February 2, 2012 | In anticipation of the 2012 King of the Hammers taking place Friday, Feb. 10 in Johnson Valley, Calif., BFGoodrich Tires has created a contingency program to benefit those who choose to run on BFGoodrich Tires. A $7,500 contingency payout will be awarded to the winner of the race if running BFGoodrich tires.
January 31, 2012 | Capitalizing on a 10-year relationship with Lincoln Electric, Robby Gordon Motorsports has embraced the new addition to the Lincoln family and welcomed Torchmate CNC Cutting Systems onto Planet Robby. Gordon, who has acquired the Torchmate Racing built TTB car for the upcoming Griffin King of the Hammers event, will begin testing the rebadged Speed Energy #77 car this week and he has tasked rock crawling champion and former Pirate4x4.com owner, Lance Clifford, to navigate. “Although I have not yet met Lance, he has come highly recommended and is a welcome addition to our team. We put a lot of value in having the right people to help us succeed,” said Gordon. Clifford, who has worked during KOH the last 4 years providing live web based coverage, is looking forward to racing. “I was just planning on enjoying the event with my family, but when the best off-road driver in the world calls you up and asks you to navigate you don’t think twice about accepting.”
January 31, 2012 | In every genre of competition there is a prestigious cornerstone event that sets the standards. The appeal for thrill seekers is to conquer the momentous chore, bask in the glory, and enjoy the legacy. In its short history, King of the Hammers (KOH) has forged an international sensation that is declared the toughest off road race on the planet, combining brutal rock crawling with high-speed desert racing.
Lucas Oil Products recognizes the significance that this event holds in off road motorsports and is proud to support King of the Hammers as the "Official Oil of Ultra 4 Racing." In addition, Lucas Oil will be sponsoring an Off Road Short Course Demo featuring a handful of stars from the Lucas Oil Off Road Series, aerial helicopter support, and a dedicated street in Hammertown labeled "Lucas Oil Lane" located near Vendor Row. Also noted, Lucas Oil's support starts with the racers themselves. 2011's 9th place finisher #4478 Les Figueroa, driver of the Lucas Oil/ Figspeed.com machine, will be taking on the competition to better last year's top 10 finish.
Gilbert, AZ – Shannon Campbell/Team Monster Energy heads to Glen Helen Raceway for the last race of the Ultra4 Racing series. The 4Wheel Parts Ultra4 Gran Prix race format was a 4 hour endurance race with a one hour break half way through. The course was 4.8 miles and utilized the motocross track, short course track and the great mountains and canyons of the Glen Helen Park. Friday morning Shannon Campbell and Team Monster Energy headed out to practice and qualifying. Having crank case ventilation problems limited him to 5 practice and qualifying laps. Working late into the night with the help of Allen Nemo and his guys from Extreme Performance, they found the problem and made the repairs.
Check out the results from this weekends Ultra 4 2012 King of the Hammers qualifier at Glen Helen Raceway! You may have missed out on the fun but don't miss out on the results!!
(10/20/11-Riverside, CA) Pit Bull Tires has once again taken the lead and is returning as title sponsor for the 2012 Pit Bull Tires King of The Hammers UTV Race presented by SXSPerformance.com. This year's event promises to be bigger than last years with big prize money and more classes competing to be crowned the UTV King of the Hammers.
The 4 Wheel Parts Glen Helen Grand Prix brings baja racing action to Southern California October 20-22.
X-Racing takes over the USGP track on Sunday
San Bernardino, Calif. - October 18, 2011 - Another exciting weekend at Glen Helen Raceway is coming up, featuring great racing action on both two and four wheels with the 4 Wheel Parts Glen Helen Grand Prix and X-Racing!
The 4 Wheel Parts Glen Helen Grand Prix brings baja-style racing to Glen Helen on the 3.5 mile baja course, which combines the high speeds of the Lucas Oil Short Course with the tough and technical terrain of the surrounding trails. Tech inspection and qualifying will take place on Friday. Saturday’s main event will run from 11AM-4PM, and will be followed up with an end of the season bbq for fans. This is also the last chance to qualify for the 2012 Griffin King of the Hammers event, so don’t miss it! Check out ultra4racing.com for more information.
