Pellegrino Wins 2nd at 2014 Griffin King of The Hammers Presented by Nitto Tire

JOHNSON VALLEY, CA. (Feb. 7, 2014) – Driver Tony Pellegrino and his co-driver Bryan Lyttle piloted the GenRight / Falken #4485 Ultra4 race car back on the podium again! At the eighth running of the grueling Griffin King of the Hammers (aka: KOH), presented by Nitto tire off-road race in a remote section of the Southern California’s high desert.
KOH is the toughest single day off-road race where this year 158 of the top drivers from around the world attempt to tackle the 198 mile race course filled with rocks, bumps, sand washes and hill climbs.
Starting from the 38th position, Tony and Bryan had their work cut out for them to get to the front of the pack.  The strategy was simple, keep the car together and keep moving!  After the green flag dropped, Tony and Bryan were able to make quick work of moving through the field of talented drivers! By the end of the first quarter the team had already moved into  7th place and would continue to battle their way to the front.
Keeping the car together is exactly what they did!  The car only pitted for scheduled fuel stops and were able to run in the front of the pack for a majority of the day.  When the checkered flag dropped at the finish 8 hours 18 minutes later Tony and Bryan crossed the finish line in 2nd place only 15 minutes behind the winner, Loren Healy and over 5 minutes ahead of third place. This year’s course was so tough that only 32 drivers were able to finish the race.
“The car ran flawlessly all day long, our new 38″ Falken M/T Tires on Walker Evans Wheels made the perfect combination to keep the traction on the rocks and through the desert” stated Tony.  The GenRight Ultra4 chassis with the King coil over shocks made even the deepest of whoops or largest of boulders easy work for the GenRight team on race day.
The GenRight / Falken Unlimited class pro racer features a hand built 427 cubic inch Chevy LS based engine boasting over 600 horsepower and 600 foot pounds of torque that is coupled to a Rancho Driveline Turbo 400 transmission that gets the power to the ground through an Atlas Transfer case and a set of Currie Rock Jock 70 axles.   This was the perfect combination for power through the rocks and staying ahead of the competition.
This second place finish would not have been possible without the support and dedication of Crew Chief, Darren Ruzicka and the entire team.  The GenRight team members got them in and out of the pit stops quickly, and seamlessly giving them the advantage to stay ahead of the pack on race day.
Sponsors of the 4485 Unlimited Pro Class race car include: GenRight Off-Road, Falken Tires, King Racing Shocks, Walker Evans Racing wheels, Currie Racing axles, Torco Racing lubricants, JE Reel Drivelines, WARN winches, RCV shafts, Advanced Adaptors, The Brake Man brakes, Howe power steering, PRP seats, Comp Cams, DEI, Simpson Safety, Rugged Radios, Holley EFI, Optima Battery, VisionX lights, Yukon gears, FK Rod Ends, ARP Fastners, Cometic Gaskets, Darton Sleeves, R2C Filters, ARB Lockers, Master Pull winch rope, HPS Silicone Hoses, Griffin Radiators and Dynomax Exhaust.
GenRight Off-Road is proud to be the Official Suspension of the King of the Hammers and Ultra 4 Series for the 5th year in a row.
This is Tony’s fifth year competing in the #4485 race car. Previous Ultra4 Racing accomplishments include:
14th Place in 2010 KOH
2nd Place in 2011 KOH
3rd Place in 2011 Silver State 300