By Jon Crowley
The 2012 King of the Hammers UTV race did not go according to plan. After a blown head gasket sidelined our race-prepared Kawasaki Teryx only days before the start, we converted a Polaris RZR XP 900 from a prerunner into a race car—and finished fourth overall without a single mechanical problem.
Held at Johnson Valley, California, the 2012 Pit Bull Tires King of the Hammers UTV Race presented by SXSPerformance.com combined approximately 78 miles of rough desert terrain with famous rock trails including Martel, Elvis and Jack North. It was the fourth chapter in the growing history of the King of the Hammers UTV race, and the field had expanded to 39 starters.
A Bigger King of the Hammers UTV Race
For many people who migrate to Means Dry Lake each winter, King of the Hammers revolves around the main Ultra4 race on Friday. By 2012, however, UTVs were making a much bigger statement in Johnson Valley.
The race adopted International Side X Side Association rules with five UTV classes:
- Unlimited 4
- Production 1000
- Production 850
- Production 700
- Beginner/Stock
More than 30 UTVs had preregistered, with additional teams expected to enter after arriving on the lake bed. The final field grew to 39 starters.
The 78-mile course sent competitors on a single lap around Johnson Valley. Its combination of rough desert, cross-grain terrain and technical rock trails promised to test the durability of every vehicle—as well as the patience and judgment of every driver and co-driver.
Preparing the Kawasaki Teryx
We arrived in Johnson Valley on the Saturday before Thursday’s UTV race. That gave us time to prerun the course, complete a few more shakedown runs and get through technical inspection.
This was going to be my fourth King of the Hammers UTV race. I had spent the previous several months preparing my Kawasaki Teryx and felt more relaxed and better prepared than I had for any of the earlier races.
Unfortunately, that changed Monday afternoon when the Teryx blew a head gasket during testing.
With only a few days remaining before the race, repairing the Teryx in time was not a realistic option. Instead of giving up, I started looking at what it would take to race the vehicle we had brought for prerunning: my Polaris RZR XP 900.
Turning a Polaris RZR XP 900 into a Race Car
The RZR XP 900 was not a purpose-built King of the Hammers race car, but it already had many of the parts needed to meet the ISA rules. Its equipment included Pro Armor doors and harnesses, Beard seats and several DragonFire Racing components:
- Front and rear bumpers
- Chassis backbones
- Spare-tire carrier
- Replacement front A-arms
- Rear V-brace
- High-clearance radius rods
I drove into Hammertown and spoke with Mike Lasher, who was handling technical inspection for the race. Mike said the RZR was close to meeting the requirements, but it still needed window nets, an amber safety light and an aluminum roof.
In addition to serving on the ISA board, Mike owned SXSPerformance.com and was selling UTV parts in Hammertown. That onsite industry support became essential for teams making last-minute repairs or trying to satisfy technical requirements.
Mike had a set of PRP window nets designed to work with a stock RZR cage and Pro Armor doors. The nets attached with hook-and-loop fasteners, making them easy to install for a race and remove afterward. That helped clear one of the largest remaining hurdles between us and the starting line.
Last-Minute Race Preparation
On Tuesday morning, Dave, Rich, my co-driver Wally and I began converting the RZR XP into a legal race vehicle.
We installed aluminum beneath the plastic roof, moved the GPS from another vehicle, mounted the IRC tracking unit and added the required amber light. We also swapped the billet centers on the OMF beadlock wheels so we could run 27.5-inch Pit Bull Rocker tires.
The RZR already had PURE Polaris rock sliders and trailing-arm guards to help protect vulnerable components. However, it still retained its stock skid plate. If we had originally planned to race the XP, a full set of 1/2-inch UHMW skid plates would have been high on the preparation list.
After completing the installation work, Wally and I took the RZR out for a shakedown run. It was equipped with Stage III-upgraded FOX shocks, so we met with Jerry Penhall of Penhall Racing for help with the suspension setup.
The front suspension looked good. In the rear, we added a few clicks of low-speed compression, slowed the rebound considerably and increased preload slightly. The goal was to keep the RZR more controlled in rough terrain while gaining enough ride height to reduce contact between the stock skid plate and the rocks.
Starting 25th in Production 1000
Starting positions were drawn during the drivers’ meeting in Hammertown on the night before the race.
The Teryx had been entered in Unlimited 4, but the RZR XP also qualified for the Production 1000 class. Our priorities had changed after the engine failure. Instead of chasing a class win with a purpose-built car, we wanted to finish the race and have fun, so I moved into Production 1000.
That decision placed us deep in the field. Eighteen UTVs had entered Unlimited 4, and we drew the 25th starting position. With two vehicles leaving every 30 seconds, we would begin approximately 12 minutes behind the first pair—and directly in the dust created by nearly two dozen competitors.
Settling into the Race
Race morning was cold, and the combination of nerves and adrenaline had me feeling jittery. I asked Wally to remind me to relax, have fun and concentrate on finishing.
Unfortunately, Wally had been sick for several days and had nearly lost his voice. I could barely hear him through our Rugged Radios intercom, so that plan did not work particularly well.
The jump immediately after the starting line looked like a kicker, and visibility was limited by heavy dust. I did not want to make a costly mistake in the opening miles, so I drove cautiously for the first five miles.
Even at that conservative pace, we began catching other cars. I initially tried to count each pass but quickly lost track. By the time we reached the first dry lake bed, we had already moved past approximately six competitors.
