King Of The Hammers

Aussies tackle the toughest race on the planet, in a milestone year.

- Chris Collard

DURING the early hours, the dust from a week of tyre-to-tyre competition had settled and all was calm on the Southern California desert.

As the sun crested the eastern horizon, racers and support crews made last-minute preparations – checking fluids and GPS systems – and mentally prepared for the day ahead. It is a scene that has played out every February for the past decade and in a few hours teams would slip on race suits, secure their harnesses and begin one of the most punishing off-road events on the planet – the 2017 Nitto Tire King of the Hammers (KOH).

Waiting in a queue of more than 100 rock buggies were Aussies Ben Napier and Pete Antunac, ready to fight to the last piston stroke to bring home the coveted crown and sceptre. They weren’t strangers to Southern California’s Johnson Valley, as both had suited up for KOH in the past but neither had claimed a place on the podium for the Australian flag.

KOH has gained traction as one of the world’s premiere automotive venues, but few understand its humble beginnings. This year marked its 10th anniversary, and in addition to chasing Napier and Antunac around the track, we caught up with KOH cofounder Dave Cole for an inside scoop on the event’s successes and challenges.

THE FIRST DECADE

ONE NIGHT over a couple of stubbies, Dave and friend Jeff Knoll came up with the idea for an off-road race that would demand both supremacy in technical terrain and a mastery of desert racing. They scribbled their thoughts on a napkin and shared the concept with a few friends as a litmus test. A few months later they found themselves in Johnson Valley to test their theory.