Time to Get Hammered! Monster Energy Charges Into King of the Hammers 2026
Monster Energy off‑road racers storm the brutal Johnson Valley Desert as the 20th annual Griffin Radiator King of the Hammers gets underway, launching the Ultra4 racing season in iconic California fashion.
Eight races. 770 teams. More than 80,000 fans on site and 2.5 million watching online. Monster Energy off-road racers are right in the thick of the action at King of the Hammers.
The gritty, hands-on, high octane and heavy horsepower world of professional off-road racing and rock crawling, aka Ultra4 Racing Series, kicks off its 2026 competition season this week and next (Jan. 22 to Feb. 7) with off-roading’s version of Daytona – the 20thannual Griffin Radiator King of the Hammers, powered by Optima - all set in the harsh and unforgiving dirt, sand and GIANT rocks in and around the edges of Johnson Valley Desert near San Bernardino, Calif.
Some interesting entries running the iconic Monster Energy logo (including the KOH itself as Monster Energy returns as one of the primary sponsors) this year includes Ricky Brabec (UTV Pro Stock), who’s fresh off his Dakar Rally premier RallyGP class runner-up finish with the Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally team. Brabec will run the Desert class in Johnson Valley. Monster Energy will also back FMX legend Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg as he throws his hat into the Rock racing division ring with the highly competitive Sportsman Stock UTV class.
The usual Monster Energy suspects in KOH’s Desert class will highlight both the pinnacle Trophy Truck class (Luke McMillin, Thor Herbst and RJ Anderson (with NOS), as well as across the board in a myriad of UTV classes. Those guys include the heavily trophied Phil Blurton, Dustin Jones and Matt Burroughs in the UTV Pro Mod class. And fresh off a 2nd place finish in the Dakar Rally’s Stock Car division with the new Defender team will be Monster Energy’s Sara Price, racing, along with Can-Am ambassador Janey Lee, the UTV Pro Stock Turbo division.
And in the T2 Spec Truck division of the Desert races will showcase Monster Energy’s Pierce Herbst and EJ Herbst, along with Cameron Steele.
And kicking things off in the Desert will be the Race of Kings 4400, featuring Monster Energy’s famed rock racer/crawler Shannon Campbell, last year’s 4900 Pro Stock Turbo UTV class winner Casey Currie and drifting king Vaughn Gittin Jr., along with Loren Healy and Steele.
In addition, as he always does, off-road great Steele will once again be Monster Energy’s most visible M-claw flag waver at KOH. Steele is involved in absolutely everything at the event, often racing multiple disciplines on all the vehicles allowed at KOH – bikes, UTVs and trucks. This year Steele will be contesting five of the four-wheel, events – and will be featured on Racer.com as a spokesperson for the KOH. And, we’d imagine if a racer needed a boost, Steele’d hop on a dirt bike and run a cold can of Monster Energy OG out to them as well!
Moving to the Rock racing division, Monster Energy’s short course off-road racing great CJ Greaves bolts from the cold and snow of northern Wisconsin to contest the UTV Open 2900 class, along with NOS’ Ronnie Anderson. And how can you throw a massive off-road party in the California desert without Brian Deegan being there? Deegs’ll run the M-claw logo and he makes a run through the rocks in the Pro Stock Turbo UTV class. And back for more punishment in the Pro Mod UTV class will be Burton and Jones, with Steele thrown in to shake things up (literally).
Two more Rock racing classes, 4600 and 4800, will feature Monster Energy’s Healy and Steele – giving the M-claw logo a couple more chances on the podium in full KOH glory.
How to watch KOH
Check out all of the 2026 Optima King of the Hammers, presented by Ford, action on the event’s official YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@kingofthehammers_official
