king
King Shocks Dominate The Baja 1000
The Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 held its 46th annual motorsport competition across the Baja peninsula and over a most treacherous journey through the wild deserts and into the untamed mystique of Northern Mexico. Known as the world’s most arduous non-stop off road racing event, the Baja 1000 demands every ounce of courage that one could muster just to even take the green flag and start down the course at speed. Braver than most, BJ Baldwin, dominated Baja in a King Shock equipped Chevrolet Silverado Trophy Truck and crossed the finish line during the early hours of Saturday morning on November 16, 2013 to claim the overall victory. Baldwin completed the 883 mile event in just over 18 hours 36 minutes at an average speed of 47.5 MPH.
The winners of the top buggy divisions; Damien Jefferies of Class 1 and Brad Wilson in Class 10 also utilized King Off Road Racing Shocks to conquer the grueling terrain and earn the top finishing positions. In all, 10 different class-winning vehicles were outfitted with King Shocks. A notable statistic that outlines results in an event where only 125 out of 251 participants (just 49.8 percent of the field) were able to even complete the course within the designated set time of competition.
The super high-grade materials and quality construction used to manufacture all King Shocks suspension components makes all the difference where durability is the fundamental aspect in keeping your race moving forward. Maintaining an effort worthy of winning requires intense focus, physical agility and mental strength. Lasting through nearly a thousand miles of non-stop punishment will drain the most competent athlete’s endurance and willpower. A plush ride designed and finely tuned by experienced experts will allow the drivers to conserve precious energy while racing over the endless miles of rough uneven terrain.
In an exceptional feat of determination, combined with concentrated preparation, BJ Baldwin earned this latest victory by completing the entire event as a solo driver. “The truck can only take so much and your body can only take so much mentally and physically,” Baldwin illustrated the enormous challenge of iron manning the race. “… I just put this thing on the chip and let it eat up the bumps.” BJ has now captured 2 consecutive Baja 1000 wins, back-to-back SCORE Trophy Truck Championships, and the overall World Championship, all equipped with King Shocks.
The 2014 Baja 1000 marked a milestone turning point in this historic events legacy. Roger Norman, SCORE-International’s new promoter setup a challenging loop course that no doubt preludes a new chapter of where off road desert racing is headed. Starting in Ensenada, winding through rocky trails, opening up into the rough open desert, picking routes through endless silt beds, and ending back in Ensenada 883 miles later; Racing in Baja is now more difficult than ever.
King Shocks Conquers Baja 500
The 45th Tecate SCORE Baja 500 swarmed into Ensenada Mexico where thousands of glory chasers occupied the region for days on end. Their goal was to take on the epic wonders of Baja while challenging man, machine, and the mystique of a brutal 502 mile course. Defeating the wild terrain and maintaining endurance is the biggest determining factor deciding victory or failure. King Shocks, the Official Shock of SCORE-International, was a major dynamic that helped many off road racers conquer Baja. Among the top honors was BJ Baldwin’s 2nd fastest overall and 2nd place Trophy Truck finish and Justin Matney with the Class 1 victory. Perhaps the most compelling evidence that equipment is the key to success is King Shocks Off Road Racing Products were setup and installed on vehicles that earned a total of nine class wins at this event.
The 45th annual SCORE Baja 500 event took place on a 502 mile course, starting and ending in the coastal port of Ensenada, Mexico. The northern region of the Baja peninsula features a huge variety of terrain that challenged competitors from dusk till dawn and beyond. For the 2013 event, SCORE implemented some exciting new sections. As always the obstacles included steep hill climbs, boulder sized rocks, blinding silt, choking dust, tight winding mountain trails, free grazing livestock, wild donkeys, and endless miles of beautiful Baja wilderness that stretches from the inland valleys to the barren desert and back to the Pacific Ocean.
289 competitors from around the world attempted the legendary endurance race which integrated a full assortment of high speed motorcycles, quads, and all kinds of exotic purpose-built off road machines. Beating nearly every entry in every class was BJ Baldwin’s #91 Trophy Truck Rampage; outfitted with King’s 4.5″ Pure Race Bypass with Finned Reservoirs. Baldwin clocked in at only 10 hours, 14 minutes and 52 seconds. One of the sports toughest competitors, BJ’s official finishing time was only second to the top 2 Pro Bike teams and #1 Overall 4-wheel vehicle of Robby Gordon. “No Regrets!” stated Baldwin at the finish line after completing the 500 off road miles with an average speed of 48.9 MPH. “Our setup with the King Shocks was the one to beat. We had Robby Gordon covered, and it was a great feeling. We had a good strategy executed to perfection. In the end, there was a $2 part failure that limited the braking ability. But here we are and in 2nd place. I’m very happy.” Baldwin and Gordon are said to have had a very exciting back and forth race trading positions several times at high speeds along the pacific coast.