Generous Donation by Griffin Radiator to Benefit Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame
October 4, 2011 – Pomona, CA: Griffin Radiator , the title sponsor of every King of The Hammers race to date, has donated their 2012 Griffin King of the Hammers qualifying spot to a silent auction taking place at the Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday, October 7th at the Pomona fairplex. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Porsche Club of America, Quarter-Midgets also on tap
TOOELE VALLEY, UTAH (September 23, 2011) — This weekend, September 24-25, Miller Motorsports Park is providing fans with an interesting and diverse lineup to enjoy.
On Saturday and Sunday the Eastern and Western divisions of the World Extreme Rock Crawling Championship (W.E.ROCK) will come together at MMP’s unique rock-crawling facility to determine their National Champions. Four different classes of vehicles will seemingly defy the laws of gravity as they attack the treacherous man-made terrain in the seven-acre facility to battle for championship honors.
Torchmate Teammates JT Taylor Wins and Jesse Haines Finishes 5th
September 20, 2011 JT Taylor, Team Manager for Torchmate Racing, took the win at the Ultra4 Torchmate Stampede in Reno, NV on Saturday September 10th. The 130 mile Northern Nevada race boasted as the hardest Ultra4 race yet by promoter Dave Cole, even tougher than the King of the Hammers, makes the win even stronger. “This is a huge deal for Torchmate and this win is a long time coming for me. We knew we couldn’t let off and had to run a fast and consistent pace because there were 45 quality racers chasing me down… so, this is a big frickin deal,” said JT Taylor at the awards ceremony Saturday night as the crowd of racers cheered.
September 20, 2011–Reno, NV: Team GenRight’s Kevin Sacalas proved fast during Friday’s qualifying rounds at the 2011 Ultra4 Torchmate Stampede. Even with an engine misfire, Sacalas was able to claim the 4th fastest qualifying time of the day putting him in the front of the pack for the main race. Only current King Shannon Campbell, former King Jason Scherer and eventual Stampede winner, JT Taylor had faster times than Kevin Sacalas in his vehicle affectionately referred to as “Big Ugly.”
September 15, 2011 –Reno, NV: Despite rumors of the hardest Ultra4 course in history, all fifty starting positions for the 2011 Ultra4 Torchmate Reno Stampede were filled months before the green flag dropped. Now in its second year, the Ultra4 Stampede covered 128 miles of loose hill climbs, technical rock canyons, and wide open deserts at the Reno Tahoe Motorplex about 20 minutes outside of downtown Reno, NV. The racing was intense early on as Shannon Campbell, Jason Scherer, and JT Taylor battled for the lead in their V8 powered, 4-wheel drive Ultra4 cars. Mechanical issues hampered Campbell and Scherer, leaving JT Taylor to take the win in his innovative Torchmate-built twin traction beam race car.
Gilbert, Az-September 13, 2011-It was a hair raising, rock blasting, parts thrashing weekend for the mean Monster machine of Campbell Racing. Qualifying first with a blistering time of 3 minutes and 8 seconds, not to mention two flat tires for the last mile and a half on a 3 mile course. It was no doubt the roughest rockiest qualifying course yet this year. Starting on the pole position for Saturday’s race I would lead the pack for the first 17 miles, pulling into the pit with electrical issues.
POMONA, CALIF. (September 12, 2011) – The 2011 Lucas Oil Off-Road Expo powered by General Tire will invade the Pomona Fairplex Saturday, October 8 through Sunday, October 9, with BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC) as the official event charity. Advance tickets purchased with the special promotion code BRC2011 at www.offroadexpo.com will net $1.00 for every ticket sold to BRC.
