Tackling King of the Hammers in a UTV

The King of the Hammers races are brutal, combining high-speed blasts through the desert with rock crawling on some of the toughest trails imaginable. The race has been known to break some stoutly-built cars, and break down some fierce competitors.

Now imagine a race that is a challenge for Class 4400 cars, and picture trying to conquer the course with a UTV. As capable as the modern side-by-side prepared for racing is, the King of the Hammers course will challenge even the best.

“King of the Hammers is one of my favorite races because of how demanding it is,” said Kyle Chaney, driver of the No. 191 Can-Am in 4900 Open UTV. Chaney made history last year by taking the Race of Kings victory, typically the domain of the Class 4400 cars, in a modified Can-Am UTV. “From low-speed technical rock trails to wide-open desert where you’re flat out, it pushes the limits of the car and our driving abilities.”

King of the Hammers is unique in the world of off-road. While many may involve multiple laps, those laps are of the same course. But Hammers means two different courses – one lap an all-desert run, the other two a mix of the high-speed desert sections and the demanding rock sections. The art and science of making a car work in the different types of terrain is as key an element as the driving skill.

“King of the Hammers is like no other race in the world,” said Hunter Miller, driver of the No. 190 Can-Am in the 4900 Pro Mod UTV class. “The biggest challenge for us is setting up our Maverick R to excel in such a wide range of terrain. It has elements of rock crawling, desert racing and short course all thrown into one event, which is really unique. It's the absolute hardest race I've ever done."

It's a demanding course to drive at speed, and pace is important, even when the going is slow on the rocks. But lap times aren't going to win the race alone. Sure there's some luck – a competitor getting stuck in front of you, along with many other traps to fall into, can throw a big wrench into the works.

“Winning at KOH takes more than speed; you need to have a good game plan,” said Chaney, who will be competing in both Thursday's Can-Am UTV Hammers Championship as well as Saturday's Race of Kings, as will Miller. “Taking care of the car and picking good lines are crucial, because one mistake can end your race. It’s always a race that comes down to balancing risk and reward.”

The 2026 Griffin King of the Hammers Powered by Optima event is already in its second week in Johnson Valley, and headed to its climax – the Race of Kings on Saturday. The Race of Kings is preceded by the Can-Am UTV Hammers Championship on Thursday and the Yokohama Tire Everyman Challenge on Friday.

See the highlights of King of Hammers on RACER Network each night at 7 p.m. ET.