King of the Hammers: Everything You Need to Know

As we get set to face the long doldrums of winter, there is one beacon of off-road light just around the corner to give us cause for excitement.

Whether you’re a competitor, participant, spectator, or fan—get ready, it’s Hammertime.

Since 2007, King of the Hammers has been the most coveted title in desert racing sports. The origin story of the race, its founders, and its DIY roots is well-documented, and reads like modern day automotive mythology. Co-founder Dave Cole and his team are still at it, putting their all into the event each year and striving to grow the brand as much as possible — all while remaining true to the core values that have made King of the Hammers the success story that it is.

What started with a couple of friends, garage-built rigs, and a purse consisting of a case of beer has developed into one of the most looked-forward to and hotly anticipated events of the year — with prizes reaching into the six-figure range.

The mission of King of the Hammers and Hammerking Productions continues to aim at building upon its past successes, with bigger crowds, more stiff and diverse competition, and a better fan experience than ever before.

Dates, Times, & Attractions

This year, the gates to Hammertown open on January 18 and the event runs until February 3. King of the Hammers is longer than ever to accommodate a fully packed schedule in support of the main event, The Nitto Race of Kings on that third Saturday.

Over the multi-week festivities, most of your favorite events are back — and bigger than ever. This includes the Can-Am Motorsports UTV Hammers Championship, the 4WP Every Man Challenge, and the Toyo Tires Desert Challenge presented by Monster Energy. One omission is the fan-favorite Holley EFi Backdoor Shootout. No mention of it is on the official website and when asking KOH, we only received a cryptic “the schedule is as posted for this year” response. We hope it’s not the end of this popular event, and will cover any more information we receive.

There are also pit crew challenges, qualifying races, pre-runs, vendors, driver meet-and-greets, and so much more to pack your Hammertown adventure to the brim with possibilities. And let’s not forget the music, food, and family-friendly entertainment on tap as well.

All in all, there are more than 630 entered competitors across all classes (as of January 1st), with teams from Canada, Mexico, England, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, Russia, and USA all on the list.

Taking center stage, the Progressive King of the Hammers 2024 powered by Optima Batteries, will get underway at 8 am on Saturday February 3rd. Consisting of three laps, this year’s run is a full 212 miles long (77 miles on lap 1, 66 on lap two, and 69 on the final one), and drivers have 14 hours to complete the course.

What’s New?

Each year KOH seems to come through with even more events, classes, and services for the fans and racers alike. And while the 2024 running may not have a ton of changes, events and classes that were new last year are making their return after a successful first campaign.

For the second year, the running of the Toyo Tires Desert Challenge will hold a race for two fan-favorites—the Class 11 Volkswagens (Baja Vida Class) and steel cab 1400/1450 trucks (Gravel Kings Class). These two classes will run together with the trucks starting first and a land rush start for the Beetles afterward. Both groups of competitors must have functional doors. A great tune-up for the main race later in the week.

In addition, to further grow the sport, competition, and event, the all-new Rookie Class was introduced last year. Thanks to heavy participation – a record 58 rookies raced in 2023! – KOH 2024 will have a new partnership with Gravel Kings as Presenting Sponsor. With their support, you can expect this year’s program to be bigger, better, longer, and stuffed with more opportunities for these young athletes.

Also exciting for new and young racers, in addition to the KOH Kids 170 race and Youth UTV Racing with Great American Shortcourse, KOH 2024 will be the first year of the KOH Futures Race, a 4900 subclass.

Legendary Talent

Among those running the 2024 King of the Hammers are some true legends of the sport. All but a few winners dating back to the first-ever race in 2007 will be participating. One glaring omission, however, is back-to-back 2022/2023 winner Raul Gomez. As the time of this writing, we have not seen his name on the competitors list. We hope that will change.

It will be tough to beat last year’s nail biter, as winner Raul Gomez ran up toward the front of the pack for the entire race. And when needing to winch on the final lap, Raul’s son Darian helped out by pulling the cable so Raul didn’t need to exit his vehicle. This made all the difference, and Gomez narrowly edged out legend and former King, Jason Scherer by less than a minute.

Speaking of Scherer, last year was his second runner-up finish in a row. Right behind him was Josh Blyler with his second consecutive third place finish. Can one of these former Kings climb the mountain once again?

Two-time King Erik Miller is back for another go. And 2007, 2013, 2015, and 2021 champion Randy Slawson looks to wear the crown for a fifth time — extending a record he already owns. He’ll be looking to bounce back after a DNF in 2022 and a 5th place finish last year.

Three-time King and icon Shannon Campbell is back again, as are his son and daughter piloting their own rigs: rising stars Wayland and Bailey Campbell. Wayland had a disappointing DNF last year, but Bailey managed a respectable 20th place, 18 spots better than her dad. Which Campbell will get bragging rights for 2024?

For those perhaps not so privy to King of the Hammers royalty, there will still be plenty of names you’ll recognize participating in events this year including the indispensable Brian Deegan and Vaughn Gittin Jr.

Live Entertainment

While we’d be quite content listening to the symphony of exhaust notes at this year’s race, live music is also a major part of KOH 2024. This year will surely feature some great acts each night when the sun goes down. While the official lineup and times have yet to be released, expect some great music ranging from rock, country, folk, and popular cover bands. Stay locked in to the King of the Hammers website for updates.

You can also expect some cool “in-car content” this year. According to KOH founder Dave Cole, Hammer King Productions will be incorporating unedited live feeds from the teams into the KOH live show, which you can watch on YouTube or at https://kingofthehammers.com/live-stream/. With excitement and tensions high, especially during stressful runs, we’re willing to bet those streams will deliver some good viewing.

So, get your family or buddies together, or maybe just yourself and a couple changes of clothing, and hightail it toward the desert while there’s still time. There isn’t a better place on the planet for an off-road racing fan to kick off 2024. And for that matter, maybe all year long.

2024 King of the Hammers main gates open Thursday, January 18 and kicks off with King of the Motos. The main event—the Nitto Race of Kings—takes place Saturday, February 3. Head to https://kingofthehammers.com/ for up-to-the-minute coverage and a live stream of all the action!