2017 King of the Hammers UTV Race Recap: Podium in a Polaris RZR XP 1000

By Jon Crowley

The 2017 King of the Hammers UTV Race proved that horsepower alone does not determine who reaches the podium. Starting 24th in a naturally aspirated Polaris RZR XP 1000, Reid Nordin and I worked our way through the desert and rock trails to finish third overall—less than four minutes behind Wayland Campbell.

Our RZR completed the race in 3 hours, 52 minutes and 31 seconds. It also recorded the third-fastest opening lap despite competing against a field filled with more powerful turbocharged UTVs.

• Race: 2017 Can-Am King of the Hammers UTV Race presented by RCV Performance
• Driver: Jon Crowley
• Co-driver: Reid Nordin
• Race vehicle: 2017 Polaris RZR XP 1000
• Car number: 1965
• Starting position: 24th
• Finishing position: Third
• Elapsed time: 3:52:31

This was the ninth year UTVs had competed at King of the Hammers and my eighth time participating as either a driver or co-driver. For more background on how the race developed, visit our history of the King of the Hammers UTV Race.

Returning to King of the Hammers

I am much more of an enthusiast than a racer, but there is something about King of the Hammers that always draws me back. From 2009 through 2012, UTV competitors raced relatively mild 40- to 60-mile courses consisting primarily of desert terrain and a few rock trails.

That changed dramatically in 2013 when Dave Cole and Ultra4 Racing moved the UTVs into the big leagues. I raced a Polaris RZR XP 900 that year and finished second to Mitch Guthrie by only 16 seconds after approximately eight hours on the course. You can read the full story in our 2013 King of the Hammers UTV Race recap.

I moved to the co-driver seat alongside Blake Van de Loo in 2014. Despite numerous setbacks, we finished fifth. In 2015, I returned to the driver’s seat and raced a Polaris RZR S 900 to third place. After that race, I swore I was finished and hung up my helmet.

I managed to sit out the 2016 King of the Hammers UTV Race. Attending strictly as a member of the media was relaxing, but watching the race also made me want to compete again.

Why I Chose a Naturally Aspirated RZR XP 1000

I enjoy rock crawling, and the challenge of building a UTV capable of surviving more than 100 miles of rock trails and brutally rough desert terrain at race speed continues to intrigue me. One lesson I learned from previous races was not to overbuild the vehicle. Keeping the car light, simple and reliable became the foundation of our 2017 program.

Most leading competitors chose the 168-horsepower Polaris RZR XP Turbo. I went in a different direction with a 110-horsepower, naturally aspirated RZR XP 1000. The complete vehicle preparation is covered in our 2017 King of the Hammers RZR XP 1000 build.

The rough desert sections contain whoops, g-outs and hidden obstacles that make it difficult to use all of a turbocharged engine’s power. A light UTV with properly tuned suspension can maintain speed while reducing stress on the vehicle and its occupants.

Our RZR was also the 2017 Polaris RZR XP 1000 Gold Matte Metallic Limited Edition. Its transmission featured a low range approximately 55 percent lower than the standard XP 1000 gearing. That lower gearing provided excellent control through technical rock sections.

Building the RZR for King of the Hammers

After testing the RZR on the Rubicon Trail, I began preparing it for King of the Hammers. The XP 1000 already had a winch, high-clearance radius rods, front bumper, upgraded axles and an HMW skid plate that I believed were capable of handling the race.

Required and upgraded safety equipment included Assault Industries fire extinguishers, Simpson suspension seats, Simpson five-point SFI-rated harnesses, full Cognito Motorsports doors and a rear-facing KC amber light. Although the stock RZR cage and roof were legal under the applicable race rules, I installed a Cognito Motorsports cage for additional protection.

The rock trails are particularly hard on the front suspension, so we added Cognito A-arms and tie rods. I retained the stock trailing arms but protected them with Factory UTV UHMW guards. Factory UTV UHMW rock sliders reinforced the skid area below the doors.

A Rugged Radios intercom allowed Reid and me to communicate inside the car, while a radio connected us with the pits. Rugged Radios helmet-air equipment supplied filtered air, and a Lowrance Baja 540C GPS helped us follow the course.

