King of the Hammers 2026 - Another year in the books, BuiltRight in the Desert

King of the Hammers 2026 - BuiltRight in the Desert

King of the Hammers isn’t just a race - it’s controlled chaos in the middle of Johnson Valley. And this year, the BuiltRight crew packed up the Raptor and Super Duty, loaded the gear where it belongs, and pointed everything toward Hammertown for another week in the dust.

This episode captures the full experience from the ground level. Late-night arrivals on the lakebed. Early desert sunrises cutting through camp. Coffee in hand while Ultra4 cars fire up in the distance. It’s part off-road race, part overland trip, part endurance test for both drivers and spectators.

We bounced between Hammertown and the rocks, catching action at Chocolate Thunder before pushing deeper into remote race sections. With thousands of acres of desert to cover, having trucks set up right makes all the difference. Navigation dialed in (knowing how to read OnX...........) . Recovery gear secured. Tools where they’re supposed to be. Things happen in the desert, and you want to be ready for it.

Throughout the week, we caught everything from the top-tier Unlimited cars to the Everyman Challenge classes blasting their way through the same unforgiving terrain.

This trip was a reminder of what these trucks are built for. Long days. Heavy loads. Rough terrain, not just the local Starbucks line. And as always, we left Johnson Valley dusty, tired, and already thinking about next year.

Watch the full episode to see how the week unfolded - from camp setup to race day chaos - and get a firsthand look at how the BuiltRight crew does King of the Hammers.