Ford Comes Aboard as Official Vehicle of King of The Hammers, ULTRA4 Extreme Off-Road Racing

Ford is coming aboard to serve as official vehicle of the King of The Hammers, ULTRA4 series – one of the most difficult, most extreme off-road competitions in the world combining high-speed desert racing with low-speed rock crawling
Johnson Valley, the home of King of The Hammers, is a test-bed for the all-new Ford Bronco
As demand for rugged trucks and SUVs ramps up, Ford is looking to promote its expanding portfolio of highly capable off-road vehicles by stepping up to sponsor more extreme motorsports competitions

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 30, 2020 – With its growing lineup of rugged off-road trucks and SUVs, Ford is coming aboard as official vehicle of the King of The Hammers and ULTRA4 extreme off-road racing series.

“Working with ULTRA4 Racing and King of the Hammers is a natural for Ford based on our truck, SUV and off-road heritage,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “Our participation in King of the Hammers builds on our rich history of off-roading by continuing to deliver on Built Ford Tough in the most demanding conditions.”

Ford estimates sales of rugged trucks and utilities have been growing at twice the rate of the overall SUV segment. Rugged SUVs are estimated to account for about one-quarter of the overall SUV segment today – up from about 12 percent just 10 years ago.

Ford’s lineup of rugged off-road vehicles includes F-150 Raptor, the ultimate high-performance off-road pickup, the highly capable Super Duty Tremor, plus the all-new Bronco SUV set to debut this spring and an upcoming small SUV.

The signature race of ULTRA4, an international race organization developing vehicles for multiple motorsports disciplines including rock crawling, high-speed desert racing and short-course events, King of The Hammers attracts approximately 75,000 spectators with more than 1 million online viewers to its grueling annual race in the Johnson Valley of California.

This year’s event, Feb. 8, will see more than 450 teams from around the world – in both modified stock and extreme off-road vehicles – compete to be crowned king in one of the most grueling desert courses ever created combining high-speed racing with low-speed rock crawling.

“Our racers and spectators are as authentic and passionate as they come,” said Dave Cole, president, Hammerking Productions/ULTRA4 Racing. “Our dedicated staff, loyal fans and fearless racers have helped build this motorsport and lifestyle platform for more than a decade, and we couldn’t be more excited to get the 2020 racing season started with Ford as our official vehicle partner.”

Ford’s collaboration with ULTRA4 continues its growing presence in the off-road enthusiast realm. Recently, Ford stepped up to serve as official truck and SUV of SCORE-International Off-Road Racing, which holds the Baja 500, Baja 1000 and San Felipe 250 championships in Mexico. Ford also serves as official vehicle of the Best in the Desert race series.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for customers and deepen their loyalty. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, along with connected services. The company does that through three customer-centered business segments: Ford Blue, engineering iconic gas-powered and hybrid vehicles; Ford Model e, inventing breakthrough electric vehicles along with embedded software that defines exceptional digital experiences for all customers; and Ford Pro, helping commercial customers transform and expand their businesses with vehicles and services tailored to their needs. Additionally, Ford provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 174,000 people worldwide. More information about the company and its products and services is available at corporate.ford.com.

Ford Performance Motorsports

Ford’s racing program is part of the Ford Performance organization based in Dearborn, Mich. It is responsible for major racing operations globally, including NASCAR (Cup Series, XFINITY Series, Gander RV & Outdoors NASCAR Truck Series), FIA World Rally Championship, Virgin Australian Supercars Championship, Formula Drift, and NHRA Funny Car and sportsman drag racing. In addition, the organization also oversees the development of Ford’s racing engines, as well as the outreach programs with all Ford Clubs and Ford enthusiasts.

For more information regarding Ford racing’s activities, please visit www.fordperformance.com, www.facebook/FordPerformance, Ford Performance on Instagram and @FordPerformance on Twitter.

King of the Hammers

King of The Hammers (KOH) is the annual destination event for motorsports enthusiasts from across the globe. It takes place annually in Southern California in the Johnson Valley OHV area. The race began just over a decade ago with twelve people racing for bragging rights in ULTRA4 vehicles capable of tackling extreme rock climbs and descents, high-speed racing, and short-course. Today, KOH is a weeklong festival of racing that encompasses Ultra4 vehicles, UTVs, motorcycles, T1 desert trucks, and stock to stock-modified off-road vehicles. To learn more about King of the Hammers, visit www.ultra4racing.com. Follow on Facebook at www.facebook/kingofthehammers, and @Ultra4Racing on Instagram and Twitter.