We met up with Jason Weller and Kyle Anderson from Weller Racing in Johnson Valley, California, as they prepared for the 2019 King of the Hammers UTV race. Their Yamaha YXZ1000R was back in the rocks, with Chocolate Thunder and Back Door providing a chance to practice before race week.
This Weller Racing King of the Hammers pre-run focused on a team with years of YXZ experience. For 2019, Weller would drive, while Anderson returned to the co-driver seat.
Watch the Weller Racing YXZ1000R Pre-Run
Returning to One Yamaha YXZ1000R for 2019
Weller and Anderson had previously raced together and also competed in separate YXZs. In 2018, Anderson earned a ninth-place finish at King of the Hammers. That result gave the team more experience to draw on as they prepared for another run.
For 2019, they reunited in one vehicle. Weller took the wheel, with Anderson handling co-driver duties. Together, they brought firsthand knowledge of racing a YXZ through Johnson Valley’s rock trails.
Practicing on Chocolate Thunder and Back Door
The photos capture two parts of their preparation: working through Chocolate Thunder and dropping off Back Door. Both put the team’s rock-crawling skills on display before the 2019 race.
For more from these Johnson Valley trips, see our 2019 King of the Hammers UTV pre-run report. We also joined Weller and Anderson during our Yamaha Wolverine X2 rock-crawling trip, which offers another view of the terrain.
More Yamaha YXZ1000R Coverage
Want to explore the Yamaha platform beyond this race pre-run? Start with our Yamaha YXZ1000R history and model guide. For recreational rock crawling, read our YXZ1000R SS rock-crawling review.
