Lucas Bell 
Every year, tens of thousands of off-roading die-hards travel to Johnson Valley, California to take part in one of the ultimate off-road events in the world: King of the Hammers. Started back in 2007, this mega-event combines open desert racing with technical rock crawling stages designed to test even the most capable machines out there. Despite the current pandemic-related situation taking place in the Golden State right now, event organizers refuse to be deterred. With the King of the Hammers slated to start up in just a few days, the folks at Bronco Nation have just confirmed that a ton of Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport models are heading to join the fun. Better yet, attendees will get a first-hand look as to what the Bronco can do on the trails.
According to Bronco Nation, attendees of the 2021 King of the Hammers event will have the unique chance to ride down these legendary trails inside a 2021 Ford Bronco. An exciting opportunity no doubt, but there is a bit of a catch involved. Namely, attendees are limited to taking rides in the passenger seat of the new Ford Bronco. While that is a bit of a bummer, Bronco Nation has also confirmed that the Ford Bronco Sport will be available for actual test drives on the trails. The SUVs Ford plans to bring down are as follows:
- Badlands Bronco 2-Door Trail Rig
- Area 51 Bronco 4-Door Badlands
- Filson Firecrew Concept
- Bronco R
- Base Bronco 2-Door with Sasquatch Package
- Sasquatch-Equipped Outer Banks 2-Door in Shadow Black
- Bronco Sport Trial Rig in Cyber Orange
- Winning Rebelle Rally Bronco Sport
According to Bronco Nation, these ride and drive experiences with the Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport are free, sans for the $30 payment necessary to enter Hammertown. That said, the rides themselves will not take place inside the pop-up town. The State of California is also keen to prevent King of the Hammers from becoming a super-spreader event, as have placed some restriction on the festivities as a result. Most notably, the ride alongs will require proof of a negative COVID-19 test from within 7 days of attendance or documentation that an attendee has already fully recovered from COVID-19. Proof of vaccination is also acceptable, and the event will host rapid-testing on-site for a fee of $20.
While it may not be the Ford Bronco trail-ride that many fans have been patiently waiting for, this King of the Hammer experience will only help Ford further dial-in the iconic 4×4. That said, we’d love to know how many people are persuaded into buying a placeholder Bronco Sport after seeing what it can do in Johnson Valley.
If you are headed to King of the Hammer and wish to get in on the Ford Bronco fun, be sure to RSVP at the link provided here. Tickets for the general event are also on sale now, and can be purchased here. The 2021 running of the King of the Hammers takes place from January 28–February 6.
