Meet the Drivers Who Have Conquered Johnson Valley

In 2007, King of the Hammers was sketched out on a napkin in a bar. What started as a 13-rig trail challenge among friends became the most brutal one-day off-road race on Earth.

Those 12 founding teams (#13 volunteered to be a course marshal so we still count them)  — now known as the OG13 — still receive a race invite every year. And every driver who wins is crowned a King, with a permanent invite to return and defend their title.

Over the past two decades, 20 races have produced just 10 unique champions, all legends in their own right. Here’s the list of drivers who’ve etched their names in rock racing history:

 Kings of KOH – Year by Year

 Two Decades. One Desert. No Forgiveness.

Across 20 years, King of the Hammers has crowned champions, broken legends, and built the off-road culture from the dirt up.

As we enter the 20th anniversary race, the question isn’t just who’s fast.
It’s who’s ready to be remembered.