In Greek mythology, fights amongst the Titans as well as Olympians were common, with many of the fights lasting years at once. We were lately able to take the 2017 Ford Raptor to King of the Hammers in Johnson Valley, The Golden State in our own battle of the Gods, pitting one of the toughest off-road races on the planet versus among the most difficult production off-road deck.
Approved, we would certainly not be competing in the 2017 King of the Hammers (KOH), however we wished to handle the desert that the teams would certainly be taking on all week. The following best thing to do with a landscape like Johnson Valley as well as a vehicle like the 2017 Raptor is to get out of Hammertown and explore. This year's race we would go to the leading 5 places that ought to be seen while checking out KOH with a 2017 Ford Raptor.
5. Begin Finish Line
While this is the closest location and also part of Hammertown, it is a fantastic location to start as well as finish your day. You are able to see the start of the race at the first light and also completion of the race hours later on.
While heading to the beginning line, you do need to park and also walk, so there is very little off-roading to do, it still makes the checklist. If you had actually taken off to hard during the week this is also a great location to wheel in your cooler as well as post up before the platform, announcers, and the huge Jumbotron, in addition to the limitless supply of energy beverages just a few actions away.
All the services are below; restrooms, food, as well as vendors all are centrally situated. It is where we started and finished our day as well as a fantastic location to see annually. With enough relaxing we intended to see some action so we headed to the program to see the race rigs face to face.
4. Remote Pit 1
This area is off the beaten course of many KOH goers. This got on our checklist to visit right after awakening and getting to the pit within half an hour of the begin. The teams just experience this pit on the initial lap, so if you arrive late, you will certainly miss them.
To access this location, you have to leave Hammertown and head back towards highway 247. Once on the highway, you head in the direction of Bessemer Mine Road and also Soggy Dry Lake.
The roadway bent on Remote Pit 1 is what looks like a kept dust road. It is still concerning a 15 to 20-minute drive on used car dealers sterling colorado Bessemer Mine Roadway before striking the pit, so strategy appropriately. One of the good benefits of this place is you have the ability to see the automobiles twice.
They enter into the pit from the starting line, leave as well as do a loophole through the hills and desert before returning via the pit and also towards Backdoor The rigs come into the pit, have a rate restriction, and then come back on the gas.
Along with some wonderful watching locations, the amount of viewer traffic that heads out to this area is very marginal. In general, it is around a 35 to 40-minute drive to and also from Hammertown. It might be some additional driving, but it's an area worth going to.
3. Backdoor.

This location is one of the staples of KOH. It is an area that sees high website traffic all week, from the Shootout to race day. If this is an area you intend to visit, see to it you get there early, as it fills quick.
We did not get to Backdoor till after stopping by Remote Pit 1, and also the location was loaded. Car park goes to a costs as well as will certainly permit you to stay clear of the soft sand to and also from the barrier.
This year's race brought teams down Backdoor as well as down the falls. In years past, this was a bottleneck with racers combating to get up the falls first. As one of the last barriers before heading back up capital and also into Hammertown, it was an excellent area to see drivers pushing their rigs additionally.
Capitals along both sides provide viewers fantastic seats as well as a bird's eye sight. This is most definitely one location you intend to check out, whether it is your first KOH or tenth.
2. Chocolate Thunder
A sparkling hillside off in the distance from Hammertown, Delicious chocolate Thunder looks like it has something going on all week, whether it's on the day of the race or the followers attempting to conquer the rocks late during the night.
This year, we had the ability to catch the activity during the race and the night prior to. If you have been to this location during the day, we strongly advise you see it at night. There is a different vibe as well as really feel when the sunlight drops.
Race day brought something various to Delicious chocolate Thunder as racers would certainly have to go down the steep rocky hill prior to going up the traditional route. This area is a hotspot for viewers and can bring crowds as big as the ones at Backdoor. There are plenty of areas to enjoy from, consisting of a jumbotron showing the various other obstacles and also race updates.
1. Components Unidentified
With an automobile as qualified as the Raptor, it just made good sense to go out right into the desert and also discover areas where we would certainly get a bird's-eye view of the race, but be far from everybody. These locations are not for newbies or an unreliable automobile.
On our adventure to a pair locations, we looked at little rock yards, up steep notches, and with some soft sand. The terrain appeared to be ever-changing and also something that we were able to adapt to with the various terrain settings of the Raptor.
We did not stress when that we would not have the ability to get back to Hammertown. The truck was executed its speeds as well as did things that would certainly have shocked the typical off-roader. The trip to these areas was most definitely worth it. We were able to capture the racers boiling down some substantial hillsides, and also through a component of the training course most people never ever see.