Jeep® Gladiator to Compete King of the Hammers Desert Off-Road Race:
Savvy Off-Road Prepared Gladiator In Spidertrax 4600 Stock Class...
The all-new 2020 Jeep® Gladiator, is going racing at this year’s Every Man Challenge during the King of the Hammers Desert off-road race. Behind the wheel of Jeep’s new mid-size pickup is motorsports legend, Robby Gordon. He is will be sharing the driving duties with two-time King of the Hammers champion Erik Miller. The two will be competing in the Spidertrax 4600 Stock Class.
Gordon will be tasked with the high-speed portions of the course, while Miller will demonstrate Gladiator’s unmatched off-road capability in the tight rock sections of the famed Hammers trails.
Savvy Off-Road, an aftermarket shop based in Corona, California, is handling competition preparations, bringing expertise gained while earning the overall win at five consecutive Every Man Challenges from 2012 to 2016, and again in 2018.
Savvy Off-Road created a custom link-and-coil suspension with Fox remote reservoir shocks, and added Dynatrac 60 front and rear axles, beadlock wheels with 35-inch Falken Wildpeak M/T tires, a winch and a safety cage. Gladiator Rubicon’s “Redical Red” interior remains relatively unchanged, though Sparco racing seats have been added and rear seats have been removed. The Gladiator is powered by the same 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, that will be found on the production model.
All vehicles competing in the Spidertrax 4600 Stock Class of the King of the Hammers Every Man Challenge are required to utilize a factory engine, stock frame and body, a single shock at each wheel and 35-inch tires.
“Jeep has been attending King of the Hammers for many years, listening to, observing and engaging the group of hardcore off-road enthusiasts who gather there,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Jeep Brand – North America. “The all-new Jeep Gladiator’s high-speed locker protocol is a direct outcome of their input. So we figured even though we haven’t built the first customer unit yet, why not bring it out and put it to the test at this ultimate proving ground – the toughest one-day off-road race in the world?”
Behind the wheel of the Jeep Gladiator, Miller set the fastest time in the 4600 class yesterday on the two-mile qualifying course, besting the next closest competitor by more than 10 seconds.
The race is set to begin tomorrow February 6th, at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST) in Johnson Valley, California. If you want to follow the events on social media, be sure to check out the team on Instagram and Facebook.
2020 Jeep Gladiator Race Truck Prepared By Savvy Off-Road:
