2011 PitBull Tires UTV Race at the Griffin King of the Hammers, Photo Gallery, Video

| February 17, 2011

The 2011 Pit Bull Tires UTV race at the Griffin King of the Hammers was an awesome display of talent and vehicles. As with the big car race, the question is always what type of vehicle will be best to manage the rocks and attack the desert at speed. Of course, money was on the line too ~ $5,000 dollars put up by Pit Bull Tires.

This year, for the third year running, an almost stock Polaris RZR won the crown. But unlike years past, there is a new King in town and his name is Brandon Schueler from Jagged X who piloted the new Polaris RZR XP 900 to the finish. Coming in a close second place was two time winner Mitch Guthrie in a RZR, and third was first time competitor Brian Bush driving a Yamaha Rhino.

“That was a good race! Jagged X and us were battling forever. They were behind us and then we got into Aftershock and they passed us, and then we passed them back. They were eating our dust for a long ways but then we hit the straight aways and that RZR900 just left us!” said Guthrie after he crossed the finish line.

Brandon Schueler

The course was intense and at one point it was reported that all the cars running seemed to be in Elvis at the same time. The race did take its toll on a lot of racers including our own Jon Crowley who was the first one to call out of the race at RM6 when he broke a shock tower. Just 20 minutes later Rocker Head from Klamath Falls, OR called out of the race. Next on the list of casualties was #711 Bill Bonett and #13 Doug Burton.

After just one hour twenty four minutes of green flag racing, the winner Brandon Schueler crossed the line with Guthrie right behind him. Brian Bush and Damon Cardon were not far behind and crossed the finish line before the sweep crew called in that Elvis was clear. Brett Carter, in his first race ever, finished the Pit Bull Tires UTV race 6^th, with Buzz Bronsema and Casey Currie completing the finishers list. Eight out of the sixteen finished, a better percentage of finishers than the King of the Hammers race the following day.

The week long event hosted Tech and Contingency for the Pit Bull Tires UTV race at the Kawasaki Racing semi. Reid Nordin, who helped HammerKing Productions Jeff Knoll design the course, was an integral part in making sure this race was successful.

The week also turned full circle on the missing UTV trophy from last year. I was involved in the “all of a sudden missing trophy” and didn’t know what to say or where it had gone. The trophy takes two people to carry and is huge. How could it just disappear? Well, that question was answered the week before the race when an out of town spectator was hiking and found the trophy buried. After digging it out of the rocks, the trophy now has a nice rusty sheen to it that will compliment its story as the revolving trophy for the PitBull Tires UTV race.

“This is no doubt a challenging race,” said Wally from Side X Side Outfitterz. “But if it wasn’t as challenging as it is, then we wouldn’t want to do it.” The racers are asking for more rocks next year and you never know what HammerKing will do next.

Thanks to Bower Motorsports Media, UTV Underground and Friese Images for the spectacular Photo Gallery.

*Times and standings are unofficial. No official results are available at time of posting.*

Finishing Order

1919             Brandon Schueler             1:24:42
55                 Mitch Guthrie                        minutes after 1919
26                 Brian Bush                        1:59:38
4091             Damon Cardon
53           Joanne Gonzolas
8901             Brett Carter
17                  Buzz Bronsema
2            Casey Currie

Starting Order

1923             Clayton Hunt (Did not start)
17                Buzz Bronsema
600             Mark Turner
1935             Rocker Head
1965             Jon Crowley
1901             Brit Mansell
1940             Nick Casey
1993             Nolen Remlinger
53              Joanne Gonzolas
55              Mitch Guthrie
8901             Brett Carter
1919             Brandon Schueler
11            Kyle Knosp
711             Bill Bonett
4091             Damon Cardon
26                 Brian Bush
13              Doug Burton
2               Casey Currie