King of the Hammers discussion

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
Guess its that time again.

Opening ceremony w/ a flyover from USMC Osprey etc.

Man this has become quite the affair, since a decade ago w/ just Lance in a van and a microphone, lol
 
I love watching but it seems every year I'm working and can't really tune in like I would like to.

So far, it's been good though. Glad to see Ken and Scott getting out there and being a part of it.
 
Shannon is changing a trans in the pits right now.



Looks like Jay is out also

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By my crude guesstimations there was 100000 HP and 20mil worth of rigs starting the race today.

Weather is absolutely perfect.

Where can I find burnt race gas cologne?

That first lap is some of the worst chopped out desert sections out here.

Big whooped out 3-4’ rollers at 30-40’ spacing on one side, while Other side is nearly square edge 16-24” deep chop. Brutally rough.
 
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I really wonder what the big consistent players are spending on this little race?
Like for instance Jay and his break. Replacing parts based on cycle time? Visual inspections or we spending radiography money?

I'm a small world mentality when it comes to finances. I've never rubbed shoulders with or been around money. It boggles my mind. Once and only once I worked for a NASCAR driver hanging steel on a really big house build. Been at a banquet behind scenes deal at DEI. Overwhelmed was a good word.
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
I really wonder what the big consistent players are spending on this little race?
Like for instance Jay and his break. Replacing parts based on cycle time? Visual inspections or we spending radiography money?

I'm a small world mentality when it comes to finances. I've never rubbed shoulders with or been around money. It boggles my mind. Once and only once I worked for a NASCAR driver hanging steel on a really big house build. Been at a banquet behind scenes deal at DEI. Overwhelmed was a good word.
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What's the saying, the easiest way to become a millionaire racing, is to have been a billionaire first.
 
Bailey Campbell in the lead by a good margin. Very impressive.
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
I really wonder what the big consistent players are spending on this little race?
Like for instance Jay and his break. Replacing parts based on cycle time? Visual inspections or we spending radiography money?

I'm a small world mentality when it comes to finances. I've never rubbed shoulders with or been around money. It boggles my mind. Once and only once I worked for a NASCAR driver hanging steel on a really big house build. Been at a banquet behind scenes deal at DEI. Overwhelmed was a good word.
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Its been said in years past that some of the bigger name teams are pre-running on one set of parts minus the driveline, rebuilding the whole machine on Thursday and cycling the prerun parts to spares for the big race. Thats FU money kind of race prep. The race strategy nerd in me questions whether that approach is seriously worth it. Every year the live feed seems to mention a top contender taken out by something that was probably replaced earlier in the week. ARB line pinched, bolts loose etc. I don't like the variables a full rebuild in a tent in the desert presents.

Bench racing, I'd fully prep my race rig. Go out and do some shock testing, run a few trails and then go park it. Spend time going over it thoroughly at night while pre running in another rig during the day. Its like practice bike vs race bike in moto but on a much bigger scale. But lets be real, if you can afford a 100k Ultra4, youve got friends whose shit you can go prerun in and get a feel for what the course is like.
 
StretchASU said:
Its been said in years past that some of the bigger name teams are pre-running on one set of parts minus the driveline, rebuilding the whole machine on Thursday and cycling the prerun parts to spares for the big race. Thats FU money kind of race prep. The race strategy nerd in me questions whether that approach is seriously worth it. Every year the live feed seems to mention a top contender taken out by something that was probably replaced earlier in the week. ARB line pinched, bolts loose etc. I don't like the variables a full rebuild in a tent in the desert presents.

Bench racing, I'd fully prep my race rig. Go out and do some shock testing, run a few trails and then go park it. Spend time going over it thoroughly at night while pre running in another rig during the day. Its like practice bike vs race bike in moto but on a much bigger scale. But lets be real, if you can afford a 100k Ultra4, youve got friends whose shit you can go prerun in and get a feel for what the course is like.
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100k ain't even scratching it anymore...
 
Cant remembered which rig they were talking about but he was leading around 3pm and showed him pulling cable to save the rig. They said they had an estimated $750,000 in the rig.
 
StretchASU said:
Its been said in years past that some of the bigger name teams are pre-running on one set of parts minus the driveline, rebuilding the whole machine on Thursday and cycling the prerun parts to spares for the big race. Thats FU money kind of race prep. The race strategy nerd in me questions whether that approach is seriously worth it. Every year the live feed seems to mention a top contender taken out by something that was probably replaced earlier in the week. ARB line pinched, bolts loose etc. I don't like the variables a full rebuild in a tent in the desert presents.

