Ford Bronco Earns Third Consecutive King of the Hammers Win
Ford #Bronco 4600 once again took on and conquered one of the toughest tests in the off-road race calendar in its third King of the Hammers appearance. A victory over both the field and rugged terrain in this year’s edition marks a third consecutive win in the turnkey, race-ready stock class and once again showcases Bronco’s Built Wild credentials.
Brad Lovell registered his third consecutive pole position, but Bailey Cole set the pace on his way to victory. Cole recorded his first-ever King of the Hammers 4600 class crown to lead a record-breaking field of six Broncos.
“We knew going into this year that it was going to be a rough course,” Cole said. “I thought that there might be opportunities to take creative lines to get an advantage, and the Bronco just performed regardless of what we threw at it. We got into an early lead and kept it rolling. Man, I can’t believe it. This feels amazing. To do this in Bronco has me on cloud nine. When we came across the finish line, and I got the No. 1 from my dad, it was so special.”
In the last three seasons, Bronco has firmly established its presence as one of the most capable stock class entrants of the event following an unprecedented sweep of the podium in its first two years. Loren Healy and Vaughn Gittin Jr., who had won the event in the past two years, earned a hard-fought second place despite facing multiple challenges along the way. Healy was fresh off a 2023 Ultra4 Racing National Championship in October, followed by helping the F150 Raptor R to a SCORE Baja 1000 full-size class win.
“King of the Hammers, undoubtedly, remains one of the truest tests for our Bronco products,” said Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsports Mark Rushbrook. “It has been the venue for many developments to make Bronco even better for customers worldwide. We’re happy to see our success continue for a third year in a row, but it’s even more satisfying to see more Broncos in the field. It’s a testament to our continual development and passion behind our off-road program.”
King of the Hammers is one of the world’s foremost off-road events and the first race in the 2024 Ultra4 Racing season. The race is renowned for its unpredictability and brutality and this year was no exception. Competitors faced high levels of attrition, battling the natural elements that range from large rock formations and deep silt to high-speed lake beds but once again, Bronco rose to the challenge in a highly competitive field to cement its position as the off-road leader of the pack.
