King of the Hammers: Dustin Jones, Vito Ranuio Take Wins
Multiple Top-Ten Finishes for Maxxis Athletes
Due to the jaw-dropping feats required to complete it, King of the Hammers (KOH) is one of the most widely anticipated and well-known races in the world. But brutal conditions at KOH were no match for Maxxis-sponsored athletes.
Dustin “Battle Axe” Jones started KOH with a victory in UTV Stock at the Desert Challenge with a time of 4.17:15 and followed up with fourth place overall and third in 4900 Pro Modified UTV in the Can-Am Hammers Championship. Newly signed by Maxxis, Vito Ranuio began his sponsorship by the company with a win in the UTV Pro Modified class at the Desert Challenge, finishing in 4.00:50. In a fine performance, Doug “Fresh” Mittag narrowly missed a victory in the Desert Challenge, crossing the finish line first and taking second only due to total adjusted time. The following Monday in the Great American Short Course Race, he took another podium in true KOH style, smashing his way onto the box. Cody Miller and Hunter Miller had a great week as well, taking second and third in Pro Stock Turbo UTV and fifth and sixth place overall in the Can-Am Hammers Championship. Dave Mason, Jr. competed in the Class 1 car.
“Back to Back podiums at King of the Hammers! Taking home more hardware in the rock race!! What a start to the season and SO proud of all the guys for the hard work to make this possible!” an elated Jones posted on Instagram.
In another major KOH accomplishment, Hunter and Cody Miller also made the top ten of the grueling 4400 race, with Hunter in seventh place and Cody in eighth. Brendon Thompson also turned in an excellent result with a 15th-place finish. Both Millers rode 35” Roxxzillas, and Thompson rode 42” Trepadors. Several cars ran a prototype of a recently developed Maxxis tire, with the company’s engineers and management on hand to closely monitor its performance. Athletes competed on other winning Maxxis tires as well, including the RAZR MT, RAZR AT, Bravo 771, Creepy Crawler and RAZR XT.
“King of the Hammers is done! The relief I feel finally having the lakebed in the rearview mirror is hard to explain. We put so much effort into this race and to be headed home with 4 solid results, memories made, and a hell of a lot of fun feels amazing. We have so many people in our corner that make our race program possible and I am eternally grateful for each and every single one of you! Thank you!” Hunter said on Instagram.
Maxxis has always provided strong support for athletes and spectators alike at KOH, but this year the company added even more fun to an already memorable week. February 3, fans were treated to the inaugural Ride with the King, during which more than 30 fans enjoyed a guided ride led by the King himself. The ride ended with a Maxxis team dinner at the Maxxis pit complete with a catered taco supper and autograph signings.
As if that weren’t enough, fans could join the Maxxis Duck Hunt presented by Waypoint Navigation. A Waypoint representative hid eight Maxxis rubber ducks throughout the Johnson Valley. Fans were able to find the ducks by following Maxxis’ social media accounts, which released the GPS coordinates for the ducks over 24 hours. Fans presented the ducks they recovered on Friday at the Maxxis truck, where they were rewarded with Maxxis swag and athlete-signed memorabilia.