Bench racing, I'd fully prep my race rig. Go out and do some shock testing, run a few trails and then go park it. Spend time going over it thoroughly at night while pre running in another rig during the day. Its like practice bike vs race bike in moto but on a much bigger scale. But lets be real, if you can afford a 100k Ultra4, youve got friends whose shit you can go prerun in and get a feel for what the course is like.
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I think some of that is why you see many of the top guys running UTVs, EMC, and even T1s this yr to get seat time.

One of the commentators mentioned that the top guys spend hundreds of hrs running the rock trails to learn the different lines... I'm not sure how true that is.
 
I could be behind the ball since I didn't get to see most of the EMC... But I am thinking that newer Chevys might be getting cheap enough to consider using in the Stock class? LS engine, 4/6 spd trans, double a-arm front. I could see it being a hand full in the Rick section though.

I did enjoy seeing a Sami on-course though.
 
Ron said:
100k ain't even scratching it anymore...
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Not to the level of KOH guys...but I realized pretty quick to stay away from unlimited classes at even podunk mud pits because guys were taking out second mortgages to fund a $50k engine build to win a $1000 purse and bragging rights 3 counties wide. If the local racer is willing to go that far, I can only imagine what a dedicated race team drops.
 
The top tier teams are on par with the trophy truck teams.

Most of them preran the course forward and backward before the map was released.


Prerunning is great as a change in shock tune last minute can be the key to success out there.

The other issue is the rock sections change every night with the trail wheelers out there digging holes and moving rocks.

Definite advantage to prerunning the rock sections to find different lines.

I preran a few rock sections in a buggy on 40” stickies, several times to see each alternative line choice for race day. Helps me see the lines before hitting it with 35’s on race day.

We passed 3 cars in 100 yards taking an alternative line that we found the day before. Those three were bottlenecked and waiting at one spot. Drove around and saved 15+ minutes of wait time.

Even with all the money you can throw at it, and Can do the absolute best prep,

It still takes a ton of absolute luck to win.

You just have to be having practically your best day ever to pull it off. That course was freaking brutal, bc of all the prerunning done in the last month. That’s one reason it was so chopped up.

With $165k up for grabs for 1st between 4400 & T1, it pushed for tons of seat time out there.

To me, ideally you need a sxs with big travel and 32-35” tires to prerun the desert, and a solid axle on 40” stickies to prerun the rock sections.

What an awesome week at one of the most insane places for wheeling on earth.
 
Mac5005 said:
The top tier teams are on par with the trophy truck teams.

Most of them preran the course forward and backward before the map was released.


Prerunning is great as a change in shock tune last minute can be the key to success out there.

The other issue is the rock sections change every night with the trail wheelers out there digging holes and moving rocks.

Definite advantage to prerunning the rock sections to find different lines.

I preran a few rock sections in a buggy on 40” stickies, several times to see each alternative line choice for race day. Helps me see the lines before hitting it with 35’s on race day.

We passed 3 cars in 100 yards taking an alternative line that we found the day before. Those three were bottlenecked and waiting at one spot. Drove around and saved 15+ minutes of wait time.

Even with all the money you can throw at it, and Can do the absolute best prep,

It still takes a ton of absolute luck to win.

You just have to be having practically your best day ever to pull it off. That course was freaking brutal, bc of all the prerunning done in the last month. That’s one reason it was so chopped up.

With $165k up for grabs for 1st between 4400 & T1, it pushed for tons of seat time out there.

To me, ideally you need a sxs with big travel and 32-35” tires to prerun the desert, and a solid axle on 40” stickies to prerun the rock sections.

What an awesome week at one of the most insane places for wheeling on earth.
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One thing I thought about while watching some and hearing the comments; Along with your comments here. Building a Chase truck that you could prerun with, might give an advantage. I know a Chase truck isn't quite the same here, as outside assistance is illegal, but does that include spotting? I felt like I heard comments that would indicate some teams had spotters outside the car? I could definitely see an advantage having a local, or someone that knows the rock sections extremely well, stationed nearby helping to suggest alt lines. Dave has thought about alot, so I'm sure that's illegal.
 
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