Stock Engine, Clutch and CVT

The engine, clutch, CVT belt, intake, exhaust and ECU remained completely stock. Rather than chase additional horsepower, we concentrated on suspension performance and reliability.

The key desert upgrade was a set of 2.5-inch Walker Evans Racing Velocity Series shocks. These shocks offered greater bottoming resistance while remaining compliant through the whoops. Walker Links replaced the factory sway-bar links, allowing more articulation in the rocks and giving the shocks greater independence in rough desert terrain.

Lightweight 32-Inch Tires and Wheels

I wanted the ground clearance and obstacle-crossing advantage of 32-inch tires without adding excessive rotating mass. We selected 32-inch Arisun Aftershock XD tires, which saved more than five pounds per corner compared with several alternatives we considered.

The tires were mounted on 14-by-6-inch Walker Evans Racing beadlock wheels. Billet aluminum UTV Inc. hubs with heavy-duty wheel studs reduced additional unsprung weight.

In previous races I had used Tire Blocks and carried no spare. For 2017, I chose to keep rotating weight down and carry a conventional spare in the cargo bed on a Cognito Motorsports spare-tire carrier.

The RZR completed every stage of testing without a problem. Before leaving for Johnson Valley, I installed a fresh set of factory axles. The limited-edition RZR came with upgraded front shafts, and its naturally aspirated engine placed less load on the drivetrain than the turbocharged cars. The lower gearing also reduced the need for aggressive throttle inputs in the rocks.

Qualifying 24th

My primary qualifying goal was to avoid damaging the car. I hoped to start near the middle of the field, knowing the turbocharged competitors would have an advantage on the short qualifying course.

We qualified 24th. It was not as high as I had hoped, and a genuine run for the win is easier when starting inside the top 10. Still, the position gave us a clean car and an opportunity to move forward during the race.

The 2017 course introduced a new challenge for the UTVs: descending Resolution and Back Door twice, once at the end of each lap. The course also descended Sledgehammer.

After qualifying, we had four days before the race. I pre-ran in a 2017 Polaris RZR XP Turbo while the race car remained protected inside the enclosed trailer. On Monday, I drove the first 15 miles of the second lap, returned to camp, installed a fresh belt and parked the car until technical inspection.

Technical inspection went smoothly except that we were required to install slightly larger fire extinguishers. Officials also weighed each race vehicle. Our RZR weighed 1,831 pounds with fuel, tools, spare parts, helmets, fire suits and the spare tire. It was one of the lightest cars inspected, with none reportedly weighing less than 1,800 pounds.

The closest turbocharged UTV weight I heard was Mitch Guthrie Jr.’s RZR at 1,915 pounds, and that car was not carrying a spare.

Race Morning with Reid Nordin

The race started Wednesday at 8 a.m., and competitors were required to be in line by 7 a.m. My co-driver was Reid Nordin from Walker Evans Racing. Reid and I had raced together years earlier in a Kawasaki Teryx.

Our original plan called for Reid to drive the opening desert section before we switched seats for the rock trails. Reid brought extensive desert and rock experience to the team. His involvement also helped ensure our Walker Evans Racing shocks were tuned properly—an essential part of our lightweight, suspension-focused strategy.

Charging from 24th to the Top 10

Competitors left the line side by side at 30-second intervals. We beat the UTV beside us and caught a Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo before the first hill near race mile two. We passed it and the Teryx Girls during the tight, technical terrain that followed.

We also passed Branden Sims and Paul Hart after they encountered problems. By remote pit one at race mile 13, we had advanced to 10th physically. The RZR was running smoothly, and Reid was doing an excellent job balancing speed with vehicle preservation.

When we returned to remote pit one at race mile 47, we were running sixth physically after Mitch Guthrie Jr., Tyler Greves and several other competitors suffered mechanical problems. We skipped both pit stops because the RZR was performing well and we wanted to reach the first rock section before traffic created a bottleneck.

Descending Resolution and Back Door

Resolution was approximately 13 miles beyond the remote pit. We used a sidehill bypass and continued toward Back Door.

Back Door is known for its steep ledge, which competitors normally climb. Our course sent us downhill. The rock-crawling shootout held there earlier in the week had created an even larger hole at the bottom.

