Latest news with #KOH
Associated Press
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
BROCK HEGER AND RZR FACTORY RACING DETHRONE THE COMPETITION WITH DOMINANT OVERALL WIN AT KING OF THE HAMMERS UTV HAMMERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Heger Makes History Securing the Ultimate Off-Road Racing Triple Crown with Wins at the 2024 Baja 1000, 2025 Dakar Rally, and Both King of the Hammers Desert Challenge and UTV Hammers Championship MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday in the Johnson Valley desert, RZR Factory Racing's Brock Heger didn't just win the King of the Hammers (KOH) UTV Hammers Championship—he dominated. Fresh off his wire-to-wire victory at the Desert Challenge less than a week prior, Heger was in a league of his own behind the wheel of his rock-ready RZR Pro R Factory, securing the overall win as the only driver to finish in under four hours while crossing the line an astonishing 26 minutes ahead of the next physical competitor. By continuing his relentless winning streak, Heger secured the ultimate off-road Triple Crown, a feat no other driver has achieved, by adding this latest triumph to his historic wins at the 2024 Baja 1000 and 2025 Dakar Rally. Once again, Heger has made one thing clear—when it comes to the toughest challenges in off-road racing, no one does it better than Polaris. Heger started the race from the second line after qualifying third, and once the green flag waved, it was clear that this would be another commanding performance. Much like his earlier Desert Challenge victory, Heger quickly surged into the lead and never looked back. Setting a blistering pace from the start, he had already stretched out a nearly 2-minute lead by mile 50. Heger's strategy was clear: get out front in the desert portion of the race to position himself perfectly for the intense rock sections ahead, and he executed it flawlessly. There were only two brief moments where he encountered slight hang-ups in the rock section, but after his co-driver quickly assessed the situation, Brock chose not to use his winch. Instead, he relied on his skill and experience to overcome the obstacles and get back on track, losing minimal time in the process. Once clear, Heger drove easily uncontested to the finish line. Throughout the entirety of the 3-hour and 57-minute race, Heger's RZR Pro R Factory withstood everything the challenging KOH course threw at it, showcasing the true strength and durability of the platform. In fact, unlike his competition, Heger was able to save valuable time by not pitting for fuel throughout the entire race, thanks to the RZR Pro R Factory's 130L fuel cell. 'I'm stoked to come away with another win and to put Polaris back on top, especially during this UTV Hammers event,' said Heger. 'This was the hardest King of the Hammers I've done, but it was so much fun. My RZR Pro R Factory performed flawlessly all day, and overall, our day went very smoothly. I almost used the winch a couple of times, but it was taking too long, so I just sent it and it worked out. I can't thank the entire Polaris team enough. We have so many great people behind us, and it truly takes a team effort to make something like this happen.' 'What another incredible performance by Brock,' said Alex Scheuerell, RZR Factory Racing Technical Director. 'Over the past few months, Brock has solidified himself as a legendary name in off-road racing. To watch him dominate at the King of the Hammers UTV Hammers Championship, is truly exciting, especially for someone so young and talented. The Gen 1 RZR Pro R Factory that Brock drove has been specially modified and reinforced to tackle today's rock course, and it's clear that the vehicle continues to be unmatched. Brock's racing expertise and his ability to adapt to the most challenging terrains, combined with the unbeatable performance of the Pro R Factory, is what makes him a force to be reckoned with.' Heger and the rest of the RZR Factory Racing team will be back in action in one month at the Mint 400 in Las Vegas, NV, March 5-9, 2025. For more information on the RZR Pro R Factory, which was recently released for purchase, please visit To learn more about Polaris Off Road and RZR products, please visit or join the conversation and follow on Facebook sm, Instagram sm, YouTube sm and X sm. About Polaris As the global leader in powersports, Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) pioneers product breakthroughs and enriching experiences and services that have invited people to discover the joy of being outdoors since our founding in 1954. Polaris' high-quality product line-up includes the RANGER, RZR and Polaris XPEDITION and GENERAL side-by-side off-road vehicles; Sportsman all-terrain off-road vehicles; military and commercial off-road vehicles; snowmobiles; Indian Motorcycle mid-size and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot moto-roadsters; Aixam quadricycles; Goupil electric vehicles; and pontoon and deck boats, including industry-leading Bennington pontoons. