The annual Optima King of the Hammers presented by Ford Performance transforms Johnson Valley, California into a massive off-road racing spectacle, drawing thousands of enthusiasts from around the globe to the legendary "Hammertown."

2025 Event Schedule Breakdown:

Weekend One (Jan 31 - Feb 2):

• Friday: Prerunning opens and limited class qualifying
• Saturday: Limited classes race the 64.9-mile "Red Lap" course; features UTV open category with Dakar Rally winner Brock Heger
• Sunday: Unlimited desert categories compete, including Trophy-Trucks and Class 1 vehicles

Mid-Week Events (Feb 3-5):

• Intensive qualifying sessions for specialized KOH machines
• Youth class racing on Hammertown's short course
• Combined desert and rock racing disciplines

Main Events (Feb 6-8):

• Thursday: Can-Am UTV Hammers Championship
• Friday: Yokohama Tire Every Man Challenge featuring production-based machines
• Saturday: Race of Kings finale with Class 4400 unlimited machines

Notable Competitors:

• Trophy-Truck Division: Luke McMillin, Cameron Steele, Ryan Arciero
• UTV Category: Wayne and Kristen Matlock, CJ Greaves, Doug Mittag
• Defending King: JP Gomez facing 85 competitors including former winners

Live Coverage: All events stream live on the official King of the Hammers YouTube channel, with next-day highlight shows on MAVTV.

The week-long event combines various off-road disciplines, from high-speed desert racing to technical rock crawling, making it one of motorsport's most diverse and challenging competitions.

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