qualifying action. From the all new SPEC Class (pictured here) to the Unlimited Pros, today determines what position you get to start come race day. Faster qualifying times gets you up in front of the pack, and with over 100 racers this single advantage is the one that is most sought out. So, expect some crazy fast qualifying runs today, and DO NOT MISS tonight’s Power Hour, where the best of the best racers qualify in the same hour (around 4PM PST, tonight). As always, you can catch the action live at http://ultra4racing.com/live/ .
Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0
Last night was simply off the hook. A two in the morning idea, spawned by Dave Cole and friends many months ago, turned out to be one very cool addition to the KOH week. Monday nights SRRS ULTRA4 King Shocks Shoot Out was simple in form, borrowing from the previously successful Hot Springs, AK Ultra4s at Superlift shootout run (event photos from that over at http://flic.kr/s/aHsjHMDsty ). Namely, a timed shoot out style race capitalizing on the East meets West, or Ultra4 vs Rockbouncer, theme. As was the case back in Hot Springs, the X vs Y theme was just the tease, really all anyone cared about was “could the best time be beat!”. Back to last night, we got to see this play out once again, this time though we watched the action unfold on one of the most well-known KOH obstacles, Back Door.
Of course, it’s worth mentioning the prize for fastest time last night was $7,000. That’s not all, fastest “other coast” driver took home $3,000, and the best showman took home $2,500. The rules, start at the bottom of Back Door, and launch up as fast as possible. This lead to a night of roll overs, axles driving away from their vehicles, a cowboy “stripper” dancing on top of their rig (that’s not a typo, this actually happened), and of course those that blasted their way to the top in record time.
So, the title and photo likely gave this one away, but it was KOH native and current king Randy Slawson that captured the fastest time (about 30.5 seconds ). Smooth, fast, effortless… basically what you would expect from the king. Congrats to Randy and the Bomber Fab crew for taking top honors at the SRRS ULTRA4 King Shocks Shoot Out. Be sure to stay tuned to all the action on http://ultra4racing.com/live/ , we’re just getting warmed up!
Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0
SRRS ULTRA4 King Shocks Shoot Out underway, with current King Randy Slawson in the lead. Are you watching the action? You don’t want to miss this! http://ultra4racing.com/live/
Spidertrax | Thom Kingston | CC BY 3.0
What do you get when you mix an Ironman Triathlon with a little petrol & oil? King of the Motos of course, easily one of the most enduring motocross races you will find in the states. Yesterday, over 75 motocross racers took to the mixed desert and rocky terrain of Johnson Valley, California. Racers ran two effective heats, one AM and one PM, totaling over 60 miles. The winner is the man or women who crosses the finish line in the fastest total time.
This year’s Moto King is no stranger to the field. Cody Webb, pictured here, not only won this years race, but he took top honors in last years King of the Motos as well. Winning once is an accomplishment all in itself, winning two years straight is nothing short of outstanding. Congrats to Cody and his team/family, we’re already looking forward to next years race.
Next up for KOH week, tonight’s Backdoor Shootout Challenge. Yeah, that’s going to be pretty insane. Live coverage at http://ultra4racing.com/live/ , starting at 6PM PST.
