King of the Hammers

King of the Hammers—it's not just a race in the desert; it is THE race in the desert.

- CHAD DOUGLAS

You've heard of the Baja 500, Baja 1000, San Felipe 250, and Vegas to Reno, but KOH is a race that is put together in the heart of Johnson Valley for three straight weeks of mayhem, organized chaos, and some of the coolest rigs you will ever see out in the desert getting used and abused, all with a smile on the drivers’ faces.

People know King of the Hammers for the big party that's happening at Chocolate Thunder or Backdoor at night, but do not be mistaken—those are two small events compared to what is happening in the daytime. Being a part of the media covering this event, I see it all happen through a camera lens. From the first weekend kicking off King of the Hammers with King of the Motos and letting motocross and endurocross riders get out in the desert and rocks to compete in the ultimate challenge of man and bike. From a shotgun-style start with all the riders side-by-side taking off in waves, it is instant action-packed, shoulder-to-shoulder, bike-to-bike carnage all the way up and out of the start. Jumping into the second week, you have the Desert Challenge, which is full of trophy trucks, buggies, side-by-sides, and crazy builds like the Sierra EV karts blazing through the desert. There is something for everyone at this race when it comes to off-roading. And the final third week? That's when the big dogs come out! The Race of Kings is a three-day race with multiple classes in UTV, Every Man Challenge, and King of Kings. That is where the hardest of the hard are taken to the next level and put drivers, co-drivers, parts, vehicles, and entire teams to the absolute limit.