The RZR felt stable, the suspension was working well and we settled into a comfortable pace as we approached Martel, the first rock section of the course.
Helping Another RZR Through Martel
Martel was relatively easy compared with the obstacles waiting farther around the course, but traffic immediately became a factor.
Near the beginning of the trail, we encountered a long-wheelbase RZR 4 set up for desert racing. It was high-centered on a rock, and its co-driver was already outside the vehicle.
I yelled that we could give them a push. After receiving a thumbs-up, I eased the DragonFire front bumper against the back of the RZR 4. One small nudge was enough to move it over the rock. The team let us pass, and we continued through the trail.
A Traffic Jam in Elvis
After Martel, the course returned to open desert. We continued passing competitors and reached the first pit without needing service. At approximately the 30-mile mark, the RZR was running perfectly, but Elvis was still about 15 miles ahead.
We pushed a little harder in an attempt to catch the vehicles visible in front of us. Although we closed the distance, we entered the canyon without completing another pass.
At the large rock obstacles near the end of Elvis, we found a long line of stopped UTVs. The easiest route was blocked, another line was occupied and several competitors were waiting for an opening. One driver was attacking a third line but appeared to be beating the car up badly.
Because our RZR did not have a winch or full UHMW skid plates, I was reluctant to attempt a more aggressive line. We waited for what looked like the safest route to clear.
Wally eventually urged me to make a move. Just as I began positioning the RZR for the alternate line, Jarred Newman in the #2346 RZR XP moved in front of us. That moment of hesitation would become important later.
Newman cleared the first obstacle, and we followed. The RZR became temporarily stuck, but Wally climbed out and gave it enough of a push to get us moving.
Farther down the trail, Adam Woodlee in the #262 UTV moved into the line ahead of us. His car became stuck in a difficult spot and suffered damage to the front end. After waiting for Wally’s signal, I used the RZR’s front bumper to push Woodlee forward. The team was able to continue down Elvis in two-wheel drive.
We passed approximately six vehicles in Elvis, but the congestion cost us more than 20 minutes.
Chasing the Leaders
Once clear of Elvis, we returned to the desert and worked through rough cross-grain terrain with repeated rises and drops. Those sections required careful speed management before we reached Pit 2.
Dave and Rich were waiting for us. They quickly added fuel and inspected the RZR. Everything looked good.
As we prepared to leave, the crew told us that only four cars were ahead. That seemed impossible after starting 25th, but we focused on catching the UTV that had left the pit a few minutes earlier.
We found Johnny Ford in the #120 car stopped for repairs on Fissure Mountain. With no other competitors visible, we began descending Jack North.
Jack North was not as difficult as the alternate line we had used in Elvis, but it was considerably longer. We carefully picked our way through the rocks until reaching the desert floor.
Less than 15 miles remained, and the RZR was still running flawlessly.
Fourth Overall at the Finish
Wally and I crossed the final dry lake bed and began getting excited as we approached the finish.
With approximately one mile remaining, we passed a crowd gathered below Back Door and started climbing a steep hill covered in loose material. The RZR struggled more than expected before I realized it was still in two-wheel drive.
I selected four-wheel drive, shifted into Low for good measure and drove to the top.
The finish line was directly ahead when I missed a large dip and launched the RZR into the air. I slowed down, regained my composure and rolled across the line.
Only three UTVs had finished ahead of us:
- Mitch Guthrie in the #55 Unlimited 4 Polaris RZR XP
- Todd Stephensen in the #1944 Production 1000 Arctic Cat Wildcat
- Jarred Newman in the #2346 Production 1000 Polaris RZR XP
We had started 25th and finished fourth overall. We also placed third in the Production 1000 class.
A few days later, I realized Newman was the driver who had moved in front of us while I hesitated in Elvis. That pause may have cost us a position at the finish, but completing the race in a vehicle converted from prerunner to race car only two days earlier still felt like a major accomplishment.
Only 17 of 39 UTVs Finished
Of the 39 UTVs that started the race, only 17 reached the finish—a completion rate of approximately 44 percent.
Wally and I completed the entire 78-mile course without a flat tire, broken bolt or mechanical failure. The Polaris RZR XP 900 and its aftermarket components exceeded our expectations in the desert and on the rocks.
Most importantly, we accomplished the goal we had set after losing the Teryx: finish the King of the Hammers UTV race and have fun doing it.
The next day, I removed the window nets and drove the same RZR around Johnson Valley while watching the main King of the Hammers race. We had raced it one day and returned it to recreational use the next.
For results and more event coverage, see our complete 2012 King of the Hammers UTV race report.
Polaris RZR XP 900 Build Partners
- PURE Polaris: Rock sliders and trailing-arm guards
- SSV Works: Side mirrors
- Pro Armor: Doors, graphics and harnesses
- Muzzy’s: Dual exhaust and Digi-Tune fuel controller
- Wicked Bilt: Power steering
- FOX: Stage III shock upgrades
- DragonFire Racing: Front and rear bumpers, replacement A-arms, spare-tire carrier and high-clearance rear links
- Koronis Parts: Fuel containers
- Baja Designs: LED lighting
- PRP Seats and SXSPerformance.com: Window nets
- Pit Bull Tires: 27.5-inch Rocker tires
- OMF Performance: Billet-center beadlock wheels
- Rugged Radios: Radio and intercom system
