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goatman2

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Ever hear of Lemons racing? It sounds like this is supposed to be in a similar spirit, but w/o the rules to match. Don't want big budgets dominating? Set a budget limit, enact a claiming rule (any competitor can buy a competing vehicle for $X), &/or make it so every vehicle has to be at least 5-10 years old.

It's silly bitching about winners who won by the book.

I race 24 Hours of Lemons and Ultra4. Both in Jeeps. Contrary to what some here are wishing for, there is NOTHING inexpensive or cheap about racing Ultra4 4600 class. It's motorsports, and you really have to want to do it. It's not just being competitive, it's having your car survive.

BTW, I think a cheap off road class would be a blast. We did it once in Moab with bone stock XJ's. Long story, fun as hell and a great memory.
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goatman2

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The stock class bypassed the hard trails.
No, actually they didn't. They didn't run all of the trails that the other classes did, and some of those were the very hardest trails, but they ran plenty of hard trails. They ran Turkey Claw, Spooners, Outer Limits, Aftershock, Jack North, Idle Issues, Chocolate Thunder, Wrecking Ball, Full of Hate, and Clawhammer. Those are all rock crawling trails.


Are those of you $ whiners not realizing that only a couple of yrs ago, Loren Healy actually got a 2nd mortgage on his home to build a race rig and compete. Sure it does take a few bucks people, but this isn't unachievable. If you can finacially buy a house and a bronco, you COULD build a race truck and win. You might be in debt at the end of the season, but it's still attainable for the average Joe with a decent job, fab skills, and driving skills. These winning racers are just like you or I, but they have made this race their number one priority. Their focus and determination is paramount. My hats off to all the racers that competed.
Ditto. Like I said above, these are all guys that started out rock crawling, and got the bug to race KOH and have been successful at it.

Sure these drivers are considered Pro. How does everyone think they got started? There is a podcast called "Ford Bronco Talk", they interviewed Brad Lovell and Vaughn Gittin Jr in the last year. Very interesting to hear how they got started. Home grown boys, NOT born into money and racing boys.


Question: Why has no one brought a "factory" 392 Wrangler JL to the lakebed? Sure seems like that has any advantage the bronco has.
There was a 392 Hemi Wrangler this year and last year, and it was driven by two time champ Eric Miller. Not factory sponsored, but backed by Savvy Off Road.


Jeep raced in the stock class a few years back and won also. Ford is just late to the game is all. The jeep gladiator that raced was highly modified and driven bt erik miller. So what I am saying is this has all happened before, nothing new.

Jeep was a sponsor of King of the Hammers before Ford, in fact the year before. Savvy Off Road also built and prepped the Gladiator for Jeep, but it was too long to do very well. No where near the effort that has been put into the Broncos by Ford.


BTW, sorry for all the posts. Have been working the races all day, and with so many people here the internet was very sketchy. Most people have left now so internet is good. Also BTW, over 100,000 spectators this year.
 
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MadMan4BamaNATL

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No, actually they didn't. They didn't run all of the trails that the other classes did, and some of those were the very hardest trails, but they ran plenty of hard trails. They ran Turkey Claw, Spooners, Outer Limits, Aftershock, Jack North, Idle Issues, Chocolate Thunder, Wrecking Ball, Full of Hate, and Clawhammer. Those are all rock crawling trails.




Ditto. Like I said above, these are all guys that started out rock crawling, and got the bug to race KOH and have been successful at it.



There was a 392 Hemi Wrangler this year and last year, and it was driven by two time champ Eric Miller. Not factory sponsored, but backed by Savvy Off Road.





Jeep was a sponsor of King of the Hammers before Ford, in fact the year before. Savvy Off Road also built and prepped the Gladiator for Jeep, but it was too long to do very well. No where near the effort that has been put into the Broncos by Ford.


BTW, sorry for all the posts. Have been working the races all day, and with so many people here the internet was very sketchy. Most people have left now so internet is good. Also BTW, over 100,000 spectators this year.
Awesome to have a real racer drop some posts here to better educate us all.

Loren did the true story of the second mortgage. However, he wasn't new to this at all. He was basically a pro rock crawler, not one of us who just hopped out from the keyboard to go racing following a moment of clarity or something silly like that.

