Kyle Chaney and co-driver Terry Madden made King of the Hammers history on February 8, 2025, when they won the premier Race of Kings in a heavily modified, UTV-based Can-Am.
Chaney completed all three laps of the punishing Johnson Valley course in 7:53:45.051. He finished 30 minutes and 21.658 seconds ahead of second-place JP Gomez, becoming the first driver to win the Race of Kings in a vehicle based on a production side-by-side platform.
The victory was an important milestone in the continuing evolution of UTV racing. Modern competition UTVs had already become dominant in their own classes, but Chaney’s win proved that a properly developed UTV-based vehicle could defeat the purpose-built machines in King of the Hammers’ unlimited 4400 class.
A Historic Victory for a UTV-Based Race Car
The Race of Kings is the headline event at King of the Hammers. Its 4400 Unlimited class is normally dominated by custom-built Ultra4 vehicles with large tires, high-horsepower engines and suspension designed specifically for the combination of desert racing and extreme rock crawling found in Johnson Valley.
Chaney’s #191 Can-Am was not a showroom Maverick R with bolt-on racing equipment. Because a production Can-Am chassis would not meet 4400-class technical requirements, CT Race Worx constructed a custom race chassis based around Maverick R geometry.
CT Race Worx also developed the suspension to accommodate 37-inch Maxxis tires, including taller front knuckles and specialized control arms. Rear FOX bypass shocks helped provide the control and heat capacity needed for a course that combined fast desert terrain, deep whoops and some of Johnson Valley’s hardest rock trails.
Three Laps Through Johnson Valley
The 2025 Race of Kings used three color-coded laps that progressively increased in difficulty:
- Red Lap: Approximately 64.9 miles of primarily desert terrain.
- White Lap: Approximately 85 miles with additional technical rock sections.
- Blue Lap: Approximately 75 miles featuring some of the race’s most difficult rock trails.
The format required teams to manage their vehicles through the high-speed opening portion before facing the increasingly technical terrain of the second and third laps. A fast first lap meant little if the vehicle could not survive the final rock trails.
Chaney qualified fourth and started from the second row. Rather than forcing an unsustainable pace against the more powerful unlimited cars, he remained within striking distance and concentrated on keeping the Can-Am intact.
Attrition Reshapes the Race
The difficulty of the course became increasingly apparent as the race moved into the rocks. Several leading contenders, including Loren Healy and Paul Wolff, dropped out with mechanical problems.
Chaney remained among the leading vehicles throughout the day and reportedly never fell lower than sixth in the physical running order. That consistency became increasingly valuable as faster competitors encountered damage or lost time in the rocks.
On the final Blue Lap, Chaney encountered demanding trails that included Full of Hate and King’s Veto. He worked past former Race of Kings winners Josh Blyler and JP Gomez, then built a lead that no remaining competitor could overcome.
Chaney crossed the finish line in 7:53:45.051. Gomez finished second in 8:24:06.709, while Brian Caprara completed the podium in 10:24:57.416.
How Kyle Chaney’s Can-Am Won
Chaney did not win the 2025 Race of Kings by simply overpowering the traditional 4400 cars. The result came from a combination of preparation, vehicle management and consistent driving.
- Controlled early pace: Chaney remained close to the leaders without using up the vehicle during the opening desert lap.
- UTV-sized maneuverability: The Can-Am-based platform could take advantage of lines that were more difficult for larger Ultra4 cars.
- 37-inch tires: The larger Maxxis tires provided additional ground clearance and improved the vehicle’s ability to climb large ledges.
- Purpose-built suspension: CT Race Worx and Can-Am developed the suspension around the demands of both desert speed and technical rock crawling.
- Mechanical survival: Chaney and Madden completed all three laps while many leading teams suffered race-ending problems.
A Closer Look at the Winning Can-Am
From Four UTV Hammers Wins to King of the Hammers
Chaney entered the 2025 event with one of the strongest records in the history of the UTV Hammers Championship. He won the principal UTV rock-and-desert race four consecutive times from 2021 through 2024.
His 2025 Race of Kings victory was different. The UTV Hammers Championship and Race of Kings are separate events with different class rules. By entering the 4400 Unlimited race, Chaney was competing directly against the most highly developed Ultra4 cars at King of the Hammers.
The 2025 UTV Hammers Championship was won by Brock Heger in a Polaris RZR Pro R Factory. Heger led most of that race and finished ahead of Cody Miller and Nathan Parker. Read the complete 2025 UTV Hammers Championship race recap.
Chaney’s win later in the week did not replace or redefine the UTV Hammers Championship. Instead, it demonstrated how far the leading UTV race programs had progressed. A platform derived from a side-by-side could now finish ahead of every traditional unlimited car in the hardest race of the week.
For more background on the development of the UTV race, its winners and the growing crossover between side-by-sides and Ultra4 competition, visit the complete history of the King of the Hammers UTV race.
2025 King of the Hammers Race of Kings Results
| Position | Driver | Car | Laps/Time | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Chaney | 191 | 3 / 7:53:45.051 | — |
| 2 | JP Gomez | 82 | 3 / 8:24:06.709 | 30:21.658 |
| 3 | Brian Caprara | 9901 | 3 / 10:24:57.416 | 2:31:12.365 |
| 4 | Robby Gordon | 77 | 3 / 10:46:36.447 | 2:52:51.396 |
| 5 | Cody Addington | 888 | 3 / 10:58:35.060 | 3:04:50.009 |
| 6 | Chad Hundt | 456 | 3 / 11:00:19.347 | 3:06:34.296 |
| 7 | Chris Branton | 4046 | 3 / 11:00:47.733 | 3:07:02.682 |
| 8 | Justin Wicks | 792 | 3 / 11:27:53.039 | 3:34:07.988 |
| 9 | Joe Gatlin | 4570 | 3 / 11:38:55.669 | 3:45:10.618 |
| 10 | Jonathan Dawes | 4417 | 3 / 11:54:43.295 | 4:00:58.244 |
Why the 2025 Victory Matters
Kyle Chaney and Terry Madden’s victory was more than another strong result for Can-Am. It was the first overall Race of Kings win by a UTV-based vehicle and one of the clearest demonstrations yet of how much high-performance side-by-side development has advanced.
The winning car retained its connection to the Can-Am Maverick R platform, but it combined that foundation with a rule-compliant custom chassis, specialized CT Race Worx suspension, 37-inch Maxxis tires and the preparation required to survive nearly eight hours in Johnson Valley.
Chaney’s four consecutive UTV Hammers victories had already secured his place in King of the Hammers history. Winning the 2025 Race of Kings against the unlimited 4400 field took that record to another level.