We chose the cautious approach. I got out and used a recovery strap to help control the RZR as Reid eased it over the ledge. The car briefly stood on its nose at the bottom but remained upright.

77 MPH Across Emerson Dry Lake

We planned to refuel at the Jagged X main pit and switch drivers. However, we arrived running fifth physically with two cars close behind. I decided Reid should remain behind the wheel and get us back into the desert as quickly as possible.

We passed Erik Miller several miles later and moved into fourth physically. At approximately race mile 82, we reached Emerson Dry Lake. The smooth, two-mile lakebed was the fastest section of the course.

With Miller not far behind, Reid held the throttle down and the RZR reached 77 mph on the GPS. That was impressive for a stock engine and clutch turning 32-inch tires.

Aftershock and Fissure Mountain

After leaving the lakebed, we reached Aftershock, the first uphill rock trail of the race. Reid and I had pre-run it, but he had limited seat time rock crawling this particular RZR.

The lower gearing was paired with throttle mapping that delivered approximately half throttle through much of the pedal’s initial travel. That made the car smooth and predictable in technical terrain, although it required some time to learn.

We climbed Aftershock without difficulty and reached pit 2A. I had expected us to switch seats there, but the car needed neither repairs nor fuel. We were running fourth physically, so stopping made little sense.

The course routed us through the pit before making a U-turn back toward Fissure Mountain. During that unusual pit routing, we passed Bailey Campbell and moved into third physically behind Mitch Guthrie and Shannon Campbell.

A Three-Way Winch Battle on Sledgehammer

Reid remained behind the wheel as we crossed Fissure Mountain and approached Sledgehammer. The trail is extremely difficult, even when traveling downhill.

Partway down, we caught Mitch Guthrie, who was experiencing four-wheel-drive engagement problems. His RZR occupied the only clean line, so I got out and prepared our winch while Reid attempted to squeeze alongside.

Bailey Campbell then entered a line to our right and became wedged against a large rock. Suddenly, all three UTVs were winching forward, with our RZR trapped in the middle.

I had pre-run Sledgehammer twice, but it was impossible to duplicate the pressure and congestion of this situation. Finding an anchor that would move us in the correct direction without pulling us into another vehicle was extremely difficult.

At one point, Mitch’s co-driver located a usable anchor. Our winch and Mitch’s winch pulled the two cars closer together. Mitch’s 32-inch ITP Blackwater tire rested against our driver’s door and spun across it as he applied throttle. At the same time, Bailey’s left-front tire pressed against our passenger door.

Erik Miller and Wayland Campbell caught us during the congestion, while Shannon Campbell escaped at the front.

Mitch eventually moved far enough for us to continue. Wayland stopped to help Bailey, while Miller followed us through. Mitch’s race was over, and we were now running second physically.

Communication Failure at Chocolate Thunder

During the Sledgehammer winching battle, Reid’s intercom cable became disconnected. I attempted to reconnect it while navigating through the rocks, but the rough terrain made that nearly impossible. We eventually gave up and relied on hand signals and short verbal commands.

Hundreds of spectators lined Chocolate Thunder. Reid had never driven the trail, while I had pre-run it numerous times during the preceding months.

As we approached the upper section, I noticed large boulders blocking our normal line. Without the intercom, my directions were difficult to communicate. Reid remained left when I wanted him farther right, and the RZR lacked enough momentum to clear one of the rocks. We became high-centered directly in front of the crowd.

I jumped out and attempted to close the passenger door, but contact with Bailey’s tire had bent it enough that the latch would not engage. I then tried to push the RZR off the boulder without success.

There were no suitable winch anchors nearby. I first tried a loose rock, but it moved under load. While we searched for another option, Miller and Wayland Campbell drove around us.

Someone in the crowd shouted, “Strap!” That snapped me out of the tunnel vision created by the stress of the moment. I returned to the car, extended the winch line to a more distant rock and finally pulled the RZR free.

I climbed back in, secured the bent door with a large zip tie and held it closed while Reid completed Chocolate Thunder.

The Final Run to Back Door

We continued through Lower and Upper Big Johnson before reaching pit 2B. The RZR was still running perfectly, so we skipped the pit and entered the final nine miles of desert.

