Who Will Be Crowned King of the Hammers? | How to Livestream KOH 2021

This week, racers are converging on Johnson Valley Off Highway Vehicle Area in Lucerne Valley, California, offering a chance for fans to watch desert racing at its very best—the King of the Hammers, one of the most demanding, rigorous races in the off-road racing realm, made up of a grueling 165 miles of combined desert racing and rock crawling. Known as one of the biggest off-road events in North America, the course is also one of the most difficult, with many racers succumbing to the course’s complexity before the finish line. It’s typical for only 20% of the competitors to finish the course. 

While the event runs all week, the big race finish is on Saturday, February 6, 2021, with The 2021 OPTIMA Batteries King of the Hammers race. While in-person spectator attendance is likely to be lower this year, you can join the nearly half-million fans who watch via livestream.

During the week-long racing extravaganza, racers compete on motorcycles, side-by-sides, and stock and modified four-wheel drive vehicles, in races like the Holley EFI Shootout, 4WP Every Man Challenge, and the Can-Am UTV KOH. Finally, the series finishes on Saturday with the crown jewel of the desert, The 2021 OPTIMA Batteries King of the Hammers race. 

Behind the wheel of an Ultra4 vehicle, the drivers, co-drivers, and race teams are put to the test in highly modified 4x4s capable of reaching well over one hundred miles an hour in the open desert section of the course. The vehicles must be more than capable of handling the boulder laden rock crawling terrain, using every bit of the driver's technical skill and testing the structural integrity of every component on the Ultra4. To be crowned King of the Hammers, there must be impeccable communication between driver, co-driver, and the rest of the team, and no small amount of mental acuity, focus, and determination. Check out the race schedule below (follow the link for the full schedule).

Check out this recap video of our friend Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s 2020 race in the 4400 class:

Be sure to keep an eye out for the unveiling of Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s and Loren Healy’s new look for the 2021 Ultra4 Racing season. The two 4400 unlimited class race Broncos feature new liveries designed by RTR, with guidance from the Ford Design Studio to capture the essence of the new Ford Bronco.

Vaughn and Loren, alongside fellow Ford driver Jason Scherer, will debut the new look to the public for the first time in Hammertown on Wednesday, February 3, at 12pm PT and live via the KOH livestream. The drivers will then get their first taste of competition for 2021 that afternoon with qualifying at approximately 4pm PT.

RACE SCHEDULE

Wednesday, February 3, 2021, ~ King of the Hammers: Qualifying + LCQ

Pre-Running Day (short course closed)

9:00 AM  - 5:00 PM King of the Hammers: Qualifying

10:00 AM Can-Am UTV King of the Hammers: Tech & Contingency

7:00 PM Mandatory Drivers meeting (All Classes | KOH, EMC, UTV)

Thursday, February 4, 2021 ~ The Can-Am UTV King of the Hammers, presented by Progressive Insurance

Pre-Running Closed / Hot Racecourse

8:00 AM – 6:00 PM The Can-Am UTV King of the Hammers START

10:00 AM 4WP Every Man Challenge: Tech & Contingency

6:00 PM The Can-Am UTV King of the Hammers END

Friday, February 5, 2021 ~ 4WP Every Man Challenge

Pre-Running Closed / Hot Racecourse

8:00 AM – 6:00 PM The 4WP Every Man Challenge START

10:00 AM King of the Hammers: Tech & Contingency

6:00 PM The 4WP Every Man Challenge END