A Hard Day in the Desert – 2026 King of the Hammers

Here celebrating 20 years at King of the Hammers alongside the reigning king from last year, Kyle Cheney. Now Kyle, we are here once again on the lake bed. 20 years King of the Hammers and you are going for a repeat in the 4,400 class. Tell me about what’s happened over the last year.

Yeah, I mean we just came off DAR, uh, you know, second place at DAR. You know, it was our first time going over there. Uh, it was definitely an experience. Uh, but, you know, doing that kind of took away from some of my KOH testing, but I feel like we’re, you know, we’re pretty well seasoned here, so I kind of know what I need to do here.

And, uh, you know, we’ve, we’ve won the UTV race for four years in a row, and I lost it last year to Brock. So, you know, we’re wanting that back this year. And then, you know, we’re uh definitely out here to, you know, keep the crown in 4,400. So, we’re not going to let it go easy.

Well, let’s talk about DAR for just a little bit. Obviously, we see the big sand dunes. We see some of the same type of terrain. Is there anything that you’ve gathered from racing at Dakar that you can bring over here now for either the 4900s or the 4,400s?

Yeah. I just think the amount of seat time I got over there is is huge. I mean, I probably drove more and just at the car than I have probably in the last two or three years racing every series I’ve raced. So, you know, we we race every day for, you know, anywhere from 7 to 1,000 km a day.

So, you know, we I got a lot of seat time, just the seat time. And uh you know, there’s just a lot of stuff over there, different terrain, and you know, it’s definitely different from over here. You know, some of it looks the same, but you know, it’s definitely different. And, you know, uh it it’s definitely a learning curve for sure, but you know, I think it’s all going to translate to, you know, the US.

Well, you’ve been coming for over five years, six years now, and each time that you’ve come here, you’ve podium, like you said, four consecutive wins in the UTV class, and then you got that one last year in the big race of Kings. What’s your best memory so far as alongside or aside from actually, you know, winning the races? Is it being here with their team, seeing the environment, having the fans be right there, or just everything that encompasses what we know as King of the Hammers? Actually, my my best memory was my first year.

Um we were leading the race and we broke like 30 mi in we had an issue with the cooling fans and then you know so I come back to the pit and then I watched uh Mitch Guthrie come in and win. I saw like the helicopters following him everything and I’m like you know I want that to be me you know and then from then on you know we went to 1111. You know we’ve been on the podium since then and that was you know I may have lost that race but I got to watch him finish and you know I was like you know that I want that to be me one day. So that was probably my best memory.

I it’s hot out here, but I’m getting goosebumps from that because I can see what you’re saying. You’re like, I want to feel those types of feelings and you you’ve done that in the last few years and that’s helped with great partnerships and especially like AMSOIL. So, when we talk about AMSOIL and we talk about the products out here, it’s super hot some days, it’s cold, it’s rainy, and you’ve got two different vehicles that you’re racing with the partnership with AMSOIL. How does that help you make sure that you can still be that champion?

Yeah, I mean, you know, we start in the morning. Sometimes it’s, you know, still freezing here in the mornings and then by midday, you know, we’re still racing in at, you know, 70, 80°, you know, and we’re going from desert to, you know, super fast desert where it’s really hot, you know, but we’re getting good, you know, uh, you know, wind in into the radiator where we’re going zero to 5 mph in the rocks, but, you know, we’re super hard on everything. You know, bouncing off rocks, slipping clutches, and everything else. And you know having a good oil in there is definitely critical for you know if not just the machine a mindset and I absolutely agree with that because once you have everything and you know I I’ve never raced king of the hammers.

I’ve actually never raced any real race but I feel like no amount of prep can prepare you. So once you hit that green flag and you see everything you prepared for is out the window and you’re out there. Can you agree with that? Is that Yeah.

So, you know, when you pull up to the line and if you know you have all the right parts, all the right fluids, everything ready to go, you know, it eases your mind. You show up to the line where you’re still, you know, second guessing a part or something on the car, you know, you’re probably not going to win. You know, you have to show up to line, especially a race like Hammers, knowing that everything is 110% ready to go. Well, let’s talk about the Race of Kings, the big one that’s happening this weekend.

You know, a lot of eyes are on you. You were able to do that in a vehicle that most never seen. It was something that was a one-off that you kind of came together with your team. Now you got a target on your back and everybody’s coming back, but we’ve seen the evolution of the 4400 car.

You right here have built the next evolution of it. How does that make you feel? Yeah. I don’t know if it’s next, you know, necessarily the next evolution of the car.

You know, you know, we’re all drivers out there. So, you know, I’m still racing, you know, the top drivers in the world, you know. Um doesn’t matter what car we’re in, you know, whether we’re in a a you know, a Bronco* on 40s or we’re in a a Can-Am*, you know, we’re still racing that guy. Um you know, and I think it, you know, a lot of it does come down to uh the racer.

Of course, a lot of it is the machine. If you don’t have a well prepped machine, you’re not going to finish, but you know, I think a lot of it is is mental. Um and it’s not always the fastest person that wins this race. Usually, I don’t think it is ever the fastest person that wins this race.

So I think it comes down to just being smart, smooth, calculated is more than anything. But yeah, I mean the Can-Am’s awesome, you know, I feel like, you know, we we may be more nimble in some of the rock stuff, but those guys kill us in the desert. So like last year, we lost 15 minutes in the desert. Um I feel like we’ve got a better machine now, and we’ve worked on our desert pace, so I think we can cut into that some, but I know them guys aren’t slowing down either.

So, you know, I’m sure they’ve been out here testing, too. So, um it’s going to take a lot to win this race again, but um you know, we have what it takes. And um you know, I think we’re uh we’re going to give it our best. I love that.

And and the thing is, Kyle, it’s so crazy. You know, you’re this calm guy, but as soon as you put that helmet on, I’ve been able to watch you in like short course and obviously here in the desert and in the rocks, you’re a very methodical person. You know, when I’m personally watching you on the screen, you know, I don’t think that you’re looking at the rocks that are here. And obviously, you got a great co-driver as well, but the rocks here, you’re looking at the steps five, six, seven, eight, you know, steps ahead.

And that it shows your drive style and I absolutely love that. Yeah. I mean, you can go out and preerun the course and an hour later it be changed. So there’s, you know, you can go out and that’s why I say like you can probably come to this race, not pre-run.

You know, as long as you know the course and have a good course map, you know, you can still win this race. It’s not about going out there and picking picking lines because the lines change, you know, within an hour. There’s so many people out there. Rocks change, everything moves.

And you have to be able to pick lines on the go while you’re going and then, you know, pick it, know you’re going to get there, and then think about the next obstacle that’s coming cuz if not, you’re not going to be prepared for that next obstacle when you get to it. And it’s all about being set up for that next obstacle. So, um, you know, little angles mean a lot here. Well, you’ve done it, Kyle.

It’s great to chat always with you. Now, make sure you guys follow along as Kyle Cheney goes for that backto back and of course regain and get that championship back for the 4900 class.