Miller was ahead of us, with Wayland farther in front. I could see two dust trails several miles away and knew we needed to remain within a few minutes of them to have a chance at the podium on corrected time.

Near race mile 110, a helicopter followed us for several miles while filming only a few feet above the desert. The pilot flew sideways as the camera operator filmed from the skid, at times throwing enough sand toward us that I considered waving them off.

We reached Resolution and encountered several first-lap vehicles blocking the main route. One directed us toward the upper bypass we had used earlier. The sidehill felt even more exposed from the passenger seat on the second lap, but we made it down cleanly.

When we reached Back Door again, we decided not to use the strap. Saving time was now more important than taking the conservative approach. Reid eased the RZR down the waterfall, the car performed another small handstand at the bottom, and we raced toward Hammertown.

Third Place at the 2017 KOH UTV Race

Erik Miller and Wayland Campbell reached the finish area immediately ahead of us. Because competitors started at different times, officials had to calculate corrected elapsed times before confirming the finishing order.

I believed we had enough time on Miller to reach the podium, but I was not sure whether we had finished close enough to Wayland. The official calculation placed us third.

We beat Miller by 3 minutes and 22 seconds. Wayland Campbell finished 3 minutes and 54 seconds ahead of us, while winner Shannon Campbell held a margin of 18 minutes and 47 seconds.

What We Learned

There are always decisions you would change after a race, but I am proud of what we accomplished against such a competitive field. Our #1965 Polaris RZR XP 1000—nicknamed the #CrowleyEdition—ran flawlessly from start to finish.

Although it lacked the horsepower of the turbocharged UTVs, it recorded the third-fastest opening lap. Our strategy of keeping the car light, mechanically simple and properly suspended worked.

At King of the Hammers, properly tuned suspension can be more valuable than additional horsepower.

Jagged X once again provided our pit support. The team was already supporting two other cars, but never hesitated to add our RZR to its workload. We only stopped once, at the main pit for fuel.

Reid did an outstanding job balancing speed and vehicle preservation. I thoroughly enjoyed racing with him—even though he never gave up the driver’s seat as originally planned.

Rugged Radios served as the title sponsor of our #RuggedRZR and supplied the communication and helmet-air equipment used during the race.

Was the 2017 UTV Course Hard Enough?

A total of 75 UTVs started the race and 38 earned official finishes. That was a substantial increase from 2016, when 60 started and 22 finished, and from 2015, when only four of 34 starters reached the finish.

In my opinion, the 2017 course needed additional rock trails. Four UTVs finished before noon, which did not feel consistent with King of the Hammers’ reputation as the hardest one-day off-road race in America.

The Friday Ultra4 course climbed Wrecking Ball and descended Full of Hate. Adding those two trails to the UTV course would have created a much more demanding race while better balancing the high-speed desert and rock-crawling sections.

2017 King of the Hammers UTV Race Results

Shannon Campbell won the 2017 KOH UTV Race with an elapsed time of 3:33:44. Wayland Campbell finished second, followed by Jon Crowley and Reid Nordin in the naturally aspirated #1965 Polaris RZR XP 1000.

Official finishers: 38 of 75 starters.

2017 King of the Hammers RZR Sponsors

• Polaris: 2017 Polaris RZR XP 1000, rear bumper and RIDE COMMAND
• Rugged Radios: 60-watt radio, RRP 6100 intercom, Bluetooth equipment and helmet-air system
• Walker Evans Racing: 2.5-inch Velocity Series shocks, Walker Links and 14-by-6-inch beadlock wheels
• Cognito Motorsports: A-arms, tie rods, spare-tire carrier, roll cage and doors
• Assault Industries: B2 Bomber mirrors, fire extinguishers, mounts and steering wheel
• Factory UTV: UHMW rock sliders and trailing-arm guards
• Simpson: Suspension seats and five-point harnesses
• KC HiLiTES: Rear amber lighting
• Arisun: 32-inch Aftershock XD tires
• UTV Inc.: Billet aluminum hubs with heavy-duty wheel studs
• Diamond Wrap Factory: Vehicle graphics
• Jagged X: King of the Hammers pit support

Photos by Troy Tokarczyk, Brad Goodfellow, Rusty Baptist and Rugged Radios.

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