The details have been finalized.
Four Wheeler's very own Feature Editor, Robin Stover, will be co-driving at the up-coming King of The Hammers off-road race.
Derek Summers will pilot his #1006 Jimmy's 4x4 tube chassis rock buggy over the grueling 135 mile desert course on February 12, 2010.
When the green flag drops, Summers and Stover will attack the course in the 24th starting position.
When asked about the effort he has assembled, Summers responded "Ever since KOH started, I've wanted to race in it, but to start up in the front of the pack, the honor is just surreal. I'm confident with the car, and the team of pit crew volunteers I have coming is second to none."
In addition to Stover's contribution to Team Summers, Bully Dog has stepped up to assist with on-site pit support and logistics management. Bully Dog's Mike Deford, commented about the partnership yesterday stating, "We're excited to be involved with Derek's KOH effort this year, his team is confident with the vehicle and together with our support, we should have a pretty good chance at a win."
The vehicle was originally built as a recreational toy for Derek and his family to enjoy, however, thanks to the logical layout of the tube chassis built by Jimmy's 4x4, it didn't take long to convert it for race duty. "Toby Lavender of Triple X Traction added a 20 gallon fuel cell in place of the rear passenger bench seat, as well as a few add-ons like H3R fire extinguishers, and window nets.
The plan is for Stover to co-drive the first leg, and then at the first pit stop, Lavender will swap in to enable Stover to capture photography during the second half of the race.
Much of the race will be fast and rough with lake bed crossings and whooped-out cross grain, as such, Summers sent his four Radflo coilover shocks out to Radflo for a re-valve to stiffen up the suspension. This will allow the vehicle to travel faster in the wide-open desert sections.
PSC Motorsports sent Derek a quick-ratio steering gear to enable the car to steer more quickly for fast desert driving.
The car rides on Goodyear 40-inch MTR tires with Kevlar, bead locked to 17-inch Walker Evans wheels.
Powering the rig is a Turn Key Chevy LS1 engine backed by a built Turbo 400 automatic transmission and Atlas II transfer case.
Royal Purple is the official lubricant of KOH, as such, Derek converted his entire car to Royal Purple products. Royal Purple Engine oil, ATF, Power Steering fluid, Gear Oil and even Purple Ice for the cooling system was installed in the car in preparation for this race effort.
Griffin King of the Hammers is 135 miles of brutality. A race that some call the hardest one day off-road race on the planet. A comparison that ranks it alongside the Baja 1000, and the Dakar rally. Entry into KOH is limited to 100 teams.