Reno, NV: September 7th, 2011: The 2nd annual Torchmate Reno Stampede race will be held this week on September 10th and 11th at Exit 28 Motorsports just outside of Reno, Nevada. There will be multiple parties and events for fans and drivers throughout the week at both Exit 28 Motorsports and the Grand Sierra Hotel in Reno, NV. The unlimited 4 wheel drive vehicles known as Ultra4 cars have already begun descending upon Reno. For those that haven’t seen an Ultra4 race in person, this is a great opportunity to see extreme horsepower at its finest. These cars are capable of speeds in excess of 100 MPH and are able to traverse some of the most treacherous rocky terrain, and this year’s race features a brand new short course section to watch these powerful vehicles soar through the air.
Located in Clark, Wyo., Morrison Trail was honored this past weekend by BFGoodrich® Tires as one of the 2011 Outstanding Trails. Off-road enthusiasts and members of the Magic City 4-Wheelers, Inc. were in attendance as BFGoodrich Tires presented a grant of $4,000 to the club. The grant will be used to preserve the scenic off-highway trail system and continue conservation efforts for one of America’s most beautiful areas for off-roading.
FORT WORTH, TX SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 | Jason Scherer has been signed to drive a Pro-Light truck and Ultra4 car for team owner Tom Allen of PSC Motorsports in the newly formed team, Allen Scherer Racing (ASR). The ASR team will compete in the 2012 TORC Pro Light Series, at the 2012 Ultra4 King of the Hammers, campaign for the 2012 Ultra4 Championship and also compete in a few Best in the Desert and BRT Desert Races. “I am excited to say the least!” said Jason Scherer, 2009 ‘King’ of the Hammers and multiple offroad series championship winner. “I have been racing competitively for the last 10 years and the work and dedication has paid off! Tom wants to win, so there is a lot of pressure, but I am also very competitive and as soon as that green flag drops I hope to accomplish the goals for all involved.” The ASR team is composed of owner Tom Allen and the team at PSC Motorsports, Jason Scherer and his Rage 4th support staff and Tribe 4x4 Adam Scherer and Ryon Donaldson.
King Shocks is the official shock of Ultra4 racing and has been a big part of King of the Hammers since its inception. When the announcement was made that two new classes, Stock and Stock Mod were to be added to the line-up at KOH, we created a comprehensive program to support those competitors in addition to the thousands we post for the main race. King is posting a $1000 dollar cash prize for any racer that wins in either Stock or Stock Mod class on King Shocks, you just need to have King shocks front and rear and run a King sticker. To help you get there, any Stock or Stock-mod competitor who is entered into the race will receive a 15% discount on purchases for their race truck if you place your order before October 31st 2011.
RENO, NV JULY 13, 2011 | Torchmate CNC Cutting Systems has officially been announced as the Title Sponsor of the Ultra4 Stampede, after being a primary sponsor of the “Lucas Oil on the Edge” 2011 Griffin King of the Hammers TV Show and supporting an entire team for the Ultra4 series including 4 entries at this weekends American Rock Sports Challenge. The Torchmate Racing Team is burning an impression on the entire offroad community as impressive as the Torchmate CNC Tables precision cuts.
STURGIS, KY JULY 13, 2011 | Bill Baird is a retired ARCA Champion who bought a Campbell Enterprises buggy in March, finished 5th last month at Rausch Creek qualifying for the 2012 King of the Hammers and will compete at the Rock Sports Challenge this weekend at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT. “I didn’t know that one race would turn into the series, but I sure am glad that it has,” said Bill Baird who plans to race the rest of the 2011 Ultra4 Series in preparation for the 2012 Griffin King of the Hammers.
June 10, 2011 | This Father's Day, give someone special in your life a gift they will really enjoy. Or treat yourself, you deserve it!
Enjoy $100.00 off the price of our June Weekend Warrior Class in honor of all the Weekend Warriors we know. Our Weekend Warrior classes teach the basic fundamentals of Fabrication. Each weekend class will focus on a different fundamental skill.
