FORD BRONCO, KING of the HAMMERS and Ford Performance will compete in the 17th annual King of the Hammers Ultra4 off-road to defend last year’s 1-2-3 podium sweep.
In 2022, specially-prepared Ford Broncos dominated the Every Man Challenge 4600 Stock Class and will be shooting for a win in the 4400 Unlimited Class. Billed as the toughest one-day off-road racing series in America, the 17th annual King of the Hammers, held February 2-11, presents the utmost challenge to showcase state-of-the-art off-road technologies and the Built Wild™ mental fortitude of drivers across a myriad of diverse terrain. The event also serves as the start to the Ultra4 Off-Road Racing season.
“From the Baja 1000 to Best in the Desert, off-road racing is just as much part of Ford’s DNA as track, endurance and rally competition,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “King of the Hammers inspires us to ensure every Bronco delivers the capability, durability and high-speed off-road experience our customers expect on the trail, and it led to Bronco Raptor, the world’s first Ultra4-inspired SUV.”
King of the Hammers consists of 90-mile courses across high-speed desert sands and rock crawling across tricky terrain. It is one of the most extreme off-road competitions in the world. Each year, a pop-up city of 80,000 spectators converges on the barren Johnson Valley to watch the race, with millions more viewing online.
The Every Man Challenge features Bronco 4600s, which start their lives as stock production Bronco SUVs at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant before being modified to race class specifications. Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Loren Healy, Bailey Cole and Jason Scherer, and defending race winners Brad and Roger Lovell all return as driver/co-driver highlights to the entry list.
Scherer and Healy (both three-time overall Hammers champs) as well as Gittin Jr. (2021 Ultra4 4400 champ) will be driving double-duty during the event, also competing in the Race of the Kings in Bronco 4400s, the original unlimited class that helped launch King of the Hammers many years ago.
FORD BRONCO, KING of the HAMMERS 4400 vehicles are all-out custom-built racers, featuring tubular chassis, powerful engines and massive tires. However, production vehicle innovations also come into play, with the Bronco 4400s utilizing Fox’s live valve shock technology also found on the Bronco Raptor.
Several Ford Performance hero vehicles will be on display at the event for fans to see up close, including the 2019 Bronco R race prototype, 2022 Baja 1000-winning Ranger Raptor, three-in-a-row Rebelle Rally-winning Bronco Sport, as well as Bronco DR. Fans can also venture over to the Bronco Nation Basecamp, located right in Hammertown, to visit with fellow Bronco enthusiasts.
Ford’s collaboration with King of the Hammers for the third consecutive year signals its continued presence in the off-road enthusiast realm.
“Having Ford as both our official vehicle and a proven competitor in the Every Man Challenge and Race of Kings is as meaningful to our fans as it is to watch racing,” said David Cole, president, Hammerking Productions/Ultra4 Racing.
In addition to its status as official truck and SUV of the event, Ford also serves as official truck and SUV of SCORE-International Off-Road Racing, which holds the Baja 500, Baja 1000 and San Felipe 250 championships. Ford also serves as official vehicle of Best in the Desert, and is the reigning three-in-a-row champ in the Rebelle Rally X-Cross class with Bronco Sport.
For more information about Ford’s latest Bronco lineup, please visit https://www.ford.com/bronco/
The 2023 King of the Hammers race showcasing FORD BRONCO, KING of the HAMMERS will be live-streamed at https://kingofthehammers.com/live-stream/