We’re pretty lucky. After all, we get to go to races and events of all kinds around the country and the world. It’s a lot of work, and it certainly isn’t all fun, but at the same time we get to go to some pretty cool events. And while we enjoy most of them, there are a select few that really excite us each and every year. Nitto Tires King of the Hammers, powered by Optima Batteries, is one of them. Since the first time we went three or four years ago, it has been on our list of must attend bad ass events. If you like fabrication, off-road action, adventures, and amazing natural surroundings, King of the Hammers is your jam. The barren OHV park at Johnson Valley is an amazing mix of sand, dirt, gravel, rocks, bigger rocks, bigger big rocks, and everything in between. You will find no trees here. You will find only little bits of green. In fact it looks like a far away planet in a lot of ways. But it has it’s own beauty that can only be described as awesome. And while Johnson Valley is a VERY popular off-roading destination, the shear number of people that descend onto the dry lake bed in the center of it during King of the Hammers is awe inspiring.
Every year, Hammertown, USA is build as the Fastest Growing City in America as over a week it goes from zero to eleventy jillion enthusiasts. With them come side by sides, quads, dirt bikes, Jeeps, buggies, trucks, SUV’s, home built contraptions, and much much more. And while some of them drive out to the festivities under their own power, the majority show up on trailers, inside toy haulers, or behind motorhomes of some form or fashion. It’s awesome to see.
And while criss crossing the valley behind the wheel of my Nissan Frontier four door pickup, with 4-wheel drive, I drooled over all of it. But the real reason I was there, and the thing you’ll get to check out in 10 galleries featuring 1000 photos, is the Nitto King of the Hammers powered by Optima Batteries. This year’s race was just over 180 miles, featuring three lapse around Johnson Valley and Lucerne Valley, across lake beds as speeds over 100 mph, up sand hills, down rock canyons, up rock canyons, through dirt and dust and terrain that put every vehicle to the limit. It is commonly revered as a race that is a victory if you finish. It starts at 8 am and the fastest guys will finish around 3-3:30 pm. There are pit stops, and lots of repairs, but ultimately it’s about going over whatever is in front of you as quickly as possible. And not getting lost along the way.
Gallery #1 a mix of photos from the event and can be seen below. Some of the cool stuff we saw, the great action, and more. We have 9 more galleries after this, with 900 more photos!
Here is the complete list of photo galleries as we post them.
CLICK HERE FOR GALLERY #2
CLICK HERE FOR GALLERY #3
CLICK HERE FOR GALLERY #4
CLICK HERE FOR GALLERY #5