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a robust portfolio of parts, garments, and accessories. Headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves nearly 100 countries across the globe.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
BROCK HEGER AND RZR FACTORY RACING DETHRONE THE COMPETITION WITH DOMINANT OVERALL WIN AT KING OF THE HAMMERS UTV HAMMERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Heger Makes History Securing the Ultimate Off-Road Racing Triple Crown with Wins at the 2024 Baja 1000, 2025 Dakar Rally, and Both King of the Hammers Desert Challenge and UTV Hammers Championship MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday in the Johnson Valley desert, RZR Factory Racing's Brock Heger didn't just win the King of the Hammers (KOH) UTV Hammers Championship—he dominated. Fresh off his wire-to-wire victory at the Desert Challenge less than a week prior, Heger was in a league of his own behind the wheel of his rock-ready RZR Pro R Factory, securing the overall win as the only driver to finish in under four hours while crossing the line an astonishing 26 minutes ahead of the next physical competitor. By continuing his relentless winning streak, Heger secured the ultimate off-road Triple Crown, a feat no other driver has achieved, by adding this latest triumph to his historic wins at the 2024 Baja 1000 and 2025 Dakar Rally. Once again, Heger has made one thing clear—when it comes to the toughest challenges in off-road racing, no one does it better than Polaris. Heger started the race from the second line after qualifying third, and once the green flag waved, it was clear that this would be another commanding performance. Much like his earlier Desert Challenge victory, Heger quickly surged into the lead and never looked back. Setting a blistering pace from the start, he had already stretched out a nearly 2-minute lead by mile 50. Heger's strategy was clear: get out front in the desert portion of the race to position himself perfectly for the intense rock sections ahead, and he executed it flawlessly. There were only two brief moments where he encountered slight hang-ups in the rock section, but after his co-driver quickly assessed the situation, Brock chose not to use his winch. Instead, he relied on his skill and experience to overcome the obstacles and get back on track, losing minimal time in the process. Once clear, Heger drove easily uncontested to the finish line. Throughout the entirety of the 3-hour and 57-minute race, Heger's RZR Pro R Factory withstood everything the challenging KOH course threw at it, showcasing the true strength and durability of the platform. In fact, unlike his competition, Heger was able to save valuable time by not pitting for fuel throughout the entire race, thanks to the RZR Pro R Factory's 130L fuel cell. "I'm stoked to come away with another win and to put Polaris back on top, especially during this UTV Hammers event," said Heger. "This was the hardest King of the Hammers I've done, but it was so much fun. My RZR Pro R Factory performed flawlessly all day, and overall, our day went very smoothly. I almost used the winch a couple of times, but it was taking too long, so I just sent it and it worked out. I can't thank the entire Polaris team enough. We have so many great people behind us, and it truly takes a team effort to make something like this happen." "What another incredible performance by Brock," said Alex Scheuerell, RZR Factory Racing Technical Director. "Over the past few months, Brock has solidified himself as a legendary name in off-road racing. To watch him dominate at the King of the Hammers UTV Hammers Championship, is truly exciting, especially for someone so young and talented. The Gen 1 RZR Pro R Factory that Brock drove has been specially modified and