Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Race Recap: 2013 Griffin King of the Hammers, and notes from a dry lake bed [w/video]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/11/race-recap-2013-griffin-king-of-the-hammers-and-notes-from-a-d/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/11/race-recap-2013-griffin-king-of-the-hammers-and-notes-from-a-d/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/11/race-recap-2013-griffin-king-of-the-hammers-and-notes-from-a-d/#commentsFiled under: ,

King of the Hammers 2013 overhead view

It was a local guy from 90 miles away who beat them all...

The image above shows 129 Ultra4 racing rigs lined up for the start of the 2013 Griffin King of the Hammers. In case you missed Part One that explains why they're there and why they might be doing the most difficult and absurd one-day off-road race in the world, check it out. After a week of races in other events and two days of qualifying for the big show, the men and women who made it in were lined up to do three laps of a course around the 140,000-acre Johnson Valley OHV area in California's San Bernardino County.

Lap one was 52 miles through the desert, lap two was 63-miles long and lap three was 69-miles long, those last circuits going through some of the toughest rock trails - known collectively as The Hammers - on the planet. Drivers from 12 countries, trophy truck champions who've come from Paris-Dakar and the Baja 1000, guys who had spent big-money sums like $250,000 on their rigs were lined up to win, or just try and make it back before the 14-hour cutoff time.

It was a local guy from 90 miles away who beat them all...

Continue reading Race Recap: 2013 Griffin King of the Hammers, and notes from a dry lake bed [w/video]

Race Recap: 2013 Griffin King of the Hammers, and notes from a dry lake bed [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allroadaudifeaturedgriffin king of the hammersjohnson valley ohvking of hammersking of the hammersrandy slawsonrecapMon, 11 Feb 2013 15:46:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20455633/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/02/11/race-recap-2013-griffin-king-of-the-hammers-and-notes-from-a-d/20455633/article-detail.xml 20455633 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/02/kom1_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/02/kom1.jpg <![CDATA[<em>Autoblog</em> goes to <s>Thunderdome</s> 2013 Griffin King of the Hammers]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/09/autoblog-goes-to-thunderdome-2013-griffin-king-o/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/09/autoblog-goes-to-thunderdome-2013-griffin-king-o/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/09/autoblog-goes-to-thunderdome-2013-griffin-king-o/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Whenever you want, you can play at being Mad Max. The task only requires closing your eyes, powering up the Gas-Free And Violent Post-Apocalyptic Dystopia program in your mental holodeck, then delivering a few lines in your best early Mel Gibson monotone like, "I think we've got some hoon trouble." or "I'm just here for the gasoline."

It has been called one of the hardest races in the world, numerous times.

Or you can be Mad Max. We've been to a lot of places and a lot of races in the world where you can approach the fantasy, but to go all the way - to a place where asking "When is Humungus coming back?" and "Where can I find Master Blaster?" wouldn't feel strange at all - you need to roll down onto the Means Dry Lake Bed in Johnson Valley, California for King of the Hammers.

What is King of the Hammers? The fact-sheet says it's a 184-mile race through desert and rocks, but the fact sheet can't express the experience. King of the Hammers is a one-day race that combines desert racing at triple-digit speeds, rock racing at double-digit speeds and rock crawling at low single-digit speeds. It comes after a week of vicious, timed punishments for every other kind of vehicle that can blast over barrens and crawl through quarries. It is an endurance test that gives competitors 14 hours to finish before time is called - and even then there's a good chance less than a third of the 120 runners will make it. It has been called one of the hardest races in the world, numerous times. Every year, something like 30,000 people erect a pop-up hamlet called Hammertown for a week to watch it all go down.

More accurately, it is insanity and absurdity that characterizes the best kinds of personal challenges. Even more accurately, it is Thunderdome. And the question that hundreds of off-road racers ask themselves every year, hoping for a chance to just finish - and be stranded in the desert for hours while doing so - is "Thunderdome. How do I get in there?"

Follow us. We'll show you the way.

Continue reading Autoblog goes to Thunderdome 2013 Griffin King of the Hammers

Autoblog goes to Thunderdome 2013 Griffin King of the Hammers originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 Feb 2013 20:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2013 king of the hammersgriffin radiatorsking of the hammersmotorsportsoff-road racingracingSat, 09 Feb 2013 20:25:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20455452/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/02/09/autoblog-goes-to-thunderdome-2013-griffin-king-o/20455452/article-detail.xml 20455452 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/02/koth1_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/02/koth1.jpg <![CDATA[Griffin King of the Hammers is a week-long test of trucks, wills]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/01/griffin-king-of-the-hammers-is-a-week-long-test-of-trucks-wills/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/01/griffin-king-of-the-hammers-is-a-week-long-test-of-trucks-wills/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/01/griffin-king-of-the-hammers-is-a-week-long-test-of-trucks-wills/#commentsFiled under: , ,



The Griffin King of the Hammers isn't an event, it's seven days of challenges tailored to Greek deities but instead undertaken by masses of rock crawlers, buggies and motorcycles. There were four competitions during this latest, sixth edition of KOH at the Means dry lake bed in Johnson, California. Hundreds ran the rock crawling and baja-style races, and thousands set up the temporary hamlet called Hammer Town to take part in the action.

But words can barely describe it all, so you'll find a video from Ultra4 Racing of last month's highlights after the jump. If you want more, Truck Trend offers a proper education and photographic perspective on the week that is King of the Hammers.

Continue reading Griffin King of the Hammers is a week-long test of trucks, wills

Griffin King of the Hammers is a week-long test of trucks, wills originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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