Nitto Tires in King of the Hammers
Since I am going to the King of the Hammers this season I wanted to know about some of the tires that are specially built and designed for the event. Nitto tire expects great results at this year’s Ultra4 sanctioned King of the Hammers race. The tires are called Trail Grappler® Race Tires and six sponsored race teams are using them.
Why is the KOH so demanding of tires?
Johnson Valley, CA is home to some of the toughest off road trails in the world. There are sharp embedded rocks, sheer drop offs, and hundreds of miles of hard pack dirt trails. The combination of high speeds and dangerous rocks means that drivers have to be on top of their game at all times during the race. One wrong move could slice a tire wide open, roll a vehicle over, or even stop it from finishing a race. Just a few miles North East of Johnson Valley is the 29 Palms Marine ground combat training grounds where soldiers train with tanks and Humvees and the Marines aren’t known for taking it easy.
When you designed the Nitto Trail Grappler K-spec® tire for the KOH - what are the tire characteristic you try to bring forward?
To be prepared for KOH you need to have a tire that can be stable at high speeds as well as provide traction in the slower rock crawling sections. You also have to consider durability when you are navigating a race of this type. Nitto took its Trail Grappler MT and modified the internal construction for increased durability, and sidewall design for puncture resistance and added traction in the rocks. We produced this tire in a 40x13.50R17 size to give race vehicles added ground clearance. Our engineers have taken their years of motorsports knowledge in rock crawling and desert racing and combined them to produce the Trail Grappler rock race tire.
Cypress, Calif. – Jan. 17, 2011 – Nitto Tire, a leading producer of high performance tires is prepping for a big win at this year’s toughest desert race, King of the Hammers: The Ultimate Desert Race (KOH). Nitto Tire has put together some of the top winning drivers into six officially sponsored teams to tackle this extreme test of strategy, speed and guts. To further their edge in this competition, Nitto Tire has also developed a new, non-DOT tire specifically for this event called the 40x13.50R17 Trail Grappler K-spec®. The first tire designed for speed and rock climbing – two essential tests known in the KOH – the 40x13.50R17 Trail Grappler K-spec combines these two attributes in one performance package making it an industry first.
The Nitto Tire teams are led by top drivers, including: 2010’s KOH winner, Loren Healy; 2009’s first place winner, Jason Scherer; female driving sensation Cottin Rodd; as well as Derek West, Mel Wade and Masa Tsuda. Nitto Tire will also capture the excitement and thrilling action of the race through a documentary-style film. The film will be available on the official Nitto Tire website and will showcase the grueling, dangerous race in the California desert.
“King of the Hammers, is such a grueling and demanding race, drivers are constantly looking for any advantage against their competitors,” said Tim Coltey, marketing and event specialist, Nitto Tires. “With Nitto’s development of the Trail Grappler K-Spec, we are confident the Nitto teams will have that extra edge as no other tire can handle the speed, dirt and rock crawling like this new tire.”
King of the Hammers: The Ultimate Desert Race is unique as it tests teams and drivers in high speed desert terrain and their ability to traverse rocks. Race car speeds are achieved through dusty desert trails, while the sheer vertical rock walls and rock washes bring another level of excitement and skill to this race unlike any other. The course spans more than 120 miles and usually takes teams between six to eight hours to complete…if they make it. Less than half of the teams in the KOH actually finish this insane adrenaline rush of a race.
King of the Hammers: The Ultimate Desert Race will be held at Means Dry Lake in Johnson Valley, Calif., on Friday, February 10, 2012. Nitto Tire will have a booth will be at the event from February 6-11.
Nitto Tire (www.nittotire.com) develops performance tires for all uses, including racing, off-road and street. Using state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing facilities in both Japan and the United States – Nitto provides innovative and high-quality performance tires for the most demanding automotive enthusiasts. For more information about Nitto or its products, visit the company’s web site or contact the company directly. Nitto is a registered trademark of Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc., located at 5665 Plaza Drive, Ste. 250, Cypress, Calif., 90630.
King of the Hammers is one of the hardest off road races on the planet. Johnson Valley in the huge Navajo desert is the home to 70 miles circle the drivers must make twice! King of the Hammers is really challenging with long gravel and sand stretches and rock crawling up some big boulder canyons.
