A large dust cloud hovers over the otherwise clear Johnson Valley in Southern California. Just past the town of Lucerne Valley, a plot of public land is filled with all manner of off-road vehicles: dirt bikes, first-gen Toyota trucks with welded roll cages, brand-new Broncos, tiny four-wheelers piloted by children, and UTVs. RV campsites sprawl into the desert on either side, a temporary structure houses a bar and restaurant, and the road ends at a vendor village that could rival a small county fair.
Welcome to Hammertown, the temporary desert city that springs up every January for 16 days for an off-road race series known as King of the Hammers. Think Burning Man meets Mad Max, but sponsored by Monster Energy.
Having recently completed its 20th year, Hammers started as a contest between 13 friends and now comprises a series of races featuring everything from dirt bikes to VW Bugs to million-dollar trophy trucks. Most notably, it’s the birthplace of the Ultra4 series, which includes the Race of Kings—commonly called the world’s toughest single-day off-road race—which combines 100-mph-plus desert racing with highly technical rock crawling. At 245 miles, this year’s race was the most difficult to date. Only two teams finished under the 14-hour time allotment. The event now draws over 80,000 attendees, who can purchase general admission tickets starting at $100, and features approximately 750 racers, both professional and amateur, from all over the world. People can watch at home too: Organizers say that 1.2 million viewers watched online this year.
As King of the Hammers enters its third decade, it’s clear how far off-roading has come from the days of “shit-box” trucks covered in dents and stickers to logo-emblazoned purpose-built rigs easily costing into the hundreds of thousands. Ultra4 races occur internationally, and the off-road vehicle market is valued at more than $22 billion, according to Grand View Research.
Beyond the sponsor banners and factory-backed rigs, many vehicles double as political statements. They have custom vinyl wraps, antenna-mounted flags, and stickered tailgates. While the Stars and Stripes are displayed most prominently, Gadsden flags are common; “1776,” “We the People,” and Second Amendment slogans also appear regularly. Trump flags are present, though far fewer than one might expect given the setting. One says “Guns, Beer, Titties, Freedom.” The personalization of vehicles points to a recurring theme—a preoccupation with autonomy—set against one of the largest open off-highway vehicle areas in the country. King of the Hammers isn’t just about who crosses the finish line first, it’s about a community that returns each winter to break things, fix them, and break them again.