Gilbert, AZ – May 27, 2011| I’d like to start off by saying “Thank You” to the town of Pine Grove, PA for opening the town to all the racers and spectators for this event. From the great hospitality at O’Neals Pub to the helping hands from the local residents. Shannon wasn’t quite ready to prerun in the mud, but the guys from 4wheel Drive Hardware, Jamie Paine, James Blackburn and Bryan Hart asked if I would like to hop in their Cherokee to prerun the course. He said they had a blast! Although the outcome wasn’t what Shannon was looking for he did however have a great time. Qualifying took place out at the Rausch Creek OHV Park where 20 of the racers along with Shannon would be trying for a 1st place start position.
May 27, 2011 - Rausch Creek | The unlimited 4 wheel-drive class known as Ultra4s made their way to Pine Grove, Pennsylvania last week for the 3rd stop in the 2011 Ultra4 Series. “This aint no desert race” was the tagline used to promote the 4WD Hardware Rausch Creek Qualifier presented by ATX Wheels, and they were not kidding. From torrential downpours, to a tree-laden course filled with slippery mud slopes, the Ultra4 drivers were constantly reminded that they weren’t in the desert anymore. The course spared no one, including this year’s King of the Hammers, Shannon Campbell. By the end of the day, only a third of the drivers successfully completed all 5 laps.
May 11, 2011 - Reno, NV | Roger Norman took the Pro Modified Win in the Torchmate Racing Pro Mod #8 rock crawler at only his second appearance in the W.E. Rock Western Pro Nationals. “I felt better having the one competition under my belt,” said successful Trophy-Truck racer Roger Norman. “I came knowing this was one of the hardest sets of courses, and we just went methodically through the process of accomplishing each for the overall win.”
May 16, 2011 - Simi Valley, CA | At the Best in the Desert Silver State 300 this year a weekend jeeper qualified for the 2012 King of the Hammers (KOH). With no prior desert racing experience, Ultra4 driver Richie Carter took his Race Prep Racing #4474 car 303 miles in just under 8 hours, scooping up the 5th and final qualifying spot given in this race. In an instant the team, led by Richie as owner and mechanic as well as driver, became a force to take note of in the Ultra4 class.
Reno, NV - 5.13.11 | Torchmate Racing Ken Blume and Rusty Bray will compete in this weekends W.E. Rock Eastern Pro Series National event in Dayton, TN. The opening round for the Eastern Series, both Ken Blume and Rusty Bray will be focused on winning the Pro Mod class and setting the stage for the rest of the season.
Ken Blume has been competing at the highest levels of professional rock crawling competition for the last decade under the banner of Rock Rod Racing. While Rock Rod Racing has dabbled in the go fast stuff with numerous top finishes in short course rock/woods events, their core emphasis has been on the competitive side of rock crawling events across the nation. Strong consistent performances over the years helped Blume win two series championships in the punishing and competitive W.E. Rock series. “Our current Pro Mod race Jeep has 4 seasons and multiple series championships under its belt. It’s time for some freshening of the car and having the Torchmate CNC plasma cutting system on hand will enable faster design, cutting and fabrication and allow some design elements previously not considered,” said Ken Blume. “We are proud to be associated with Torchmate racing and look forward to being a part of their team.”
May 6, 2011 | From grocery-getting Expeditions to monstrous blue-tubed buggies, it was hard to miss the unlimited 4-wheel drive class known as Ultra4 at last weekend’s Best in the Desert Silver State 300. The Ultra4 class, identifiable by their 4400 numbers, proved once again that they can hold their own in the desert: They were both the largest class at the start line and the largest class to cross the finish line at Saturday’s 300 mile high-speed race through Nevada’s scenic back country. The drivers had weather on their side as cool temperatures kept overheating issues at bay and windy conditions made passing easier on a course that is already known to be a smooth, fast course well suited for many of the Ultra4 cars.
LAS VEGAS, NV 5.6.11 | The Silver State 300 is a 303 mile loop in the most desolate areas of southern Nevada. It’s one of the best off-road adventures to be had in the US and encompasses sandy washes, scenic canyons, blinding silt, and high speed roads. After a tough finish last year with chassis damage and a fire, Roger Lovell was back with the #4432 AMSOIL Ranger to try his luck.
