BFGoodrich Tires Gears Up for King of the Hammers Domination

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Feb. 3, 2010 – BFGoodrich® Tires is looking to continue its domination at the 2010 Griffin King of the Hammers in Johnson Valley, Calif. on Fri., Feb. 12 with its third straight victory. In 2008 and 2009, competitors on BFGoodrich tires won five of the six possible podium spots with the coveted King of the Hammer scepter going to Shannon Campbell in 2008 who then handed it off to Jason Scherer in 2009. Not only did BFGoodrich Tires sweep the podium in 2009, but took the top nine spots at the ultimate combination desert-and-rock race. The field, which will be narrowed from 145 to 100 before race day, will be gunning for reigning King of the Hammers Champion, Scherer, who drew the 38th position for 2010. Scherer will attempt to repeat on BFGoodrich Baja T/A®KRT tires, the same tires that lead him to victory in 2009.

The 135-mile 2010 Griffin King of the Hammers loop course combines wide-open desert racing with the Hammer trails, some of rock crawling’s most technical courses. More than half the drivers who started last year’s race were unable to cross the finish line and will be the first to explain the difficulty of the terrain. However, the challenging course format has not dissuaded competitors from attempting to conquer Johnson Valley’s rugged landscape. The ultimate desert race is continuing to grow in popularity with entry numbers jumping to 100 in 2010. A total of 78 spots have been filled with the remaining 22 positions going to the top finishers at the last chance qualifier that will take place on Tues., Feb. 9 and Wed., Feb. 10.

In addition to competing for its third straight victory at King of the Hammers, BFGoodrich Tires will introduce a new 42” off-road racing tire at the event. BFGoodrich Tires’ drivers will also be competing on a new 39×13.50R17 Baja T/A®KRT tire, which was designed specifically for rock racing and King of the Hammers.

“BFGoodrich Tires races King of the Hammers to prove the extreme capability of our tires,” said Roberts Kukainis, Motorsports Manager, BFGoodrich Tires. “King of the Hammers has done a good job linking some brutal rock portions with punishing sections of desert. BFGoodrich’s racing in desert, rock racing and rock crawling allows us to develop ever-better tires for all drivers who want the ability to go off-road with race-proven confidence. King of the Hammers also proves that the best of the best choose to race on BFGoodrich tires.”

Next to Scherer on the podium in 2009 was BFGoodrich Tires’ driver and King of the Hammers runner-up Casey Currie. Currie, who will begin the race in the 56th position, has placed second at each of the two previous King of the Hammers races and will be looking to run his BFGoodrich Krawler T/AKX tires to a first place finish.

The 2008 King of the Hammers winner and BFGoodrich driver Campbell will attempt to earn his “King” status back from Scherer and will be starting near the back of the pack in the 72nd position.

BFGoodrich driver Rick Mooneyham, who finished third in 2009, drew a premier starting spot and looks to jump out to an early, dust-free lead as he will be first off the line in the 2nd position in 2010.

The 2009 XRRA and W.E.ROCK National Champions, brothers Brad and Roger Lovell, will be driving separate rigs at King of the Hammers, starting in the 88th and 28th positions respectively. Their rock crawling, rock racing and desert racing experience will make them a target for many teams while they look to share the podium as they often did in rock racing in 2009.

Rob MacCachren, a past winner of the BFGoodrich Motorsports Person of the Year award, has assembled a trio of past champions on his King of the Hammers race team, known as the “BFGoodrich Tires Dream Team.” Joining MacCachren will be legends of the sport and past rock crawling champions Larry McRae, Jon Bundrant and Jon Nelson.

Additional drivers to look out for on BFGoodrich tires include rock crawling champions Tracy Jordan and Dean Bulloch. Jordan will begin the race in the 15th spot while Bulloch will begin in the 49th position.

In addition to being the official tire for the race, BFGoodrich Tires will again be lending pit and communications support to teams through its fleet of off-road motorsports vehicles. This immense undertaking involves more than 40 off-road enthusiasts and volunteers who donate their time to help BFGoodrich support the organization of King of the Hammers.

BFGoodrich Tires is also proud to be hosting an on-site media hospitality center during the event. Located immediately opposite from tech and contingency and next to the start/finish line, the hospitality center will allow media to cover the race while enjoying complimentary snacks and beverages. Race tracking and updates provided by Pirate4x4.com will also be available at the media hospitality center. Event officials and supporting sponsors will post press information and results for use in developing stories during the race.

Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 30 years, BFGoodrich Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally, and extreme rock-crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle. Visit BFGoodrich Tires online at www.bfgoodrichtires.com