These Little Rippers Take on The Hammer’s
KOH’s 2024 Youth 170 Races Didn’t Disappoint
Words: Matthew McNulty
Photos: Logan Gallagher & Justin W. Coffey
Those unfamiliar with youth racing would be somewhat surprised to hear a “Thanks Mom and Dad” from the ceremonial stage. Even in a rather crowded field, a total of nine little rippers made their way onto the podium at this year’s KOH youth races, the gratitude to supportive family members was a universal podium speech moment.
This year’s KOH youth racing action was a perfect encapsulation of what makes the off-roading world and youth races so special. It was incredible to witness parents and family members working frantically in pits to fix any last-minute issues, wearing comms headsets to coach their driver through the closed course and the crowded main field of these bite-sized UTVs.
With a quick rundown through qualifying to assign positions for a rolling start, the main heat of UTVs took to the track. With a 30-minute plus one-lap format, there was sure to be plenty of action in this crowded field.
As this mass grouping of miniature Side-by-Sides buzzed around the track, there was plenty of action. With a mid-race incident which bent the control arm of one of the UTVs and stranded them on their side, racers struggled to navigate the chaos that ensued.
While race staff attempted to direct traffic to the outside track to avoid the incident, they became the stranded SXS rubber side down again, many racers still wound up on the inside track. Incidentally, it appeared that this keyed many of these young drivers in on a strategy that would go on to prove to make a winner.
Taking the outside line into turn-one to avoid traffic was an unintended discovery which would alter the course of the race. While parents excitedly (and loudly) cheered for their own lil’ racer, turn one dive-bombs and late-braking became the name of the game for passing.
Owing to these personal relations, the crowd’s atmosphere was electric and you could feel the energy pulsing through the audience. Massed crowds watched on from both the Monster Energy trailer and piled around the main KOH campfire, listening to live commentary, and observing the video coverage of this thrill ride.
When the dust settled on the dark night sky across an electric event, Claire Dixon took home the crown in the Kids Pro Stock UTV 170cc class, beating out her cousin Bentley Dixon in second place. Rounding out the podium was Peter Abd. Claire and Bentley had a few friendly rivalry comments in their post-race podium moment, with plenty of crowd support and shared laughs.
This podium brought about the revelation that the “slow” line on the outside of turn-one had become a popular traffic avoidance. In a field as crowded as this first 170 heat, something as simple as avoiding the slower traffic paid massive dividends. Every single driver who made it onto the podium even in the later class from this heat made some mention or note of using this strategy to good effect, either being told to do so from a watchful parent or figuring it out on their own.
As for the Pro Modified UTV class, Brixton Wirt wound up taking home the first-place trophy to another on-looking crowd. Finishing in second was Brenna Goerke, and completing the trifecta was Domenico Allegri. With the same usual thanking of sponsors, the key phrase, “Who made this possible” was again always boiled down to the moms, dads, and uncles who worked tirelessly to build and maintain the race vehicles, as well as train these young drivers in the ways of the short course.
The final heat of the night boiled down to endurance and reliability rather than a pure speed test. With five competitors initially in the grid for what looked to be a thinned-out shootout between these young drivers, one car had an issue with the throttle cable and was just unfortunately not able to start the race. With a four-vehicle field starting the race, another dropped out at roughly the halfway point. After colliding with a berm, they were forced to retire. With every car still in running condition and promised a podium finish, it soon became a jockeying for position while nursing the race to its conclusion.
In the podium, from this thinned-out final heat, Wyatt Cotter scrambled to first, after surviving the race and keeping his pace up with the other surviving entrants. Out of the other two survivors in the class, Kayden Gamble managed to take away second place, with the final spot on a coveted Hammers podium going home with Mason Dowker.
Racing in events like these may not be the same kind of high-octane thrills we covered earlier this week in the Toyo Tires Desert Challenge, but that isn’t what makes it special at all. Watching the mentoring from parents, listening to ecstatic cheering the likes of which you would only see at a youth race, and witnessing the sheer and refreshing excitement from the racers is what makes it extraordinary. Even in the bright lights of Ultra 4 and KOH, “amateur” racing reigns supreme.
TOP FINISHERS
All results posted are unofficial. To see the full current results, visit: https://live.ultra4racing.com/results/
YOUTH PRO STOCK 170CC
- Claire Dixon (#339)
- Bentley Dixon (#224)
- Peter Abd (#575)
YOUTH PRO MODIFIED UTV 170cc
- Brixton Wirt (#114)
- Brenna Goerke (#138)
- Domenico Allegri (#1949)
YOUTH FINAL HEAT
- Wyatt Cotter (#212)
- Kayden Gamble (#26)
- Mason Dowker (#2)