WINNING THE TOUGHEST RACE ON THE PLANET

WINNING THE TOUGHEST

RACE ON THE PLANET

Randy Slawson joins the three-time king club at the 2021 King of the Hammers.

STORY: SHAUN OCHSNER PHOTOS: SHAUN OCHSNER & DAVE ARNOLD

COVER STORY

Fourteen years ago, a group of guys racing for a case of beer and bragging rights started what would be become one of the toughest races on the planet. The King of the Hammers. Back then the builds were simple rock buggies that could navigate the best of the hammer trails in Johnson Valley. Every year since then, the rock buggy evolves into a fully built capable machine with high end parts costing in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is what competition looks like at the highest level. People from all over the world descend on Johnson Valley for a chance at winning the coveted King of the Hammers race. Still, in fourteen years, only seven guys have claimed the crown. Several of them, multiple times. 2020 saw a new winner. Josh Blyler. Just one year later, the Kings club remains a club for the elite. Slawson founded Bomber Fabrication. He began building, maintaining and repairing off-road vehicles. Slawson races the same Bomber chassis he sells to his customers.

Randy Slawson won the King of the Hammers for third time in his career. Slawson actually co-drove with JR Reynolds who won the very first King of the Hammers event¬ in 2007. In 2009,

“My year begins and ends in February. It’s not in January, like everybody else’s,” Slawson explained. “This is the only thing that I live eat, breathe sleep, dream - King of the Hammers.”

-Randy Slawson

Slawson qualified in the 29th position. At these races it’s not always about who starts out front. This year, promoter Dave Cole set up one of the toughest Hammers races in history. As Cole put it, “too many people finished last year’s race.” The Hammer trails are punishing on vehicles. The attrition rate is insane. Less than 50% of the field usually finishes the race before the clock runs out. Ultra-4 racers had to complete a new trail called “Kings Graveyard” on their third lap. According to Cole, Kings Graveyard is by far the hardest, longest and steepest trail at an Ultra4 event. The Kings Graveyard would live up to its name, eating vehicles left and right. Some wouldn’t even be recoverable until the next day. Racers had a 14-hour time limit to complete the 190-mile course. While the physical battle is always in the rocks, racers struggle with vehicle selection. The long standing debate is between IFS (independent front suspension) vs. straight axle. Slawson’s Bomber buggy is a straight axle which helps continue the argument that straight axle vehicles have the advantage at the Hammers. Slawson only races one event a year. That is King of the Hammers. He spends months prepping and pre-running for the Hammers. For the outsider, the $65,000 payout is minimal given the amount of support needed and preparation that goes into racing the Hammers.

Eighty-seven vehicles started the race. There were only 37 finishers. JP Gomez was the first vehicle off the line followed by Jason Scherer. Scherer quickly took over the lead for the first lap in his rock buggy that resembled the new Ford Bronco. Scherer was one of three drivers running a Ford Bronco body. His Bronco teammates included Loren Healy and Vaughn Gittin Jr. Over the next several hours the race leader would change as vehicles got hung up in the punishing rock sections. Cameron Steele’s day looked to be promising. Steele had raced every class and was ready to show the world what he had. Unfortunately, the Hammers had other plans for the ambitious Steele. He quickly became a casualty of Kings Graveyard. Somehow through it all in the middle of the afternoon, Slawson was just miles from the finish line on his way to his third win to secure the crown. Slawson came roaring across the finish line. Everyone held

LEFT: JP Gomez finished the King of the Hammers in second place. their breath for several minutes. Slawson needed to wait before anyone came across the finish line to determine he was a winner. It wasn’t long before JP Gomez came in excited to pass the checkered flag and beat his brother Raul Gomez. Slawson was finally awarded the official win.

After the usual check presentation on the podium Slawson was handed the keys to a brand new 2021 Ford Bronco. Slawson’s third win not only cements his title as an extremely talented driver, it helps him sell more Bomber chassis. Customers want to buy a proven winning race vehicle and Slawson’s straight axle bomber may just be part of the secret sauce needed to fully get it and win the King of the Hammers.