Out of the 41 Trophy Trucks in the premiere elite division, SCORE would only count 24 official finishers to complete the course within the designated time limit. Six of the Top 10 that finished the grueling Baja course did so equipped with King Shocks. Terrible Herbst drivers Tim Herbst and Larry Roeseler finished 4th overall about 26 minutes total behind Gordon. “We ran pretty well, and everything was real smooth all day. Larry did great by bringing the truck to us in 3rd place. Just one flat rear tire along the beach. What can I say but we are happy to down here racing SCORE in Baja Mexico!”
King Shocks also took the Class 1 win with driver Justin Matney and co-driver Kellen Walsh in the Speed Energy RPM Off Road #101 Chevrolet Car with a finishing time of 11:16:25 and well over 6 minutes ahead of second place. “We are very happy,” described Justin just after completing the race. “It was a good day for Speed Energy and RPM Off Road. This was a nice easy ride with no problems. Just an awesome day all around!” King was able to round out the Class 1 podium with long time supported driver Ronny Wilson taking the 3rd place finish. Wilson Racing Teammate, Brad Wilson brought the 10 Car in for a hard fought 2nd place finish.
Winners know that you are only as good as the equipment that you drive. In Off Road Racing, there are so many variables; there is just no room for mechanical failure or missing that setup. With King Shocks Off Road Racing Products and expert support, you can be certain that your race program is at the peak of performance.
If you want the competitive edge on the racecourse or just the best handling truck on your daily commute, King Shocks has the damping technology that is best for your needs. When you ride on King Shocks, you’ll know there really is a difference. Nothing rides like a King.
King Shocks Drivers Sweep at HDRA King Shocks 250
HDRA hosted the King Shocks 250 in the High Desert of Ridgecrest California. 99 competitors pre-entered the second event of the 2013 season and over a hundred teams showed up to gain points on their quest for the Off Road World Championship. As a sweet bonus to the title sponsor, King Off Road Racing Shocks supported drivers took the top overall finishing positions (1st, 2nd & 3rd) sweeping the podium with Trophy Trucks and also collecting 5th overall with the Class 1 win.
King Shocks Marketing Director, Micheal Leighton commented, “We are just thrilled with how this event turned out. Drivers using King Shocks swept the overall podium and also the top 5 qualifying positions. We are very proud to be able to support the racers and HDRA for what they have put together. New races at new venues are attracting a lot of top competitors and the World Championship format is a great thing for the sport.”
The all new course is situated inside an OHV designated “Limited Use” area. HDRA setup plenty of public spectator opportunities with scenic wide open views and many came out to enjoy the terrific weather and great racing.
Ridgecrest and the sprawling Indian Wells Valley is full of old mining claims that actually litter the desolate terrain which made for a unique event for the competitors. Lined with sharp rocks, the course was tormented with lots of deep holes, miles of large whoops, sandy washes, Rail-Road Crossings and silt all of which would be a factor. 60 mile loops and 4 scheduled laps for the faster classes, meant that overtaking slower race traffic and breaking through the looming dust trail seemed to be the biggest challenges. Going off course ended the day for several competitors and the racers who implemented the smartest race strategy found the winning formula.
“To compete against Larry Roeseler, to be up top, and to be the best is a great achievement for me,” declared Justin Davis, Driver of the #85 Green Army Trophy Truck who raced to the overall victory at the HDRA King 250. “We had a flawless race. We started 7th right in the middle of the pack. We kept our pace moving forward and picking our way through the field one by one. By the third lap we caught up to Herbst and stayed on his bumper. The dust was horrendous and the course was really narrow and rocky in most areas. There was also a lot of lap traffic but everyone had to deal with those issues. Herbst gave us a run for our money but we had an awesome day with no problems and no mistakes. I got to thank Roger Norman for putting together a great event and King Shocks because our Truck was working great. We are going to keep pushing and hope to work our way towards the World Championship.”
