Industry News

Mitch Guthrie Jr. On Top Step Amidst UTV Family Feud at King of the Hammers

Mitch Guthrie Jr.

It isn’t uncommon to find families enjoying weekends in the desert with their UTVs, and King of the Hammers (KOH) is no exception.  Just as the recreational market for these machines has exploded, so has UTV racing.  Now the largest class during the week-long series of races, multiple generations of the Guthrie, Greaves, Campbell, Gomez, and Currie families showed up to battle it out in the Can-Am UTV King of the Hammers presented by HCR.  UTVs have become markedly more capable each year, and their drivers have become equally as capable.  Additionally, a huge number of crossover drivers have tossed their hats into the ring for the UTV race, including past KOH winners Shannon Campbell, Erik Miller, and Loren Healy.  As a result, Hammerking promoter Dave Cole promised to make the 2018 Can-Am KOH UTV Race presented by HCR the toughest in history. 

 
Short course racers dominated qualifying, with Johnny Greaves, C.J. Greaves, and Casey Currie starting at the front of the 118-vehicle field.  C.J. Greaves jumped out to an early lead for the first 89 miles of the 134-mile race.  “It came down to being rookies,” Greaves confessed. “We made a couple of big mistakes like when we rolled on Sledge. We are just happy to be out here. And hopefully we can do it again. We didn’t pre-run all of it. It takes a lot of knowledge and the rocks are crazy. I don’t even want to see the bottom of this car!”

2018 Can-Am KOH UTV Race Presented by HCR Highlights

116 vehicles took on 134 miles of rocks and desert, and only 12 finished. Watch the highlights and story of the 2018 Can-Am Off-Road KOH UTV Race Presented by HCR Racing.Keep watching all of the action from this week at ultra4racing.com/live. #KOH2018

Posted by Ultra4 Racing on Thursday, February 8, 2018

 
Greaves relinquished the lead to Mitch Guthrie Jr. after Greaves rolled coming down the brutally rocky Sledgehammer Trail.  “I don’t know what to say, it has been a long road getting here. I’ve been riding with my dad and we had a few wins but I really wanted to do it myself.  I was so nervous though, I have never driven in rocks like this before.” Longtime rockcrawling competitor Mitch Guthrie Sr. was an early adopter of the UTV platform, having won KOH race six times in the UTV class, making him the winningest driver in King of the Hammers history.  But Guthrie Sr. suggested that his domination might be coming to an end after finishing third this year.  “It’s going to be a question about returning. I would like to, but I don’t know if I’m a top guy anymore with the young guns coming up. This was the worst one ever so far this year physically.”

 
Champion desert racer Branden Sims came in second place, the third time he has been a bridesmaid in the KOH UTV Race. “We qualified 19th so not the best place to start, but we got out in the desert and were catching people. I typically run desert races, and this is the only ULTRA4 event I do each year.  My father was a rockcrawler though, so I grew up with this.” The 134-mile course was the longest and most difficult in the history of the race, with only twelve of the 118 competitors reaching the checkered flag within the eight-hour time limit. 

Mitch Guthrie Jr.

Mitch Guthrie Jr.

 On both laps the course went down Backdoor, a ten-foot-tall rock ledge that put most competitors onto their lids.  “In short course we go all out for 20 minutes. In this thing, I had to talk myself out of being in race mode and to relax,” Johnny Greaves shared. Every once in a while, I would see someone in my mirror and I’d want to take off and my co-driver would have to reign me in. It’s not a race against other competitors, it’s a race to bring the machine to the finish.”

