Words and Photos: Jason Stilgebouer
The UTV race during King of the Hammers is now the largest vehicle class in the event’s history, and is widely known as the toughest UTV race in North America.
The inaugural UTV race in 2009 consisted of only a 60-mile race on the desert floor. Since then the obstacles KOH have only gotten tougher. In 2009, the only acceptable entries were 2-seat vehicles. It wasn’t until 2018 where the rules allowed for a single-seat UTV. It just so happens that 2018 was also the year Polaris released the RZR RS1; a light nimble single-seat UTV we have all come to know and love over recent years.
This year, three men attempted to race the King of the Hammers with the RZR RS1 despite the odds being stacked against them. Sometimes progression in racing is going against the grain and trying something new, something that has never been done before just to prove someone can finish the UTV race solo in an RS1.
These three racers who were up to the task consisted of; champion hill climb racer and Ultra 4 champion Travis Zollinger, rock bouncer builder and Ultra 4 champion Anthony Yount, and a Polaris dealer owner and first time racer of King of the Hammers, Curtis Friede.
Travis and Anthony have a long well-accomplished history in off-road racing and racing KOH while Curtis is newer to the racing scene. His first race was in Montana just months prior to KOH, and placed second overall there in the RS1.
While all three were from different teams, each had one common goal: go finish the King of the Hammers in a single-seat UTV. Why?
Progression in racing comes from taking chances and these three drivers wanted to do something different and prove it was possible. If a 4400 car can do it with a single-seat, why can’t they?
The ultra-nimble 64” width RZR RS1 features a 110-HP ProStar 1000 H.O. 4-Stroke DOHC Twin Cylinder engine, the RZR XP 1000’s suspension, upgraded drivetrain from the XP Turbo, and subtle 83-inch wheelbase. Its single-seat design makes for excellent visibility in the rocks—seeing both front wheels can be a huge advantage when it comes to picking lines and rock crawling. The suspension is based on the Polaris RZR XP 1000 which is an already race-proven platform at KOH. Typically this platform is best for racing like the WORCS series, and has proven to be more than capable as a chosen vehicle for the top drivers.
From mild to wild, all three of the cars we modified to accommodate the harsh terrain of Johnson Valley, some more than others. Skid plates, winches, reinforced suspension, beadlock wheels, spare tires, and jacks were all added. While Curtis kept his RS1 fairly simple and kept it close to stock, Travis completely rebuilt everything and made a purpose-built rock crawler for KOH by even stretching the wheelbase on the car.
On paper, the specs of an RS1 prove it to be KOH ready, but why hasn’t anyone done it until now?
The biggest challenge, besides navigating through boulders larger than the RZR, is racing without a co-driver. KOH is the most grueling off-road race and not uncommon for drivers needing to winch up an obstacle at some point. Not having a co-driver to help with winching makes it much more difficult. That being said, the three drivers were hoping that being able to see both front tires and a narrow track width would be an advantage to the point they wouldn’t need to winch up anything.
On January 4, 2021, the green flag dropped on the 2021 King of the Hammers race. 115 UTVs would show up at the starting line, and only 46 racers would finish the race. Some racers claimed it was the hardest course to race through since 2015. Drivers battled it out for hours in the desert and only to be passed in the rocks and left broken.
How did the RS1 stack up against the rest? Curtis ended up falling short with a parts failure at race-mile 75 and did not finish. Travis would finish 35th, and Anthony Yount would finish 12th overall in his nearly stock RS1. To finish the race is an accomplishment in itself, but to finish in the top 15 with a car that had never been raced at KOH, and with no co-driver, is a massive success.
They did it. They proved that not only could the RS1 make it to the finish-line, but that it would be competitive with seasoned drivers. Although Curtis did not finish, it is typical to have mechanical failures in this race, as more than half the field did not finish. With the RS1’s success at King of the Hammers it is now considered a proven machine. Curtis, Anthony, and Travis all went against the grain to try something new, against the odds, and came out victorious in our eyes.