When we thought of an area that would best challenge the Jeep® Wrangler JK and it's drivers, one area in particular came to mind, which happened to coincide with the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab Utah. That area is known as upper Helldorado in Area BFE.
Not knowing how many willing participants would want to take their JK through this abusive world renowned trail, founder and co-owner of the JK Experience, Mel Wade of Off Road Evolution, thought upper Helldorado would be a good inaugural location. This trail would definitely determine the who's who in terms of drivers and after market parts manufactures willing to put their JK through such a menacing trail.
Moab, Utah - APRIL 21, 2011 | The off-road power is in the hands of the people with BFGoodrich® Tires’ 2011 Outstanding Trails program. Three trails will be selected in 2011 –BFGoodrich Tires, in conjunction with Tread Lightly! ® and United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA), have chosen the Interlake Trail 19 located in Lynnville, Ind., and Morrison Jeep Trail in Shoshone National Forest, Wyo., to be 2011 Outstanding Trails -- and now, for the first time ever, off-road enthusiasts will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite BFGoodrich-nominated off-road trail to be the third.
RENO, NV APRIL 20, 2011 | Bower Motorsports Media is getting down and dirty in Moab, Utah this weekend for the annual Easter Jeep Safari. Check out the latest from Bower Media as they hit the trail with Crawl Magazine, WARN Winch and more!!
Charlene Bower takes you on the most coveted trail rides with friends, families and industry leaders! Don't miss out on the latest Easter Jeep Safari happenings with Bower Media all week long!
Reno, NV - April 14, 2011 | Torchmate Racing had drivers at every aspect of the country last weekend. In Texas, Brad Lovell made history taking the Overall Win at the BRT Blackwelll 250 Desert Race in an Ultra4 car. Rock Crawler Jesse Haines took the Unlimited Class win at the Cal-Neva Extreme event in Reno, NV successfully completing every bonus line. In Alaska, Torchmate Racing Tyler Thomas and Matt Shrive raced in the 2011 Arctic Man where their hopes of leaving with the win got cut short when Shrive crashed at speeds over 50mph on his snowboard.
Blackwell, TX - APRIL 14, 2011 | History was made at the finish line of the Blackwell 250 when, for the first time ever, an Ultra 4 racer took an overall desert win. The #232 AMSOIL Ranger fought dust and traffic all day after starting at the back of the 4400 class to come out on top.
The inaugural Blackwell 250 is part of the BRT racing series and was held on the Texana Ranch near Blackwell, TX. The enormous ranch hosted a 42-mile loop packed with plenty of rough sections, jumps, banked turns, and dust. The ranch may be more akin the wilds of the African savanna than the deserts of Baja as zebras, gazelles, and other exotic creatures roamed the course on race day. In any case, the combination of influences gives the ranch, race, and series its own unique foothold in off-road racing.
RENO, NV APRIL 7, 2011 | Roger Norman decided to compete in another discipline of racing this year: Rock Crawling. In his rookie appearance at the W.E. Rock West Tucson, AZ event he challenged himself and finished on the podium in his Torchmate Racing Pro Mod #8 rock crawler. “Rock crawling is tougher than it looks,” exclaimed successful Trophy Truck racer Roger Norman. “There is actually a ton of strategy and teamwork involved.”
The whole experience was different than anything Norman had participated in before. The spotter was outside the car giving directions via Bluetooth headsets. There are many controls not found in a trophy truck including a transfer case for controlling front wheel and rear wheel drive, front and rear air lockers and cutting brakes. The front and rear winches are not for pulling you out of a bad situation, but rather connected to axle housings used for sucking in the suspension to account for different angles. The BFGoodrich Krawlers had amazing traction, strength and stability on the man made course.
