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As the official tire of the second annual King of the Hammers, BFGoodrich® Tires looks to secure its second straight victory in Johnson Valley, Calif., on Friday, February 27. In 2008, BFGoodrich enjoyed capturing the top two podium positions in the ultimate off-road event.
This year's King of the Hammers has nearly quadrupled in popularity with more than 150 drivers competing for 92 spots. The 100-mile course includes some of rock crawling's most technical courses combined with wide-open, off-road racing. More than 60 drivers will compete in a last-chance qualifier that will take place on the infamous two-mile loop in Johnson Valley, Calif., known as the "Backdoor." The last-chance qualifier will take place on Thursday, February 26, and fill the remaining 10 spots.
For the second year straight, BFGoodrich teams will compete on a variety of tires, including the BFGoodrich Krawler™ T/A®KX tire and a newly redesigned BFGoodrich Baja T/A®KRT tire, which is a combination of the Baja T/A and Krawler designed specifically for rock racing and King of the Hammers.
"Similar to the Baja 1000, we believe King of the Hammers is a great platform for showcasing BFGoodrich Tires' support of off-road racing and rock crawling," said Frank DeAngelo, off-road motorsports manager for BFGoodrich Tires. "This year's King of the Hammers is going to be one of the toughest courses that off-road racing has ever seen with two very different types of terrain. BFGoodrich Tires takes pride in providing specialized race tires such as the BFGoodrich Baja T/AKRT tire to respond to specific types of terrain. The technology we learn through motorsports is transferred directly to the tires, and this race is the ultimate."
Last year, Shannon Campbell took the checkered flag after starting 43rd out of 44 total racers. Campbell, who raced on BFGoodrich Krawler T/AKX tires in 2008, will begin the 2009 race in the 65th position. Casey Currie, who finished second overall on BFGoodrich Krawler T/AKX tires, will begin in the 35th position.
Along with Campbell and Currie, other drivers to watch out for are the Lovell brothers, Brad and Roger, who will be driving in separate rigs. Roger looks to improve on his 17th place finish from 2008. Additional drivers to follow are Dean Bulloch, who finished eighth overall in 2008, and Tracy Jordan and Jason Scherer, who will both be driving new vehicles in 2009. Other notables include Jason Paulie and Joachim Schwiesow of Rock Runner Racing, 2008 W.e. Rock Pro Modified National Champion Derek West, female driver Nicole Johnson and Jeff Mello, who will kick off the event by starting first overall.
In addition to being the official tire for the race, BFGoodrich Tires will be lending pit and communications support to teams through its fleet of off-road motorsports vehicles. This immense undertaking involves more than 40 off-road enthusiasts and volunteers who donate their time to help King of the Hammers live up to its "ultimate desert race" status.
BFGoodrich Tires is also proud to be hosting an on-site media/hospitality area during the event. Located immediately opposite from tech and contingency and within close proximity of the start/finish, the hospitality area will serve as a place for media to cover the race while enjoying complimentary snacks and beverages. Real-time race tracking and updates provided by RallyTrack.com will also be available at the media/hospitality area. event officials and supporting sponsors will post press information and results for use in developing stories during the race.
Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 30 years, BFGoodrich Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally and extreme rock crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high performance tire for every type of vehicle.
About BFGoodrich
BFGoodrich Tires is dedicated to providing high performance tires for those who have a passion for driving in virtually any environment. Combining technical expertise with 50 years of motorsports experience, BFGoodrich delivers tires for a full range of driving experiences from ultra-high performance street to off-road terrain with one common theme – extreme performance. Come upgrade your performance with BFGoodrich and see where our tires can take you at BFGoodrichTires.com, BFGoodrichRacing.com, as well as on Facebook and Instagram at @BFGoodrichTires and TikTok at @BFGoodrich.