Celebrating 19 years of incredible off-road racing, King of the Hammers, or KOH for short, roared back to Johnson Valley, California, earlier this year. Often referred to as “the world’s hardest single-day off-road race,” KOH continues to grow and morph as it entertains thousands of thousands of race fans.
A yearly tradition, KOH has become an off-roading paradise for racers and enthusiasts alike. Taking place on Means Dry Lake, the southernmost entrance to the Johnson Valley off-highway vehicle (OHV) area, the KOH venue features big boulders, dry lake beds, rolling hills, steep mountains, silt-ridden areas and everything in between. Elevations range from 4,600 ft. at Hartwell Hills to 2,300 ft. at Melville Dry Lake. Meanwhile, what usually is a dusty, open lakebed transforms into “Hammertown,” a place where more than 100,000 racers, spectators, support staff and vendors congregate during the multi-week event.
Today’s off-roading extravaganza is a far cry from its humble beginnings. When first conceived, KOH was a simple idea sketched on a napkin by founders Dave Cole and Jeff Knoll. It started with just 13 drivers—known as the "OG 13." The core group started competing against each other to see who could conquer the area’s toughest trails, referred to as the Hammers, the fastest.
According to Rory Connell, the sales and marketing manager for Hammerking Productions Inc. and KOH, the competition has grown exponentially ever since. It now has more than 700 drivers competing across multiple classes beyond the legendary 4400 Unlimited "Race of Kings." Stock vehicle classes are attracting major OEM manufacturers like Ford, while Every Man Challenge has made competitive racing more accessible to grassroots groups. Women and men alike vie for class wins or overall titles. In short, KOH has evolved into one of the world's premier off-road racing events—but how exactly did it gain this stature so rapidly?
CHALLENGE, CAMARADERIE AND EVOLUTION
Perhaps the answer can be found in KOH’s mix of challenge, camaraderie and evolution—all qualities from the event’s outset that continue today. “New UTV classes have not only boosted driver participation,” Connell points out, “but strengthened the vendor show and expanded the event’s consumer base.” For him, it's exciting to see powersports manufacturers, like Can-Am, building vehicles and formulating factory-supported race teams specifically for KOH classes. Connell started as a vendor in 2014, became a volunteer as well as a vendor in 2018, and started his current role in 2023.
Connell spent his career in the automotive aftermarket. “The majority of this time has been in the off-road market, but I did come from the custom-car/hot-rod side of the industry originally.”
Johnson Valley has been Connell’s consummate local off-roading spot. “All these things combined brought me to KOH along with many others on our team.”
Since its inception, King of the Hammers has been owned and operated by Dave Cole. He founded Hammerking Productions Inc. and has always been its principal shareholder. Hammerking Productions Inc. is made up of multiple shareholders. Together, Hammerking Productions Inc. owns KOH, Ultra4 and all related intellectual property.
“What initially drew me to KOH was that’s the world’s hardest one-day off-road race,” Amber Slawson said, a welder, talented off-road racer and rock crawler. “The challenge itself is what drew me. It’s truly the pinnacle of our sport. I’ve always looked for the ‘toughest’ things to accomplish.”
Slawson’s career began when she bought her ’88 Suzuki Samurai and wanted to modify it. She took a welding class at her local community college.
“I saw Jessi Combs in an American Welding Society video,” Slawson said, “and decided to make welding my career.” Combs, of course, was a renowned TV personality on shows like “Xtreme 4×4”, “Mythbusters” and “Overhaulin’,” and a talented welder, fabricator and racer. She earned the name "Queen" of the Hammers, by winning KOH classes in 2014, 2016 and 2018 before she tragically perished while shattering her own land-speed record of 483 mph, beating Kitty O'Neill's 1976 record of 512.7 mph at Oregon’s Alvord Desert.
After sweeping floors and working in industrial welding shops, Slawson realized she needed to get back into the offroad industry. Slawson started at Bomber Fabrication, a small, high-end fabrication shop specializing in building, maintaining and repairing off-road race vehicles, in May of 2021.
“I’ve been attending KOH since 2014. I immediately knew this was the world I had to be a part of,” Slawson stated. “My family and I started out volunteering and have continued to do so.” For Slawson and her family, being behind the scenes is more exciting. “In 2019, Jessi Combs passed away trying to set a world land-speed record. That event is what spurred me to take on racing KOH.”
