2015: The Slawson brothers (Randy and Michael) are besieged by reporters following last year's King of the Hammers victory. Peter Day/File Photo
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By Peter Day
Staff Writer
JOHNSON VALLEY — One of the world's biggest 4-wheel driving event, the weeklong King of the Hammers, will start this weekend about 50 miles east of Victorville in a remote area of Johnson Valley.
"Hammertown" opens Friday at 9 a.m. with registration, pre-running and tech checks. The event concludes at 10 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 7. But the focal point of the week will be the 10th running of the Nitto King of the Hammers presented by 4 Wheel Parts, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 5.
The King of the Motos event will kick off racing at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31.
Then on Monday at 6 p.m. will be the Vision X Shootout SRRS vs. ULTRA4 Presented by King with the help of Raceline Wheels, RCV Acles and Nitro Gear.
On Tuesday at 9 a.m. 4 Wheel Parts Qualifying and LCQ Line Up will begin. The qualifying will continue at noon on Wednesday. The Polaris RZR UTV Race will start earlier on Wednesday at 8 a.m.
The Smittybilt Every Man Challenge kicks off at 8 a.m. on Thursday and includes the 4500 Rubicon Express Modified Class; 4800 G2 Legends Class; and the 4600 Pro Comp Stock Class.
The Nitto King of the Hammers race will begin with drivers lining up at 6 a.m. and starting at 8 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 5. Each year, the King of the Hammers race attracts hundreds of fans and numerous first-time spectators as they watch competitors rock crawl and race in the desert.
KOH The Experience will be held on Saturday, and an award ceremony is in the morning of Saturday, Feb. 7.
Going into Hammers Week, the top 10 points leaders (in order) are: Levi Shirley, Derek West, Wayland Campbell, Loren Healy, Jon Cagliero, Shannon Campbell, Clay Gilstrap, Bailey Campell, Andrew McLaughlin and Paul Horschel.
Last year, the Slawson brothers with Randy Slawson in the driver's seat won the event.
Hammertown is located on Means Dry Lake in Johnson Valley. The address for most GPS units is Boone Rd Landers, CA 92285. You can also enter “King of the Hammers” into Google Maps for directions.
Tickets for King of The Hammers are $20 per person (cash) for the week and can be purchased 24 hours at the front gate starting at noon on 1/29 – 2/6. The main gate is located a mile down Boone Road, before Hammertown.
Live coverage begins Saturday at 8 a.m. To view the stream, go to http://ultra4racing.com/live/.