reinforced to tackle today's rock course, and it's clear that the vehicle continues to be unmatched. Brock's racing expertise and his ability to adapt to the most challenging terrains, combined with the unbeatable performance of the Pro R Factory, is what makes him a force to be reckoned with." Heger and the rest of the RZR Factory Racing team will be back in action in one month at the Mint 400 in Las Vegas, NV, March 5-9, 2025. For more information on the RZR Pro R Factory, which was recently released for purchase, please visit To learn more about Polaris Off Road and RZR products, please visit or join the conversation and follow on Facebooksm, Instagramsm, YouTubesm and Xsm. About Polaris As the global leader in powersports, Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) pioneers product breakthroughs and enriching experiences and services that have invited people to discover the joy of being outdoors since our founding in 1954. Polaris' high-quality product line-up includes the RANGER, RZR and Polaris XPEDITION and GENERAL side-by-side off-road vehicles; Sportsman all-terrain off-road vehicles; military and commercial off-road vehicles; snowmobiles; Indian Motorcycle mid-size and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot moto-roadsters; Aixam quadricycles; Goupil electric vehicles; and pontoon and deck boats, including industry-leading Bennington pontoons. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a robust portfolio of parts, garments, and accessories. Headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves nearly 100 countries across the globe. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Polaris Inc. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
King of the Hammers: Undercards give way to the main events
While the competition at the Optima King of the Hammers presented by Ford Performance has seen its share of agony and victory this week, the next three days of main events are certain to test drivers and machines while entertaining a reportedly record-sized crowd in California's Johnson Valley. Indeed, some of the sport's very best talent will be showcased today in the Can-Am UTV Hammers Championship race. Comprised of six different classes of Polaris, Can-Am and Kawasaki side-by-sides, most of the top names will run in the 4900 Pro Open and Pro Mod categories. The top five in qualifying showed a portent of what's to come as longtime Polaris race Ronnie Anderson edged out perennial UTV favorite Kyle Chaney's Can-Am for pole position by just 0.194s. Just over two second back in third is UTV juggernaut Brock Heger (Polaris, pictured above) in third, then CJ Greaves (Polaris) in fourth and Phil Blurton (Can-Am) in fifth. A total of 100 UTVs will take the green flag. CJ Greaves showed strongly in KOH UTV qualifying. Hammerking productions photo Friday will feature the Yokohama Tire Every Man Challenge race. Created to offer off-road and 4×4 enthusiasts a way to build production-based machines into the sport, three classes that include Ford, Jeep, Dodge, Chevy, Suzuki, Volkswagen, Mahindra and Toyota-based race cars make for a true fan favorite. Paul Wolff took pole for KOH Race of Kings. Hammerking Productions The three weekend KOH extravaganza wrap-up on Saturday with the aptly named Race of Kings. Yesterday the qualifying course proved to separate those looking to push their luck for the Race of Kings all-day endurance test from the front vs those looking to make the show and start from a good position. While all the previous race champions ran at the end of the day for 'Power Hour,' the pace was set early by Paul Wolff in a blazing fast run in his single seat Unlimited car to nab top honors. The two factory Ford Bronco unlimited RTR machines of Loren Healey and Vaughn Gittin Jr. were second and third respectively, followed by the Can-Am UTV of Kyle Chaney and then Bill Mcgibbon. Currently 99 entries are slated for Saturday's KOH finale. As promising as the King of the Hammers main events will be in terms of top-tier competition, the week's completed races have proven to be much more than secondary undercards. There is no doubt that spreading this massive show over one week is great for spectators and racers, and those that took on the challenge brought out their very best no matter the category of racing. Chris Polvoorde mastered both the high- and low-speed challenges of the Hammers Desert Race. Hammerking Productions photo Sunday's Toyo Tires King of the Hammers Desert Race presented by Monster Energy Unlimited race was a points event toward the 2025 Best-In-The-Desert championship. In a dominating repeat of his winning 2024 KOH performance, the No. 94 Optima Ford Unlimited truck of Chris Polvoorde lead from pole to finish after qualifying first. Polvoorde's Mason Motorsports-built all-wheel drive Ford was untouchable, with co-driver and Fox Shox tuning expert Mike Kim providing impeccable navigation. 