April 6, 2011 – JOHNSON VALLEY, CA: The first official trailer has been released for the 2011 King of The Hammers movie. "Valley of the Kings" is the title for this much anticipated 4th installment of the King of the Hammers DVDs. The film is being produced by Hammerking Productions and created by Heavy Metal Concepts. Fans of the movies will notice that “Valley of the Kings” has more of a cinematic feel as this movie is being created by up-and-coming filmmaker/videographer Will Gentile of Heavy Metal Concepts. Will has created several full length videos in the past including the 2009 and 2010 Rausch Creek Qualifying videos, "Road to the Throne" and "Quest for Glory."
April 5, 2011 (Clermont-Ferrand, France)– Nicole Johnson is announced today as Guest of Honor at France’s premier off roading event, the Chambon Sur Jeep 2011, to be held in Clermont-Ferrand April 29 through May 1. Nicole will be performing demonstrations of off roading techniques, attending special events, and working with local organizers to increase dialog between French and US off roaders.
“Wheeling is in my blood,” says Nicole, “and I have seen lots of trails. But France is different. This is an incredible opportunity to drive in one of the most beautiful places on earth. The Chambon Sur Jeep event is well known, and I am excited to be their Guest of Honor. I wouldn’t miss it for the world!”
On the weekend of April 29, 30 and May 1, French Jeepers will converge on the central mountains of France near Clermont-Ferrand to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Chambon Sur Jeep festival, and the 70th anniversary of the Jeep itself. Jeeps landed on the shores of Normandy in 1944, and were a major force in restoring Europe’s freedom during World War II. Over fifteen thousand of those Jeeps were then inherited by the French army, many of whom are owned by private collectors, who insist they are the most capable off road vehicles ever built.
RENO, NV MARCH 31, 2011 Torchmate Racing will be in full force at the opening round of the W.E. Rock Nationals this weekend in Tucson, AZ with Jesse Haines competing in the Unlimited Class and Roger Norman competing in the ProMod Class. Also on the track this weekend will be Torchmate Racing Rusty Bray at the TREC series and five-year-old Gwen Garwood in a Sprint Kid Kart.
Jesse Haines bought his winning Unlimited Class buggy back and is excited to be competing in the Unlimited Class this year. “Not many people know, but I sold my Pro Mod and will be running the Unlimited Class again,” said Haines. JT Taylor will be spotting for Haines. He has won an astounding twelve rock crawling competitions from Pennsylvania to California, a series championship, and had dozens of podium finishes. Between competitions, Haines has built numerous championship-winning vehicles for both himself and other competitors.
DANVILLE, CA MARCH 7, 2011 Jason Scherer released his normally polite and respectful personality for the possessed man that races the number 76 car and accomplished his second podium finish at the 2011 Griffin King of the Hammers. Scherer started 36th out of 100 competitors with his brother Casey co-driving. It was not long before the duo was passing the competition and out front, just as Scherer has done the past two years.
“We were the first out of the Main Pit for the third year in a row,” Jason explained. “The 20-member Trail Master crew was waiting there for us, but they hardly needed to get their Ironclad gloves dirty when we came in.” The pit crew confirmed that Jason and Casey were leading the race and they departed as if shot from a cannon, with the Fox Racing Shox and Daystar bushings keeping Scherer’s 39” BFGoodrich KRT tires planted on the ground. Their luck took a turn for the worse on Backdoor, where the pair lost 10 minutes time when they decided to be conservative and winch up the six-foot tall vertical waterfall on the trail. “I should have trusted my instincts and just drove it!” the good-natured Scherer reflected after the race.
Shannon Campbell becomes the only driver in KOH history to take the champion title more than once—he earned his first title in 2008
Watsonville, CA (PRWEB) March 3, 2011 – FOX Racing Shox sponsored rock racer, Shannon Campbell, wins his second King of the Hammers, becoming the only driver to win the race more than once since its inception four years ago. Campbell charged through the treacherous Mojave Desert, overcoming obstacles that stopped other drivers dead in their tracks, to take the crown with an impressive 31-minute lead over the rest of the pack.
Shannon Campbell shook his head in disbelief, smiling and said, “It’s good to be The King once again. You really cannot believe the beating these shocks take during a race. I could not have done it without FOX Racing Shox's superior suspension technology and factory race support."