Ford Bronco Ready to Conquer the King of Hammers
An impressive roster of Bronco teams will be participating in the Ultra4 4400 Unlimited and 4600 Stock racing categories at the renowned King of the Hammers off-road race
Ford Performance and Ford Bronco are gearing up for another thrilling adventure at Johnson Valley. With a talented lineup of drivers and teams, they are ready to conquer the rugged terrain at the King of the Hammers off-road race. This exciting event, which kicks off the Ultra4 Off-Road Racing season in the US, has been a great success for Ford in the past. In fact, they have secured impressive 1-2-3 finishes in the 4600 class for the last two seasons.
The 18th annual King of the Hammers, happening through Feb. 4, promises to be an exhilarating experience. It features challenging 90-mile courses that include high-speed desert sands and tricky rock crawling. This competition is known for pushing the limits and is considered one of the most extreme off-road races in the world. With approximately 100,000 spectators expected to attend in person and millions more watching online, the excitement is palpable.
Mark Rushbrook, Director of Global Ford Performance Motorsports, expressed his enthusiasm for returning to King of the Hammers. He emphasized the importance of showcasing the performance and reliability of the Bronco while taking on the demanding proving grounds of Johnson Valley. Ford Performance is entering a stellar lineup of Bronco teams in the Ultra4 4400 Unlimited and 4600 Stock racing classes, further adding to the anticipation of this thrilling event.
4600 Stock Class in the Every Man Challenge: The 4600 class follows close-to-stock regulations, where each Ford Bronco begins as a factory vehicle from Michigan Assembly Plant, but can be enhanced with modification options from Ford Performance for Bronco SUVs.
Ford will have three teams competing in the Every Man Challenge:
Loren Healy and Vaughn Gittin Jr. (No. 2567), 2023 Every Man Challenge 4600 class winners, will once again navigate Johnson Valley in their Bronco 4600
Brad Lovell and Adam Lovell (No. 4621), the father-son duo participating in their second race together, Lovell’s second-place finish in 2023 and first place in 2022
Bailey Cole and Cole Johnson (No. 13) anticipate a competitive performance in the Bronco 4600 after Bailey Cole’s 2023 third-place finish.
4400 Category in the Nitto Race of Kings: The Ford vehicles competing in the unlimited 4400 Race of Kings category are well-known in the off-road racing world, with powerful machines carrying the Bronco name. The Bronco Raptor FOX live valve shock technology truly stands out on these race vehicles with full tubular chassis. Three-time 4400 winner Jason Scherer (No. 76), Loren Healy (No. 67), Vaughn Gittin Jr. (No. 25) and Bailey Cole (No. 13) are all expected to race and rock crawl their Unlimited 4400 Bronco SUVs to the finish line.
Christopher Polvoorde (No. 294), a rising star in off-road racing, is gearing up to unveil his new Mason Motorsports Trophy Truck Ford in the Unlimited Truck category at the upcoming desert race on Sunday, January 28th. With an impressive second-place finish in 2023, he is determined to claim the top spot this year.
Ford Performance will be present in Hammertown with a lineup of Ford vehicles, including the F150 Lightning Switchgear and the Bronco DR. The F-150 Lightning Switchgear is an off-road electric demonstrator developed in partnership with RTR, while the Bronco DR is a limited-production competition Bronco designed specifically for desert racing, featuring a powerful Ford Coyote 5.0-liter V8 engine.