The over focus that many have posted here on the machine themselves and how Ford must have somehow entered 4400 Broncos in the 4600 class is highly misleading to new guys here.

Then there's the "bypass" comment from someone who obviously didn't watch the race. Hell, I posted the entire 12 hours in the first link! These 4600 guys and gals did what looked impossible to me even if the camera angles didn't give the full effect; this doesn't mean the effects weren't there in real life, they were.

Anyway, it was a great week of racing. Everyone survived and don't think there were any serious injuries on the course; maybe a few from fists in Hammertown, but they'll heal up good with a story to tell. :)

Hope that may readers decide to give Ultra4 and KOH a shot next year or go back and watch some of the YouTube videos of this years race. You can always fast forward, but it's good to get a feel of what's going on out there and the commentary is often informative and sometimes pretty funny to hear.
 

aFordOwner

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No, I don't think that was why they won. After all the drama last year with Jesse Haines, I'm shocked it was allowed though. My bigger beef is the drivers, followed by the full factory backed race team, in a class that was created specifically to be a grassroots class. It was the orriginal Every Man class, and this sucks the fun out of 4600 for me.
They should have a Karen class and everyone who enters gets a trophy 🏆.
 

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aFordOwner

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Also, let me make a comment about professional drivers. There are no KOH winners that were professional race car drivers before KOH. All of the "professional" race car drivers who have come to compete in KOH have been beaten by the original grassroots rock crawling guys that became King of the Hammers champions. They all have day jobs and/or they own shops that build buggies. Only Brad Lovell could be called a purely professional driver and he and Roger started out in rock crawling competition and evolved into desert racing. Bailey Cole is 24 yrs old and his dad Dave Cole owns Ultra4. Bailey started racing with his IFS Tacoma in 4600 class when he was a teenager. He was the kid that we helped and had a ton of fun with. Some have only started businesses that build or relate to rock sports products after they became KOH champions, before they were just rock crawling guys.

So, yes, Ford got very good drivers, both to try to win and as promotional value, but the term "professional" drivers has some qualifications to it.
I’ll only say Loren Healy laid down the sickest qualifier … very studly … and Totally stock!
 

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I’ll only say Loren Healy laid down the sickest qualifier … very studly … and Totally stock!
The chat during the 4400 livestream was hilarious!

"that is basically just a Bronco Sport with a leveling kit and K&N Intake" :LOL:
 

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I did motorsports racing for 20 years pretty hard core, money always wins even at the so called non pro level. Money and resources will always come on top. The only way you control that is rules which this stock class is like swiss cheese. I would have rather seen Ford stick a little closer to "available" stock factory parts, I think they could of still won specially with experienced factory pro drivers.
 
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I did motorsports racing for 20 years pretty hard core, money always wins even at the so called non pro level. Money and resources will always come on top. The only way you control that is rules which this stock class is like swiss cheese. I would have rather seen Ford stick a little closer to "available" stock factory parts, I think they could of still won specially with experienced factory pro drivers.
Good to have your insight as always.

Think Ford was more testing out parts for durability than anything. Something tells me they'll be pushing for advancement in Portal axles and other parts for future racing and maybe even Ford Performance upgrades. This will eventually bring down the costs of these expensive upgrades.

In the end, saying that Broncos in a "stock" class completed and won KOH is a chest beater and they'll market this sweep for years to come.

Think I remember Ford doing something similar in the 1960's at Le Mans....... seems to have worked out for them then too although it was a little shady.
 

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I think the biggest accomplishment they did Friday from a racers perspective is all three Broncos finished ahead of all of the 4500 cars. This is stock frame, body, and motor Broncos on 35" tires beat every 4500 class car that have coilovers and bypass shocks and are full race buggy cars with big power race motors and 37" tires. To me, THAT is a huge accomplishment, and all three Broncos did it. Sure, we expected them to likely beat the other 4600 cars, but for all three to also beat every single 4500 car is a big time accomplishment. I wonder what tune those 2.7 motors have? :giggle:
I was wondering about this! Absolutely fantastic! I imagine one of these 4600 Broncos could have swapped 37s on and run that 4500 class too. How funny, to beat a whole class of not-so-stock 37s, with a nearly stock rig on 35s. And then do it Xs 3. 🤣

I bet the folks in the 4500 class are having second thoughts on there anti-IFS beliefs.

