DPV Podcast: King of the Hammers 2025 – An Insane Off-Road Spectacle!

Hey everyone! Josh and Alex recently dedicated an entire DPV Podcast episode to King of the Hammers 2025, and it sounds like it was absolutely wild! If you’re an off-road enthusiast, this recap will get you fired up.

What is King of the Hammers?

King of the Hammers started in 2007 with just 12 teams and has exploded into a massive event, drawing 100,000 spectators and hundreds of teams [02:22]. It’s considered the most hardcore off-road race in the country, even tougher than the Baja 1000, with only about 30% of teams finishing [03:03]. The event takes place in “Hammertown,” a temporary city that pops up with vendors, food trucks, and a giant screen to watch the race [03:44]. OnX provides a map to help spectators find the best viewing spots [04:08], and the clover-shaped course makes it easy to move around and catch the action [04:27]. They have different classes for various vehicles, from trophy trucks to stock vehicles [05:09].

Every Man Challenge: Racing for the “Little Guy”

The Every Man Challenge is a highlight, featuring rigs in the $80,000-$100,000 range, a far cry from the million-dollar builds in the main race [07:30]. This year’s challenge included three classes:

• 4500 Modified: Production vehicles with factory frames (motor mount to back of seats), allowing significant modifications to suspension, axles, engine, and transmission, but limited to 37-inch DOT tires [09:14].
• 4600 Stock: Highly restricted class requiring a production vehicle (at least 1,000 made) with a complete, unmodified factory frame, factory-style suspension, and stock-style engine [10:55]. Body mods are limited, and the max tire size is 35-inch DOT [12:32].
• 4800 Legends: Features older 4400 buggies, limited to 37-inch tires, solid axles, and one shock per corner [12:47].

Epic Race Moments

Josh and Alex witnessed some incredible moments, starting at the line as vehicles launched two at a time [13:47]. They then headed to Chocolate Thunder [14:30], a brutal section where vehicles descended a traditional uphill route only to make a hard 90-degree left turn up a vertical mountain. They saw numerous rollovers and teams helping each other out [15:11]. Next up was Sledgehammer [16:20], where the constantly shifting boulders made the course unpredictable [16:43]. They were impressed by the co-drivers, who often had to winch and spot without communication systems [17:16]. Finally, they watched near the finish line at Backdoor [19:01], noting that only about 30% of teams finished the Every Man Challenge [19:18].

The Night Scene: Mayhem and Spectacle

As night fell, the event turned into a giant party, with all sorts of vehicles attempting the obstacles [19:44]. Josh and Alex saw everything from a stock CJ to a moped tackling the course [20:01]. Thousands of spectators offered their “expert” opinions [20:40], and they witnessed a Nissan breaking both axles and a Toyota rock bouncer making it look easy [21:18]. They noted that Thursday night was less crowded, providing better viewing opportunities [22:11], and were impressed by the Toyota pickups with their deep gearing and lockers [22:24].

Fantasy Builds: Every Man Challenge Edition

Of course, they couldn’t resist discussing their dream Every Man Challenge rigs [25:05]:

• Josh’s Build: A 1981 CJ7 for the 4600 Stock class [25:18], focusing on the best leaf springs, maximum suspension travel, a factory V8 (like a 304 or 401 AMC) [25:56], beefy axles (Dana 44 or 60), and a Turbo 400 transmission with an Atlas transfer case [28:01]. He’d stretch it slightly for better angles [27:40].
• Alex’s Build: A ’91 Ford Explorer, also for the 4600 Stock class [29:19], potentially swapping in a full-width Dana 50 or 60 in the rear, keeping the TTB front, and using a 302 engine with GT40 heads [29:35]. He’d push the front axle forward and comp cut the rear fenders [30:00].

Final Thoughts

Josh and Alex highly recommend attending King of the Hammers, emphasizing its affordability and non-stop action [32:06].