I will not be headed back to Cali this year for King of the Hammers 2022, race fans.
Fresh off a trip to my couch to watch the opening rounds of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross series, I will tune into the “Burning Man of Off-Road Racing” at my in-home desk (don’t tell HR). Thank goodness for dual screens.
Let’s take a look at what King of the Hammers 2022 has in store.
Flooding Into the Lakebed
Each year, thousands of hardcore spectators and more than 400 competitors flood Johnson Valley, Calif., to create the city affectionately known as “Hammertown.”
King of the Hammers includes racing throughout the week, with the Mack Daddy of them all, the Nitto King of the Hammers, taking place Friday, Feb. 5.
The event was conceived by a pair of racers in search of bragging rights and a case of beer. Get all the details here. It combines desert racing and rockcrawling throughout 200 miles of grueling trails. It’s no wonder that nearly 80,000 people normally flood this otherwise deserted valley to witness all the havoc.
King of the Hammers 2022 Event Schedule
*Sunday, Jan. 30 was the first race of the week with the Toyo Desert Challenge presented by Monster. Out on the course, Team AMSOIL racer Bryce Menzies competed in his AWD T1 truck. Bryce dominated this race the last two years, winning both times, but this year he ran into problems on the course that damaged his truck too badly to continue. Chase Warren claimed the top spot on the podium in 2022.
*Thursday, Feb. 3 is the Can-Am* UTV Hammers Championship. Keep an eye out for two AMSOIL racers in this one. Bryce Menzies will be back to compete in his Polaris* RZR,* and new to the AMSOIL family but not new to KOH, is 2021 UTV winner Kyle Chaney in his Can-Am.
*Friday, Feb. 4 is the Every Man Challenge. Long-time member of Team AMSOIL Brad Lovell will be competing in his 4600 Bronco.* Brad is no stranger to the EMC race (or the podium at the end). He has won 4 EMCs, the last win being in 2020. Historically Brad and his brother Roger have competed and won in their trusty Ford* Ranger,* but this year Brad will take on the desert in his new 4600 Bronco.
*Saturday, Feb. 5 is the final day at King of the Hammers, ending with the main event, the Nitto Race of Kings.
BFGoodrich Garage
AMSOIL will once again provide lubricants for all BFGoodrich pit locations throughout the race course. BFGoodrich offers complimentary pit support to racers competing exclusively on BFGoodrich tires.
All visitors to Johnson Valley are also encouraged to dispose of their motor oil and gear oil properly at the BFGoodrich garage located just outside Hammertown. The Garage is open to anyone attending the event to work on their vehicles. It also allows space for teams and enthusiasts to work on their vehicles with tools they may not have at their disposal.
Be sure to tune in to our stories as we bring you all the behind-the-scenes action from the lakebed.
Be sure to tune in to the livestream here.
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