I hope someone shows up in the 4500 class next year in a Bronco.
 

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goatman2

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Here are a few pics of the finish. Again, not so amazing that the Broncos won 4600 class, kind of amazing that all three Broncos finished. Brad Lovell did have a mechanical problem coming in to pit one on the first lap. The factory guy hooked up his lap top to diagnose and quickly found a turbo hose was bad, and they had the part and replaced it. I think it it very amazing that all three Broncos finished ahead of every 4500 car, which are full on tube race buggies with big motors, coilovers and bypass shocks, 37" tires, and much greater visibility, with some very good drivers.

Don't know if the pics will show it, but there was some pretty good body damage on them from rubbing the sides on rocks.

Ford Bronco 🏁 King of the Hammers BRONCOS Sweep Podium in 4600 Class Everyman Challenge Race! These are OUR Spec Broncos 20220204_162607
Ford Bronco 🏁 King of the Hammers BRONCOS Sweep Podium in 4600 Class Everyman Challenge Race! These are OUR Spec Broncos 20220204_162654
Ford Bronco 🏁 King of the Hammers BRONCOS Sweep Podium in 4600 Class Everyman Challenge Race! These are OUR Spec Broncos 20220204_162909
Ford Bronco 🏁 King of the Hammers BRONCOS Sweep Podium in 4600 Class Everyman Challenge Race! These are OUR Spec Broncos 20220204_162509
Ford Bronco 🏁 King of the Hammers BRONCOS Sweep Podium in 4600 Class Everyman Challenge Race! These are OUR Spec Broncos 20220204_162543
Ford Bronco 🏁 King of the Hammers BRONCOS Sweep Podium in 4600 Class Everyman Challenge Race! These are OUR Spec Broncos 20220206_084447
Ford Bronco 🏁 King of the Hammers BRONCOS Sweep Podium in 4600 Class Everyman Challenge Race! These are OUR Spec Broncos 20220204_162431
 

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The lightly modified suspension cost more than your Bronco.

Ford Bronco 🏁 King of the Hammers BRONCOS Sweep Podium in 4600 Class Everyman Challenge Race! These are OUR Spec Broncos 20220204_162431
Naw, not even close. Those portals are 15K a set. For comparison look yp a new pair of D60 prices custom made...nearly 20K and that's before suspension.

Portals will become less expensive and more available, just like they have in the UTV world.

And by the way, plenty of us think the Broncos could have still won without portals. They beat the whole 4600 class and the whole 4500 class too. Very impressive!

And also WHEELBASE should be considered here and re-evaluated. Look at how may trucks or buggies in both of those classes had LONGER wheelbases than the 2DR Broncos. This is a bigger factor than people realize. And 3 car podium in KOH proves this.
 

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Good to have your insight as always.

Think Ford was more testing out parts for durability than anything. Something tells me they'll be pushing for advancement in Portal axles and other parts for future racing and maybe even Ford Performance upgrades. This will eventually bring down the costs of these expensive upgrades.

In the end, saying that Broncos in a "stock" class completed and won KOH is a chest beater and they'll market this sweep for years to come.

Think I remember Ford doing something similar in the 1960's at Le Mans....... seems to have worked out for them then too although it was a little shady.
I will agree IFS needs portal axles and I hope Ford Performance creates a partnership. Either way, the aftermarket will take care of it just going to take some time and reduce cost.

Also as far as LeMans they did it twice 50 years apart :)
 

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Portals are the way of the future on Broncos. Who doesnt like gaining ground clearance while keeping better geometry? As stated above, look up built dynatrac axles, they are astronomical! The same people who are building jeeps and other vehicles for major offroading, are the ones that are going to buy portals.
 

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A Bronco on portals also won the very first "unofficial" KOH back in the day....

Ford Bronco 🏁 King of the Hammers BRONCOS Sweep Podium in 4600 Class Everyman Challenge Race! These are OUR Spec Broncos IMGP1077.JPG
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