The first King of the Hammers UTV race was held on February 25, 2009, in Johnson Valley, California. Although it was officially a demonstration event, the race introduced side-by-sides to the unique combination of open-desert speed and technical rock crawling that defines King of the Hammers.
Mitch Guthrie won the inaugural event, followed by Brandon Schueler, Casey Currie and the Kawasaki Teryx team of Bob Roggy and Jon Crowley. The small field and relatively short course were modest compared with later KOH UTV races, but the 2009 exhibition marked the beginning of an important new chapter in UTV racing.
For the complete year-by-year story, visit our history of the King of the Hammers UTV race.
The First King of the Hammers UTV Race
King of the Hammers was still a young event in 2009, but its popularity was already growing rapidly. The race stood apart from traditional desert racing by combining dry lake beds, sand, whoops and fast desert roads with the technical rock trails of Johnson Valley.
The 2009 UTV event was organized as an exhibition rather than a fully developed championship race. Spectators were permitted to help competitors through difficult sections, reflecting the informal and experimental nature of the first event.
The UTV course included a sand hill and the Aftershock rock trail. It was considerably shorter and less technical than the courses UTV racers would face in later years, but it gave competitors and organizers an early look at how modified side-by-sides handled the mixed terrain.
2009 King of the Hammers UTV Results
| Finish | Driver or Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Mitch Guthrie | Finished |
| 2nd | Brandon Schueler / Jagged X | Finished |
| 3rd | Casey Currie | Finished |
| 4th | Bob Roggy / Jon Crowley | Finished |
| — | Jon Bundrant | DNF |
Mitch Guthrie Wins the Inaugural UTV Race
Mitch Guthrie won the first King of the Hammers UTV event, beginning a run that would eventually make him the most successful driver of the race’s early years. Guthrie demonstrated that a properly prepared sport UTV could survive Johnson Valley’s combination of desert terrain and rock obstacles.
Brandon Schueler and Jagged X Finish Second
Brandon Schueler placed second for Jagged X. The team was already closely associated with the development of Polaris RZR desert-racing platforms, and its appearance at the first KOH UTV event brought valuable competition experience to the new race.
Casey Currie Takes Third
Casey Currie finished third, with Kawasaki Team Green’s Reid Nordin pictured alongside him during the event. Currie brought experience from several forms of off-road racing and would remain a prominent competitor in desert and rock-racing events.
UTVGuide Kawasaki Teryx Finishes Fourth
Bob Roggy and Jon Crowley finished fourth in the UTVGuide.net Kawasaki Teryx. The Teryx had been prepared specifically for the combination of desert travel and rock crawling found at King of the Hammers.
The build used protective equipment, upgraded suspension components, recovery equipment and other modifications intended to help the machine survive Johnson Valley. The same Kawasaki is featured in our 2009 King of the Hammers Kawasaki Teryx build spotlight.
Jon Bundrant
Jon Bundrant also entered the inaugural UTV event but did not finish. With only five entries documented in the original results, simply attempting the early exhibition placed these competitors among the pioneers of King of the Hammers UTV racing.
2009 King of the Hammers Photo Gallery
The following gallery includes additional photos from the UTV exhibition and the 2009 King of the Hammers race week in Johnson Valley.
Why the 2009 UTV Exhibition Mattered
The 2009 race was much different from the long, highly technical UTV championship events that would later become a major part of King of the Hammers. Spectator assistance was allowed, the field was small and the course represented only an early test of what side-by-sides could do in Johnson Valley.
Its historical importance is much larger than the size of the original event suggests. The exhibition established UTVs as part of KOH race week and gave builders a new challenge: create a side-by-side capable of running fast through the desert while remaining durable and maneuverable in the rocks.
The event also introduced several names that would shape the race’s future. Mitch Guthrie returned to win repeatedly, Brandon Schueler earned a victory in 2011, and UTV technology progressed rapidly as the courses became longer and more difficult.
What began with five documented entries in 2009 eventually developed into one of the most demanding and prestigious UTV races in the world.