'It was a long day and a rough course, but it was a lot of fun,' said Polvoorde. 'Mike and I and the team went in with a plan and stuck to it and now we are here. I am thankful. There were a lot of moments where you could make big mistakes. Some spots are super-fast where you are going over 130mph, and in other spots, you are going 2mph, scared you are going to crash off a cliff.' Kyle Jergensen and his Trophy-Truck Spec surprised the field. Hammerking Productions Kyle Jergensen shocked the field with his second overall and first place performance in the T2 (Trophy-Truck Spec) category. Armed with two-wheel drive and at least 400hp down to Polvoorde, Jergensen and the No. 6175 Beast-sponsored, Camburg-built truck was just six minutes behind the winner on corrected time. The T1 (Trophy-Trucks) of JP Gomez and Thor Herbst come home third and fourth, with the T2 of Jason Coleman rounding up the top five. Last Saturday, the Desert Challenge for Limited class vehicles proved to be another showcase for the talents of Polaris factory phenom Brock Heger. Hegar wasted no time picking up where he left off after his win at the Dakar Rally. Once again proving unstoppable behind the wheel of his RZR Pro R Factory, Heger delivered a dominant wire-to-wire performance to secure his second consecutive victory at the event, claiming the overall UTV win in the UTV Open class during the Limited race. In addition to Heger, Polaris-supported racers dominated the event, securing nine of the top 10 positions, including a podium sweep. Doug Mittag and Dallas Gonzalez claimed second and third places in their modified RZR Pro Rs, while RZR factory racing driver Max Eddy Jr. finished fourth in his RZR Pro R Factory. Fifth place was taken by the Can-Am of Michael McFayden. Blake Wilkey again starred in the PRP Seat Class Showdown. Hammerking Productions Finally, Blake Wilkey continued his dominance of the PRP Seat Class Showdown presented by EMPI, taking his famous lavender vintage stock VW sedan to another KOH victory despite another large field. The exploits of Wilkey have been largely credited for the recent surge in interest in this class, which is a fan favorite wherever they race. Complete coverage and information of all this week's remaining King of the Hammers races can be found by visiting UNLIMITED DESERT RACE RESULTS LIMITED DESERT RACE RESULTS CLASS 11 SHOWDOWN RACE RESULTS Story originally appeared on Racer
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
King of the Hammers: Previewing off-road racing's big week
This week, the improbable but undeniable motorsports phenomenon that is the annual Optima King of the Hammers presented by Ford Performance has arrived. So too have tens of thousands off-road faithful now descending into the dry lake bed of Johnson Valley, Calif., after pilgrimages from around the country — and the world. For those making the trek to his barren chunk of raw desert that's punctuated by rocky terrain and endless trails, much of their time will be focused on succumbing to an intoxicating 24-hour energy that KOH spins off in excess. For racers, however, a prestigious week of competition that touches different aspects of the sport is reason enough to make King of the Hammers — and it's legendary 'Hammertown' focal point — a can't-miss exercise. Class 4400 Factory Bronco of Vaughn Gittin Jr. While technically the 2025 KOH calendar included a rather insane 'King of the Motos' a week ago, things in Johnson Valley really kick into high gear starting today. This weekend's focus is on traditional desert racing, with wide open sections of desert sprinkled into sections of race course marked by soft sand and undulating, endless bumps. Prerunning will officially open on Friday, with the limited classes having the opportunity to qualify in the morning as well. Saturday will see those classes take on the event's primary 64.9-mile course –– known as the 'Red Lap' — for