King of the Hammers is an amazing off-road race right through the desert. King of the Hammers is an Ultra4 race that you can say combines many of the most important facets of 4x4 competition (sand drags, hill climbs, rock crawling, desert racing) into one large event. King of the Hammers is held each year in Johnson Valley, California and attracts the very best of the best off-road racing teams from around the globe. The race is considered to be the toughest single day off-road race on earth.
Ragnar Robertsson is one of the top Formula Offroad drivers in Iceland and the Nordic countries and has won a number of titles in his class. He has also been in the states competing in rock crawling. Ragnar competet in Team Iceland. Olafur V. Bjornsson, another Icelandic guy, was also a member of the team.
Ragnar, you have been one of the best Formula Off Road racers - what is the key to your success?
Don't give up!
You don't begin as the champion, not me anyway.
How come you got the idea to compete in the King of Hammers?
I have a long answer to that question. An old friend (from USA) that I had not heard from in years John Eberstein, sent me an email and told me about this crazy competition "King Of The Hammers". He told me his first thought was "I know one guy crazy enough to compete here". That was me so he had to send me the email. Of course I liked the idea of competing in "King Of The Hammers" so when another friend Corey Kruchkowski (from Canada) asked me to drive with him I said YES and I've been smiling since.
What would you say is the major difference between the King of Hammers race and Formula Off Road?
Everything!
When the KOH trucks break down the driver and co-driver can't really get any outside help except once and that has to be in the pit area. Else - the race is over. In Formula Offroad the whole team can fix things between tracks.
Another huge difference is how big King of the Hammers is. When the Icelandic Formula Offroad is a competition with 6-8 tracks and one track can possibly be less than 5 seconds driving. Average track might take 25 seconds to drive and the timing tracks are much longer and might take 1 minute of driving.
Tell me a little about the truck you will be competing on and its modification?
The truck I raced in is a brand new build with strong driveline although there were a few minor details that need fine tuning. The steering jack wasn't fastened well enough and slipped in a way so that a pipe touched and resulting in us not finishing the race.
The car started life as a 1993 Jeep YJ. Corey built the entire chassis himelf including suspension. It has a Jeep stroker motor, 4.0L turned into 4.7L with high compression pistons (10:1) and very aggressive cam profile. On Propane (LPG) it should make up to 300HP, Corey also built the engine.
The transmission is a TF727, with upgraded clutches, sprag, and a full manual valve body.The transfer case is an AtlasII, 3.0 low range with twin sticks and heavy duty outputs. Driveshafts are 1350 series CV shafts from a Superduty Diesel.
Front differential is a true custom TTB50 using 35 spline carrier and chromoly Dana 60 axleshafts with plate steel knuckles, wth ARB locker. 5.38 ratio. Rear differential is another true custom Ford 9" 35 spline pinion, with Ford Superduty outer hubs (full float). 5.38 ratio.
Tires are 42" Pitbull Rocker, rims are 17", allied rock-a-thon beadlocks full hydraulic steering, rear mounted radiator and a WARN 8000lb winch.
Video from the King of Hammers 2011:
... and the Orange Buggy:
How is the King of Hammers organized, how many teams are competing and what is the final goal?
Ragnar: It's perfectly organized. 100 teams go 2 and 2 at a time. The first truck starts at 08:00 AM and then two more every 30 seconds.The one who finishes the track in the shortest time is "the King of the Hammers".
What is your biggest takeavay from the competition?
How well the KOH is organized and how many great people I got to know - the organizers, media people and the competitors.
Ragnar with Ponce og Shannon Campbell who is The King of the Hammers 2011.
Jeff Knoll, one of the KOH organizers, Lance Clifford, the man behind Pirate4x4.com and Ragnar.
Thanks Ragnar for taking the time to do this interesting interview. I am sure our readers will dig what you are doing!
You can see other pictures and read more about the King of the Hammers here:
2011 Griffin King of the Hammers - KOH
Bower Motorsports Media
King of the Hammers
Ragnar Robertsson owns the website 4x4.is.
Ragnar is also sponsored by:
MasterPull
Benni's Auto Store - Bílabúð Benna
Keflavik Car Rental - Bílaleiga Keflavíkur
Ragnar is interested in competing again on his own truck and is looking for sponsors to help with financing a fresh build or the modifyication of an Icelandic Formula Offroad Truck so that it works in the Ultra4 competition. What he needs most are spare parts like axles and undercarrage.
Ragnar chatting with Charlene Bower, a smart woman who is making videos, photos and interviews for Bower Motorsports Media.
Photos by: Ragnar Robertsson
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.
