King of the Hammers, slated to be held from January 22 to February 7, 2026 at Means Dry Lake in Johnson Valley, California, has cemented itself as the world’s toughest one-day off-road endurance challenge for Ultra4 and UTVs alike. It started back in 2007 as a throwdown for top rock-crawlers and desert-race teams; now, it draws 80,000-plus enthusiasts and 400 competitors to “Hammertown,” a pop-up town built in the high desert for two weeks each winter. Fans care because KOH is brutal, unpredictable, and a testbed for real-world chassis, tire, and thermal management ingenuity that shapes tech far beyond race day.
Last year's Race of Kings saw Kyle Chaney (Can-Am UTV) start from the second row; then capitalize on late-race mechanical drama to outlast heavy hitters like Loren Healy and JP Gomez for the overall win, clocking 7:53:45 and making history as the first UTV to outright conquer the unlimited 4400 class. The field of 127 starters dwindled to just 31 finishers, with incidents, massive holes, and rock moves in the final laps upending strategies and opening the door for surprise runs, including young Nathon Parker’s third-place finish. The Yokohama Every Man Challenge delivered brutal terrain as always, with Cody Young taking class honors after post-race penalties shuffled the order. High winds and fluctuating desert temperatures between 33°F (overnight) and 74°F (afternoon) punished both man and machine, demanding relentless focus on cooling and air filtration.
Fans heading to Johnson Valley for the 20th anniversary King of the Hammers are bracing for what organizers are calling the biggest and most challenging edition yet. The narrative entering the event revolves around a return to form after 2025, with Kyle Chaney gunning to repeat his historic UTV victory while Brad Lovell approaches his 21st appearance chasing more trophies.
The 2026 field reflects shifting power dynamics, with younger drivers and experienced rock bouncers resharpening tactics for the brutal 200-mile combination of desert racing and rock crawling.
Organizers are banking on the 20th anniversary milestone to draw north of 60,000 fans in person, energized by a reported $250,000 purse. The real wildcard is Johnson Valley itself: how the Mojave's winter conditions will play out matters as much as engineering, since teams are stress-testing brake cooling and suspension geometry to exploit every thermal and articulation advantage.
The overarching draw remains consistent: champions return to defend, hungry rookies arrive with fully sorted machines, and everyone wants their slice of desert immortality on Means Dry Lake. Love it.
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Wessen Char is UPPF’s petrolhead who still mourns the loss of Saab (and drove her 9-5 NG till 2025). She travels between US and Europe to cover auto events. She acknowledges the chic tech of EVs but wonders if the inexorable move to everything digital is ultimately all-better. Analogue had more soul somehow :)
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4 Hours of Sepang 2025