PLACE NAME CAR START LAP1 LAP2 PENALTY FINAL
1 MITCH GUTHRIE JR 9 8:01:00 1:53:45 4:00:58 0:00:00 5:54:43
2 BRANDEN SIMS 913 8:04:30 1:50:10 4:31:48 0:15:00 6:36:58
3 MITCH GUTHRIE SR 6 8:06:30 2:06:03 4:47:04 0:00:00 6:53:07
4 CASEY CURRIE 2 8:00:30 1:49:45 5:04:36 0:00:00 6:54:21
5 CJ GREAVES 33 8:00:00 1:47:08 4:55:56 0:15:00 6:58:04
6 MARC BURNETT 905 8:06:00 1:59:19 5:09:29 0:00:00 7:08:48
7 JOHNNY GREAVES 122 8:00:00 1:48:56 5:24:45 0:00:00 7:13:41
8 PHIL BLURTON 944 8:04:00 2:05:26 5:15:13 0:00:00 7:20:39
9 KYLE ANDERSON 1930 8:10:30 2:04:15 5:28:22 0:00:00 7:32:37
10 ROSS PILGREEN 111 8:07:00 2:02:20 5:42:58 0:03:00 7:48:18
11 JACOB VERSEY 4931 8:09:30 2:05:52 5:42:53 0:00:00 7:48:45
12 RICKY FARMER 4959 8:13:00 2:08:00 5:44:16 0:00:00 7:52:16
DNF LOREN HEALY 67 8:02:30 2:02:57 5:59:49 DNF OOT
DNF BAILEY CAMPBELL 35 8:05:30 2:31:42 5:38:26 DNF OOT
DNF CODY CURRIE 22 8:08:00 1:53:21 6:20:55 DNF OOT
DNF CASEY SCHERER 79 8:20:00 1:55:02 DNF DNF DNF
DNF CASEY PEOPLES 1128 8:11:00 1:56:35 DNF DNF DNF
DNF ROBERT VANBEEKUM 1964 8:01:30 2:01:48 DNF DNF DNF
DNF JOHN CURRIE 202 8:03:00 2:03:28 DNF DNF DNF
DNF JEFF PALHEGYI 1931 8:14:00 2:03:47 DNF DNF DNF
DNF CODY NYGREN 1916 8:11:30 2:05:47 DNF DNF DNF
DNF DEAN BULLOCH 93 8:16:00 2:06:32 DNF DNF DNF
DNF JT WALTON 1970 8:05:00 2:10:40 DNF DNF DNF
DNF BAILEY COLE 4954 8:22:30 2:12:52 DNF DNF DNF
DNF BRENT ZIMMERMAN 31 8:14:00 2:13:24 DNF DNF DNF
DNF GARISON CALLAWAY 1914 8:21:30 2:14:24 DNF DNF DNF
DNF KEVIN HART 773 8:06:30 2:14:52 DNF DNF DNF
DNF JOSH CHAPMAN 4907 8:27:00 2:17:06 DNF DNF DNF
DNF WAYLAND CAMPBELL 3 8:10:00 2:18:56 DNF DNF DNF
DNF SARA PRICE 78 8:03:30 2:19:19 DNF DNF DNF
DNF LOGAN GOODALL 1950 8:26:00 2:19:43 DNF DNF DNF
DNF AARON WEDEKING 1808 8:14:30 2:20:19 DNF DNF DNF
DNF JASON ONEAL 101 8:17:00 2:22:21 DNF DNF DNF
DNF JOHN DUCKWORTH 1920 8:12:30 2:25:08 DNF DNF DNF
DNF SHANE REDLINE 4912 8:24:00 2:25:50 DNF DNF DNF
DNF GEORGE HEFFINGTON 1973 8:21:00 2:26:05 DNF DNF DNF
DNF JAMES CANTRELL 502 8:11:00 2:28:10 DNF DNF DNF
DNF ERIK JOKINEN 901 8:26:00 2:29:56 DNF DNF DNF
DNF MICHAEL SAWYER 4905 8:15:00 2:30:20 DNF DNF DNF
DNF MATT CHAPMAN 52 8:16:00 2:30:27 DNF DNF DNF
DNF GREG UFFENS 1944 8:15:30 2:34:36 DNF DNF DNF
DNF KNOX GRIFFIN 278 8:03:00 2:34:57 DNF DNF DNF
DNF DUSTIN ROBBINS 311 8:09:30 2:36:00 DNF DNF DNF
DNF CONNOR FULTS 4906 8:12:00 2:37:20 DNF DNF DNF
DNF PAT OKEEFE 4923 8:19:30 2:39:52 DNF DNF DNF
DNF EVAN ENGELHARDT 1991 8:02:00 2:42:52 DNF DNF DNF
DNF TRAVIS ZOLLINGER 220 8:12:00 2:43:21 DNF DNF DNF
DNF BILL BAIRD 5252 8:07:30 2:47:57 DNF DNF DNF
DNF AARON QUESADA 3124 8:10:00 2:49:42 DNF DNF DNF
DNF AARON HENRY 209 8:14:30 2:50:36 DNF DNF DNF
DNF JAMI PELLEGRINO 485 8:23:00 2:51:36 DNF DNF DNF
DNF SHANNON CAMPBELL 5 8:01:30 2:57:56 DNF DNF DNF
DNF JEROD BIRZER 425 8:19:00 2:58:12 DNF DNF DNF
DNF ALAN CLARK 4975 8:04:30 2:58:44 DNF DNF DNF
DNF MATT MYRICK 2116 8:26:30 3:02:23 DNF DNF DNF
DNF PHIL CAGLIERO 21 8:03:30 3:02:32 DNF DNF DNF
DNF HUBERT ROWLAND 615 8:15:30 3:03:41 DNF DNF DNF
DNF CHRIS ARMSTRONG 706 8:15:00 3:06:42 DNF DNF DNF
DNF NATHAN OWEN 1776 8:28:00 3:08:45 DNF DNF DNF
DNF DREW SCHULTS 1932 8:19:30 3:09:16 DNF DNF DNF
DNF JUSTIN BARTH 2700 8:20:00 3:10:53 DNF DNF DNF
DNF JUSTIN COCHRAN 4972 8:25:30 3:11:24 DNF DNF DNF
DNF TOMAS LLAMAS 726 8:20:30 3:14:05 DNF DNF DNF
DNF CRAIG HONNOLL 1908 8:18:30 3:15:46 DNF DNF DNF
DNF MATTHEW WILSON 1903 8:09:00 3:17:53 DNF DNF DNF
DNF CHACE RODD 4970 8:22:00 3:19:26 DNF DNF DNF
DNF JOSHUA SMITH 1948 8:23:30 3:21:12 DNF DNF DNF