Larry Roeseler, “Wheel Man” of the #19 Monster Energy Terrible Herbst Trophy Truck qualified 3rd fastest, but quickly found his way to the front and led the next 4 laps all the way to the finish. Roeseler and Tim Herbst (DOR) charged hard through the desert at a blistering pace. Driving the second half and aiming for the top overall win, Tim Herbst knew he needed to stretch the lead as far as possible. Their efforts fell just short to race winner Justin Davis who was about 45 seconds quicker. The #91 Terrible Herbst Trophy Truck of Tim Herbst and Ryan Arcerio, qualified 2nd fastest, went on to finish the King 250 in 3rd place overall.
Winners know that you are only as good as the equipment that you drive. In Off Road Racing, there are so many variables; there is just no room for mechanical failure or missing that setup. With King Shocks Off Road Racing Products and expert support, you can be certain that your race program is at the peak of performance.
If you want the competitive edge on the racecourse or just the best handling truck on your daily commute, King Shocks has the damping technology that is best for your needs. When you ride on King Shocks, you’ll know there really is a difference. Nothing rides like a King.
King of the Hammers Visual Highlights and Lowlights
The 2013 King of the Hammers (KOH) Tournament was once again marked by excitement, unexpected turns, and innovation. In this year’s competition, there was spirited off-road racing and new features displayed that could break and set precedents for the future. There were great exhibitions of excellence put on by expert off-road motorists. Also, like every year, there were comical moments.
The driver who came up with the big fish was Randy Slawson, who finished first and held the prestigious scepter victoriously for the first time ever. The Grand Terrace, Calif., resident has been part of KOH since the beginning, navigating Jeff Reynolds to victory at the inaugural race in 2007. Since that time, Slawson has been diligently working toward his own victory behind the wheel of the Bomber Fabrication car he built with his own hands.
At the end of 50 miles, Slawson was running in the top 10, remaining patient and letting the competition fall to attrition. “There was not a lot of traffic,” Slawson said at the finish line. “It was windy so the dust wasn’t too bad. We were able to just run our own pace and everything just came together for us.” Slawson chose to run the 10- foot vertical rock wall on the Backdoor trail on his second lap to avoid traffic, while other frontrunners mistakenly waited until the last lap.
The most exciting part of the 2013 Hammers Tournament was the off-road skills of Rubicon’s Jason Scherer. He gave the 30,000 onlookers in attendance a great display of skill that will be talked about for years. Scherer and other 2013 Hammers drivers exhibited their skills in rock crawling and open desert racing. The crowd in attendance showed its appreciation through loud cheers, exchanging high-fives, and throwing its collective fists in the air.
The most popular obstacle course of the King of the Hammers was Chocolate Thunder. This course generates the biggest crowds every year. “It was absolutely without a doubt the hardest thing I have ever done to drive every rock trail twice without power steering,” said Scherer, who has finished in the top 20 for four consecutive years. “I finished 21st with 25 minutes to go — my arms and shoulders brutally beaten and cold as hell — but I didn’t give up.”
Scherer was able to excel without key necessities. “There is no doubt that I was beating myself and the car the whole race. Without power steering I would end up where I shouldn’t be and have to light up the Nitto Tires until they got me to where I needed to go. They worked really well, and even with all the abuse I didn’t have one flat,” Scherer said. “Honestly, other than the one internal issue, which caused the others, the car worked amazingly well and was fast! I am really looking forward to putting it to work the rest of the year.”
Scherer has been racing for more than 15 years and has stood on the podium at many events, winning one of the most prestigious: the 2009 King of the Hammers. He also has a third-place finish in 2011 and won the 2012 Nitto National Championship Race in Blackwell, Texas.
From the sublime to the bizarre, there were some comical moments at the 2013 King of the Hammers. Jim Marsden finished first in the Every Man Challenge (EMC), then was disqualified on a technicality (sticky tires, full hydro steering). He was allowed into the race by competition officials because he had travelled all the way from England to participate in the competition. Officials felt he would not be a winner given the field he was racing against. However, Marsden did win. One of his competitors protested, resulting in Marsden’s DQ.
In other developments, Robby Gordon had a rollover on the Elvis Trail. Though there was only smoke, a few spectators yelled “Fire!” GenRight motorist and KOH competitor Tony Pellegrino had an especially humorous flip that resulted in a rollover that brought laughs from the crowd. At the beginning of the KOH race, competitor Tom Yash broke an axle, regrouped to run in the race and then was done — one mile away from the finish.
Overall, the 2013 King of the Hammers was a spectacular event for all in attendance. It also provided great action for the competitors and the fans. There was positive interaction as well as food and merchandise that all indulged in. Several companies sponsored this year’s King of the Hammers, including 4 Wheel Parts, Pro Comp USA, Smittybilt, and Rubicon Express.