two to four laps depending on the category. The driver line-up features an impressive list of racers in the UTV open category including the factory Polaris team and its recent Dakar Rally UTV category-winning rookie Brock Heger. Other top names include veterans Wayne and Kristen Matlock, Cayden MacCachren, Max Eddy and short course off-road specialists CJ Greaves and Doug Mittag. Desert Challenge Unlimited Truck. The day will also include Unlimited class qualifying and capped by the Class 11 race for race-prepped by mostly stock vintage VW Beetles. Sunday, Feb. 2 is all about unlimited desert categories. Four open-wheel Class 1 cars (B1 class) and 24 Trophy-Truck Spec machines (known as the T2 category in KOH nomenclature) will chase 18 Trophy-Truck (T1) racers for overall honors. Top names include former Baja 1000 champions Luke McMillin, Cameron Steele, Ryan Arciero and Adam Householder in T1 and Apdaly Lopez, Kyle Jergensen, Pierce and EJ Herbst and short course champ Trey Gibbs in T2. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week offers up intense qualifying sessions for more specific KOH machines that combine desert and rock racing disciplines. There are even youth classes preparing for racing on Tuesday on Hammertown's short course section. Desert Challenge Limited Race Class 10 car. Next Thursday things get serious for a combination of factory and privateer drivers in the Can-Am UTV Hammers Championship race. Comprised of six different classes of Polaris, Can-Am and Kawasaki side-by-sides, most of the top names will run in the 4900 Pro Open and Pro Mod categories. Many of the fastest competitors will have competed in the desert UTV race, but others to watch for the rock racing version include Off-Road Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Greaves, Ronnie Anderson, Cody Miller, Phil Blurton, Mitch Guthrie and Hunter Miller. Special attention wil also be on Kyle Chaney, who came a whisker short of taking his Can-Am to the overall victory in last year's Race of Kings weekend finale. The King of the Hammer's universal appeal is on full display during Friday's Yokohama Tire Every Man Challenge race. Created to offer off-road and 4×4 enthusiasts a way to build production-based machines into the sport, three classes that include Ford, Jeep, Dodge, Chevy, Suzuki, Volkswagen, Mahindra and Toyota-based race cars make for a true fan favorite. The Everyman Challenge field lines up. Saturday, Feb. 8, KOH's Race of Kings wraps up the busy week in grand fashion. Bolstered by a perfect backdrop that showcases the performance and versatility of modern Class 4400 unlimited machines, the Race of Kings has sparked the imagination of adventurous racers around the globe. A truly unlimited class with very few regulations outside of those focused on safety, the almost all the top level 4400 teams and drivers will be on hand. Last year's King JP Gomez will try to defend his title against a stout field of 85 other competitors, a group that includes his former race winners Raul Gomez, Randy Slawson, Josh Blyler, Jason Scherer, Shannon Campbell and Eric Miller. Motorsports fans around the world can enjoy live coverage on KOH's YouTube channel, with wrap-up shows airing the next day on the MAVTV network. With this much talent and all those bragging rights on the line, off-road racing's biggest week offers something special for everyone. KOH official livestream link: Optima Battery King of the Hammers Schedule (all times Pacific) Friday, Jan. 31 Desert prerunning (all day) Limited class Desert qualifying (10:00am) Saturday, Feb. 1 Unlimited class Desert qualifying (8:00am) Limited class Desert Race start (10:00am) Class 11 race (4:00 pm) Sunday, Feb. 2 Unlimited class Desert Race start (9:00am) Monday, Feb. 3 XRock Extreme Rock Crawling (10:00am-4:00pm) UTV Hammers Championship qualifying (10:00am-4:00pm) Tuesday, Feb. 4 Every Man Challenge class qualifying (10am-4:00pm) KOH Kids 170 race Wednesday, Feb. 5 Race of Kings qualifying (10am-4:00pm) UTV Hammers Championship tech and contingency (10:00am-5:00pm) Race of Kings Power Hour (2:00pm-3:00pm) Thursday, Feb. 6 UTV Hammers Championship Race start (8:00am) Every Man Challenge tech and contingency (10:00am-4:00pm) Friday, Feb. 7 Every Man Challenge Race start (8:00am) Race of Kings tech and contingency (10:00am-5:00pm) Saturday, Feb. 8 Race of Kings race start (8:00am) Story originally appeared on Racer