DNF JIM HENLE 411 8:17:30 3:21:26 DNF DNF DNF
DNF ROBERT FORREST SMITH 965 8:18:00 3:21:31 DNF DNF DNF
DNF BLAKE VAN DE LOO 1945 8:02:00 3:37:54 DNF DNF DNF
DNF JASON WELLER 1910 8:05:00 3:44:27 DNF DNF DNF
DNF SEAN STROUD 1028 8:00:30 3:45:41 DNF DNF DNF
DNF BEN COLLIER 713 8:25:30 3:46:03 DNF DNF DNF
DNF RYAN BERGAMINI 1933 8:24:00 3:46:04 DNF DNF DNF
DNF MARK MACDONALD 4910 8:24:30 3:46:39 DNF DNF DNF
DNF BRIAN FULKERSON 208 8:24:00 3:49:12 DNF DNF DNF
DNF MICHAEL LEE 211 8:23:00 3:53:31 DNF DNF DNF
DNF AUSTIN WEILAND 4927 8:04:00 4:00:22 DNF DNF DNF
DNF ERIK MILLER 921 8:05:30 4:05:25 DNF DNF DNF
DNF BILL HILLIARD 89 8:13:00 4:12:03 DNF DNF DNF
DNF TYSON SMITH 4944 8:18:30 4:18:36 DNF DNF DNF
DNF SCOTT MUCHOW 4916 8:07:30 4:20:26 DNF DNF DNF
DNF BRIAN CAPRARA 991 8:08:30 4:28:28 DNF DNF DNF
DNF CHRIS BARNETT 1961 8:07:00 4:48:22 DNF DNF DNF
DNF DARIAN GOMEZ 90 8:01:00 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF JESSE JOHNSON 1947 8:02:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF RON SCHAEFER 4911 8:06:00 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF DUSTIN NELSON 994 8:08:00 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF AUSTIN PENNINGTON 259 8:08:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF SEAN HALUCH 1905 8:09:00 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF GEORGE LISENBERY 1966 8:10:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF KIERAN COX 142 8:11:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF JP GOMEZ 82 8:12:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF WILL HARRIS 4903 8:13:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF RAUL GOMEZ 83 8:13:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF AARON CLARK 1002 8:16:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF COLE CLARK 24 8:16:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF DAVID MIZE 5585 8:17:00 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF PATRICK MURRAY 902 8:17:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF BRAYDON EDDY 4985 8:18:00 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF RANDY JELLEFF 4902 8:19:00 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF DAN WALLER 261 8:20:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF ROB FRYREAR 1999 8:21:00 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF MARCOS GOMEZ 86 8:21:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF BROC SMITH 1941 8:22:00 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF DANIEL MARKLEY 777 8:22:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF PAUL KROUT 4915 8:23:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF JEFFREY DONDA 4908 8:24:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF CHASE BRIDGMON 1975 8:25:00 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF TODD COOK 1110 8:26:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF TANNER STEPHENS 6851 8:27:00 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF RANDY SOUTHALL 4988 8:27:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNF LUIS GALLARDO 492 8:27:30 DNF DNF DNF DNF
DNS OCEAN RODD 4913 8:24:00 DNS DNF DNF DNS
DNS ROBBY GORDON 4977 8:25:00 DNS DNF DNF DNS

Past Winners
 
2017- Shannon Campbell
2016- Blake Van De Loo
2015- Mitch Guthrie Sr.
2014- Mitch Guthrie Sr.
2013- Mitch Guthrie Sr.
2012- Mitch Guthrie Sr.
2011- Brandon Schueler
2010- Mitch Guthrie Sr.
2009- Mitch Guthrie Sr.

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