King Shocks in Mongolia!
Check out the video below highlighting a Ford Raptor with King Shocks, bombing the desert of Mongolia. If King can dominate the rocky, cold terrain of Mongolia, then there isn’t much it shouldn’t be able to handle. Pretty amazing. Not only that, but it looks like Mongolians love #24, Jeff Gordon. Who knew?
King Shocks Booth – SEMA
Check out this video tour of the King Shocks booth from the 2012 SEMA show. As you probably know, we are big fans of King shocks. We especially love the gold plated reservoir shocks about one minute into the video. The only thing missing at their booth is a big, custom lifted truck in the middle of it. Shocks and coilovers look good on their own, but they look great when their on a truck. Let’s see what King comes with in 2013.
King Shocks to Debut New Products at SEMA
King Shocks will debut a new 3.0 kit for the Ford, Raptor, a 3.0 Internal Bypass shock (IBP) and their newly revised catalog at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show (SEMA) November 1-7 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 3.0 Raptor kit and the 3.0 IBP will be on display in the New Products Pavilion.
King’s new 3.0 Raptor kit features large, 3.0-inch diameter shocks front and rear. The Internal bypass in front comes with the Wide Range Compression adjuster for quick compression adjustments with the twist of a knob. In the rear, the kit uses a 3.0-inch, 3-tube external bypass shock that offers position sensitive compression and rebound adjustment. The kit gives you a huge gain in performance and versatility compared to the factory shocks.
The 3.0 IBP is a revolutionary position sensitive, monotube, internal bypass shock that offers remarkable damping performance in a compact package. At the King booth you can give our hand operated IBP shock a try so you can feel how smooth and effective the position sensitive internal bypass valving works, it will amaze you. King will also have numerous vehicles on display throughout the show for you to enjoy.
The King Shocks booth will be in the south hall, upper level, space #36121. Stop by to get the new 2011 King Shocks catalog and to check out our full line of innovative products for UTV’s, bolt-on OEM upgrades, race vehicles and just about anything else on four wheels that throws dirt, rocks, mud or sand. Product specialists will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about the many products and services offered by King.
Photos by: Mike Ingalsbee, MikesRacePhoto.com
SoCal SAYS: Although we aren’t big fans of the Raptor, this is a legit 3.0 IBP shock from King. If you are at SEMA, make sure to stop by their booth.
King Team Dominates CODE Mexicana Logistics 300
The King Shocks Trophy Truck team of Juan Carlos Lopez and Clyde Stacy has been making huge strides together. Running up front for several races now, the team broke-out at the Code, Mexicana Logistics 300. In an awesome display of what they are capable of, Juan Carlos Lopez started eighth off-the-line and quickly passed the first seven starters on the first lap. As the laps went by, he gained an even larger lead over the rest of the field.
At the finish, Juan Carlos had scorched the others finishing over ten minutes ahead of the second place Trophy Truck of event sponsor Gus and Tavo Vildosola. Swamped by media and fans after the race a jubilant Juan Carlos commented on how rough the course was and thanked Clyde and the team for giving him a great truck that was problem free all day. Clyde was quick to credit the driving skills of Juan at the finish stating “What a great driver” and adding that they will be going after the win again at the upcoming Baja 1000 in November.
Whether you drive a top of the line Trophy Truck or an everyday lifted truck, King Shocks has the race proven damping performance and hands-on technical support you need. Every shock they build is made from the highest quality billet materials machined to exacting standards and hand assembled by trained technicians. When you ride on King Shocks you will know, there really is a difference. Nothing rides like a King. For more information go to http://www.kingshocks.com or call 714-530-8701. Photos by: Art Eugenio / Get Some Photo.com
SoCal SAYS: We have said this before, but if a King shock can dominate off-road racing, you know you can trust it on your lifted truck. We are big fans of King
Bilstein Equipped All German Auto Finishes 1ST Overall at SCORE San Felipe 250
Armin Schwarz and Martin Christensen powered their way past the entire field to take a commanding first overall at the SCORE San Felipe 250. Known for the extreme roughness, the San Felipe 250 race features some of the most treacherous suspension killing terrain in any off-road racing course.
The All German Auto race car featured Bilstein’s massive Black Hawks® on the rear of their Class 1 race car, and prototype “Big 60’s” up front. Bilstein shocks provide superior performance characteristics and are designed and manufactured for most cars, trucks and SUVs.More