FINAL INSTRUCTIONS TO RACERS
Hello racers and teams and welcome to the final preparations for the 2025 OPTIMA King of the Hammers presented by Ford Performance. We have an epic 9 days of racing coming up shortly and we can’t wait to welcome you out to Hammertown in the coming days. We just wrapped up an extremely successful Monster Energy King of the Motos and the inaugural hosting of the Jeremy McGrath Holeshot King and Maxxis King of the Grand Prix. Please travel safe. We have had a cold white morning of dust suppression weather that will make for great racing!
Please keep reading for some key information you need leading into our 4-wheel racing events.
BEN NAPIER
Event Director
PRE-RUNNING
Pre-running commences at 12PM Thursday, January 30th. You must obtain your course GPX file and pre-running flag from PCI Race Radios, located inside Hammertown Vendor Area. You MUST have this flag on your vehicle when you are pre-running – this is essential when travelling on the Marine Corp Base.
Pre-running from Thursday, January 30th to Friday, January 31st will be in a COUNTER-CLOCKWISE direction ONLY for LAP 1 (RED LAP). This means if you are a rock race participant you will need to pre-run backwards for these days. You can pre-run the rock sections of Lap 2 in the correct direction.
All sections of Lap 1 will be CLOSED for pre-running for Saturday, February 1st and Sunday, February 2nd as the Toyo Tires Desert Challenge will be utilizing this course. Rock sections outside of the footprint of the Lap 1 race course can be run at this time.
From Monday, February 3rd onwards all pre-running of Lap 1 will be in a clockwise direction. We will have course staff out on track re marking the course during this time.
Pre-running is not pre-racing. This is not a closed course. You can expect large numbers of the public to be recreating, and you must drive with care and caution. Please be safe. Please run a flag.
RACE ENTRY
Before arriving at the lakebed, all pit crew members must purchase a General Admission ticket and a $15 USAC pit crew license. Please note that USAC licenses are not sold onsite at KOH and must be purchased in advance via the USAC link HERE.
Race Entry is still open. It’s not too late to enter. Do not delay. Click HERE for all instructions.
TOYO TIRES DESERT CHALLENGE RACE INFO (INCLUDING 1400/1450 RUSH)
QUALIFYING:
Limited Classes B2, B3 UTV Open and B3 UTV Pro Modified will be qualifying Friday, January 31st. Teams need to be in line for Tech Inspection at 7:30AM. Following Tech Inspection, you will go straight to staging for Qualifying so be ready to race with all your gear. You will be staged for a 9:30AM Driver’s meeting on the short course followed by a 10AM qualifying start. We aim to finish qualifying by 1pm to allow you time to continue pre-running in the afternoon if you desire.
All other remaining Limited classes (including B3 UTV Pro Stock Turbo, B3 Pro Stock NA and any T4, B4’s + 1400/1450 Rush) will NOT be qualifying. This is to allow us to give you significantly more race distance which I’m sure you will all enjoy.
All Unlimited Classes will qualify at 8am Saturday, February 1st, with staging required at 7am SHARP.
Qualifying is not compulsory and does not count towards race time. Any competitors electing not to qualify must inform Race Control and will be started by random drawer order behind every competitor that completes qualifying.
Start orders for qualifying entrants will be based on qualifying time fastest to slowest regardless of class. Any classes not qualifying will be by random draw and in class groups.
TECH INSPECTION:
- All entrants must undertake Tech Inspection on Friday, January 31st.
- As above B2, B3 UTV Open and B3 UTV Pro must line up at 7:30AM.
- B3 UTV Pro Stock Turbo, B3 Pro Stock NA, T4 and B4’s must line up at 10AM
- 1400/1450 must line up at 1PM.
- All Unlimited Racers (T1, T2 and B1) must line up at 2PM.
- Enter Tech through Hammertown Gate 3.
RACE DISTANCE:
Limited Race:
- 1450 / 1400 Rush will race 1 lap of the 65 mile course. There are pits available at 13 Miles (Remote).
- T4 and B4 will race 3 laps of the 65 mile course = 195 miles. There are pits at 13 (Remote), 65 (Main), 78 (Remote), 130 (Main) and 143 (Remote).
- B3 and T3 will race 4 laps of the 65 mile course = 260 mile total distance. There are pits at 13 (Remote), 65 (Main), 78 (Remote), 130 (Main) and 143 (Remote), 195 (Main) and 208 (Remote).
Unlimited Race:
- All competitors will race 5 laps of the 65 mile course = 325 mile total distance.
- There are pits at 13 (Remote), 65 (Main), 78 (Remote), 130 (Main) and 143 (Remote), 195 (Main), 208 (Remote), 260 Main and 273 Remote.
TIMES:
Limited Race will start at 10am Saturday, February 1st with 2 vehicles every 30 seconds. Racers will until 3:30pm plus adjusted start time to complete the course (everyone has 5hours 30 minutes). The start finish will close for last lap at 3pm.
The Unlimited Race will start 9am Sunday, February 2nd and races will have until 3pm plus adjusted time to finish. Last lap closure will be at 2pm.
More information will be given at the compulsory drivers meeting on Friday, January 31st at 7pm, held at the Hammertown Firepit.
PRP CLASS 11 SHOWDOWN PRESENTED BY EMPI RACE INFO
- Schedule Change – As announced in our Pre Show, the Class 11 Showdown will now be Saturday, February 1st. Get ready to race and then party the night away.
- Tech and Contingency will start at 1pm in Hammertown. The race will start at 4pm. Laps are 7 miles each using the same course as the Desert Challenge Qualifying (counter clockwise) round the mountain.
- We will race for 35 minutes PLUS one lap.
- There will be a pit available in Hammertown if you require it each lap.
- You can pre-run the lap on Thursday afternoon or Friday afternoon after Limited Qualifying. You will not be able to pre-run on Saturday while the Desert Challenge is running.
CAN-AM UTV HAMMERS CHAMPIONSHIP, YOKOHAMA EVERY MAN CHALLENGE, AND RACE OF KINGS RACE INFO
PRE-RUNNING:
As above, please note that until after the completion of the Desert Challenge all pre-running of the 1st (RED) lap is to be counter clockwise. From Monday, February 3rd, we will remark the course and pre running can be done in race course direction – clockwise.
GPS TRACK NOTES:
- GPS download will be available from PCI Race Radios from 12pm Thursday, January 30th.
- VCPs on Lap 1 are all centered on the course. Run the line, pre run smart and you will hit the VCPs.
- In Lap 2 and Lap 3 (Race of Kings Only), you will see on the map file that some of the Rock VCPs are offset from the race track. You must ensure you pass within 50 feet of these VCPs. They are in specific locations to prevent you driving access roads on the side of rock trails. They are not errors. If you do not drive in the rocks, you will not achieve the VCP and will be penalized. USAC will issue a special bulletin regarding this in advance of the race. It will be covered in detail at the drivers meeting. We will also cover a number of specific rock instructions at drivers meetings so do not miss it.
Stay tuned for information on the release of Lap 3 (Blue) for Race of Kings.
QUALIFYING:
If you have not nominated to qualify and wish to do so please contact us urgently to be included in a qualifying group. Stay tuned for pre running times on the qualifying course.