By BETTY MUNSON
You can get your King of Hammers spectator wristbands for all Hammers Week events at the Johnson Valley Community Center, we hope by Saturday, Jan. 11. Won't know for sure till next week.
Dave Cole, producer of King of the Hammers, offers the wristbands free, but asks spectators to give a donation of $20 to help pay for all the special amenities we enjoy, including the extra portapotties, and the two Jumbotrons to view distant race action live, that we might otherwise not be able to see. Having your wristband means you can go to any race, and into Hammertown at night.
As a courtesy to us, his local Johnson Valley neighbors, the donation is only $15 at the Johnson Valley Community Center, and $5 of that will be donated back to us, toward support of the Center.
The King of the Hammers has grown from a competition among a few friends into the ultimate desert race for many kinds of off-highway vehicles. As of New Year's Eve, more than 275 teams had already registered to race at the Hammers between Saturday, Feb. 1 and Friday, Feb.7.
That includes:
• Motorcycle teams qualifying and racing for the King of the Motos on Saturday and Sunday;
• On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be the extreme 4x4 rock/desert racers pre-running, time trials and Last Chance Qualifying rounds;
• UTV side-by-side pro and amateur teams race on Wednesday;
• And on Thursday the Smittybilt Every Man Challenge sends stock vehicles, stock modified, specs and legends onto the grueling Hammers trails.
• Then Friday, Feb. 7, it’s “The Big Race,” the Griffin King of the Hammers presented by Nitto Tire.
The amazing Hammertown vendor show, so much of the attraction of Hammers week, gives both racers and spectators the opportunity to see the latest and most popular offerings in the off-road aftermarket.
See www.ultra4racing.com for all the details.