Slawson started racing her Samurai in 2020 as part of KOH’s 4600 Stock Class for Every Man Challenge. After five years of drastically improving her time, she was just outside of finishing withing her official time allotment.
In 2024, Slawson raced Randy Slawson’s 4800 Legends Class Bomber chassis car in the 4400 unlimited Race of Kings. (He is her boss and now her husband.) After back-to-back race days competing with that car and her Samurai, she nabbed her first official finish in the 4400 Class in 21st place.
This year Slawson again raced the same Bomber rig in the 4800 Legends Class. She was the first female in history to finish in physical first place overall place in the Every Man Challenge. However, after penalties, she earned an official second-place overall finish.
“I’m a firm believer Jessi paved the way for my success,” Slawson stated. “I’ve never felt inferior to any of the other male racers. Combs spent years proving the throttle pedal doesn’t care who’s pushing it, and her 2014 win in the 4700 Spec Class really cemented that.”
“I’m just a girl trying to make it in a guy’s world,” Slawson adds, mentioning how Combs always said, “Be the light you want to see in the world.” That’s stuck with Slawson more than anything.
And in that, Slawson sees the KOH community as open and accepting. “These guys will give me crap, but it all comes down to who can get to the finish line the fastest. Every one of us is willing to help the next one get there.” She says sportsmanship is so heavily ingrained in the Ultra4 community, it’s second-to-none. From the rocks and the nightlife to the friendly atmosphere and the challenge of it all, she says there isn’t another race on earth like KOH.
“Jessi paved the way for so many women in motorsports,” Justin Andrews, the brand manager for Warn Industries and Factor 55, said. “Her presence is still felt all over the lakebed. That opened doors for the next generation, like [KOH racer] Bailey Campbell and Amber Slawson, to charge hard and prove they can race with (and beat) the boys.”
“When Jessi died it was a natural step for Amber to start racing, in her memory,” Dolly Hanna, Amber Slawson’s mother explained. Hanna’s parents, Chuck and Jo Colyer, were in the International Jet Ski Boating Association’s Hall of Fame. “Mom and dad raced into their 70s so Amber experienced family racing as a youngster.” Hanna said KOH brings families and racing enthusiasts together.
“Everyone supported Amber in the pits and during prep,” Hanna said. “I remember being amazed when racers would show up at the other pits with one or two crew members and our guys/gals would adopt them.”
Hanna said KOH is the only event her family will show up for. “Grandma's vacations don't even get the attention KOH gets. The KOH culture is family, friends and community.”
“It’d have been better for Amber to be crowned ‘Queen of the Hammers’ but she made her point,” Hanna stated. “Work hard and be persistent. We’re so proud of her accomplishments.”
HARDCORE PROVING GROUND—AND FESTIVAL
From a vendor perspective, Andrews said it’s about staying connected with the KOH community. “The most hardcore users are out there. It’s proving grounds for our products, supporting racers, the community, and showing the world our gear is ‘Hammers proven.’ If it can survive KOH, it can survive anything.”
Over a decade ago, KOH was relatively small. Now, it’s the center of a full-blown seasonal city in the middle of Johnson Valley, living up to its title as the hardest single-day off-road race in the world. It’s expanded from a one-week event to three weeks of varied activities.
“KOH has done a great job to retain the fans and keep people entertained,” Andrews stated. “From the concert series, food trucks and Overland Area, it’s constantly evolving to make it the most fun time. Hits or misses, I think it’s all good because at the end of the day it betters the experience for vendors and consumers and gets more people interested in the sport.”
Andrews stated KOH has had some challenges. From staff changes, protocol changes and keeping racers safe to coordinating volunteers, and more, he said it’s a lot to handle. “Even from a vendor/sponsor perspective, we went from selling out of the back of a truck in a 10x10-ft. tent to having a full semi.” For him, growth is necessary. He explained you need enough staff to avoid burn-out, time to plan goals while being off-grid for multiple weeks, and ways to improve communication. Andrews said this: The effort everyone puts in is the reward they get out.
Johnson Valley is unlike anywhere else in motorsports. Drivers tackle infamous rock trails like Backdoor, Chocolate Thunder and Outer Limits—plus endless whoops, silt beds, rocks,and high-speed driving. The course changes every year, making it unpredictable, tough and survival-based.
“KOH isn’t just a race; it’s an off-road festival,” Andrews added. “Hammertown becomes a full city, packed with fans, teams and vendors. It’s a mix of hardcore off-road culture, cutting-edge tech and a spectator experience unlike any other. The open pits, camaraderie and sheer energy make it Burning Man meets motorsports.”
“Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the event. We have exciting plans lined up to celebrate this milestone,” Connell stated. “Our focus will remain on driving growth for our domestic and international regional events. Ultra4 USA, Ultra4 Europe, Ultra4 New Zealand and Ultra4 Australia continue to expand. The partners in these series are pushing boundaries alongside us—making us all better in the process.”
Beyond that, the organization is planning to incorporate more cutting-edge technology into their live production. They also remain committed to being responsible stewards of the public lands and the OHV area. “Whether it's reducing our impact on the environment during event production or educating our participants on off-road best practices,” Connell explained, “we understand the responsibility to lead in these areas.”
“I sincerely hope we can be an example of the good the off-road community can do,” Slawson said. “From daily trail clean-ups to spectator education by non-profits like Tread Lightly!, we can make a difference in the way our desert gets treated by its users and preserve land for future generations.”
“Most desert races focus on high-speed sections, while rock crawling is slow and technical,” Andrews stated. “KOH fuses both, forcing teams to build vehicles that dominate both worlds. Hitting 100+ mph in the open desert and then crawling through boulder-strewn canyons sets KOH apart. He believes the race will get even harder. The cars will get even better and faster. More winching. More miles and more laps. “Maybe even changes to how points and awards are structured. Expect stricter tracking and course marking,” Andrews suggested. “KOH should be revered like F1. The tech and difficulty are like nothing else on earth.”
For Connell, as the event grows, they’re seeing new demographics arriving at the lakebed. They’re striving to accommodate them. “We stay on top of emerging trends and do our best to create spaces and activations for new segments.” They introduced the Overland Experience in 2019 to cater to off-the-grid participants. It’s been steadily growing ever since, with increased vendor and participant engagement each year. Additionally, they’ve added free public Wi-Fi at all major spectator areas—a significant achievement. They’ve also built an RC rock-crawler course and joined forces with simulator software developers to give fans the opportunity to drive the track virtually.
For aftermarket companies seeking to build their brand and leverage the competition’s many events, Connell said KOH has recently hosted media from traditional and non-traditional outlets, beyond their usual scope. “While all of these outlets reach our core demographics in terms of age and gender, their content is often vastly different from what we produce.” In other words, there are plenty of opportunities to connect with the right audience—people who fit a target profile but may not yet be familiar with your brand.
Connell added that it’s essential for brands to have a presence at major events like King of the Hammers or SEMA. “That means more than just showing up—it means investing in a booth and making sure people know you’re there.” As a promoter, Connell mentioned having vendors post they’ll be at an event is more authentic than promoters doing.
While there, brands should also create evergreen content. “Events offer rare opportunities in front of new audiences to capture genuine reactions.” Connell said to make the most of it, brands only get a few chances a year to create content, but that content can continue working for them long after an event is over.
“From a manufacturer’s perspective,” Andrews explained, “event organizers can expand their audience and generate more business by focusing on engagement, inclusivity and ROI-driven opportunities for vendors and sponsors. They can expand social-media presence and digital reach and diversify to attract a wider demographic. In addition to booth spaces, Andrews said giving vendors live demo slots, Q&A panels or the chance to sponsor a key event aspect helps, too. He also mentioned incentivizing on-site sales, improving vendor logistics and tracking/reporting ROI for sponsors.
PROMOTING INNOVATION, SHARING PASSION
KOH seems to have a magic formula, despite any growing pains. As it turns 20 in the coming year, “it’s about passion,” Connell said. “Whether it’s the race teams or spectators, those involved in the [KOH] off-road recreation are deeply passionate about their hobby.”
KOH drives vehicle innovation and pushes competitors harder than other races they may compete in, creating a unique level of intensity. “The event also fostered entire market segments within the off-road industry because of this,” Connell exclaimed. “Another key benefit is KOH’s accessibility. While people travel from all over the globe, the majority of attendees can reach the event with relative ease, as we’re located just outside major markets in California, Arizona and Nevada.”
“There is just simply nothing better than pushing yourself and your vehicle to its limits and doing it with 100,000 of your best friends,” Andrews said. “It’s sharing parts, beers and stories. It’s King of the Hammers.”
“Every person on the lakebed [at KOH] has equal amounts of crazy running through their veins,” Slawson said. “The dust and dirt creeps into every fiber of our being and leaves a permanent scar. It’s an itch that can’t be scratched until another 365 days pass and we’re back together again.”