The event is a combination of desert racing and rock crawling, at times
sending racers at speeds over 100 miles per hour across a dry lake bed,
then requiring them to precariously navigate through an extensive chute of
boulders and sharp-edged rocks. Two 60-mile laps were necessary to
complete the race, and Campbell took the checkered flag on Feb. 11 with a
time of six hours and 11 minutes.
So dominating was his performance that he actually began the race in the
62nd starting position and proceeded to pass all others ahead of him in
the field of 100 qualifiers. It was also Campbell's second time as King of
the Hammers champion, and the only competitor to achieve that distinction.
Campbell noted that he was fortunate to race his vehicle through the
course without any serious issues or breakdowns.
"My driveshaft was vibrating at 50 miles per hour and up, so I had some trouble at high
speeds. But when we were in the rough, I could really run it. I?d make up
time in the rocks," he said.
The winning race vehicle was equipped with Goodyear Wrangler MT/R with
Kevlar tires, a revolutionary off-road tire built with the rugged
toughness of DuPont Kevlar for enhanced sidewall puncture resistance.
Everyday off-road enthusiasts can purchase Goodyear Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar tires for their own trail running.
Also running on the Goodyear Wrangler tires was second-place finisher Tony
Pellegrino, who finished the race nearly 31 minutes behind Campbell. The
one-two overall finish by the Goodyear-equipped competitors helped give
credibility to the performance of the innovative tires.
"It is easy to see why off-road racing experts, such as Shannon Campbell,
choose Goodyear for superior performance in challenging off-road racing
conditions. Everything Goodyear learns in this tough off-road environment
inspires what we roll into our Goodyear Wrangler tires," said Matt
Neidert, Goodyear brand marketing manager.
