Yokohama Tire Named Title Sponsor of Every Man Challenge Race at King of the Hammers
Yokohama Tire is kicking off the 2025 off-road season with a bang: the tiremaker announced it has entered into an agreement with Hammerking Productions to be the title sponsor of the Yokohama Tire Every Man Challenge (EMC) race at the annual King of the Hammers (KOH) event, held in Johnson Valley, CA.
The popular EMC offers grassroots competitors the chance to race the King of the Hammers course.
Yokohama’s off-road team will compete over six 4-wheel classes on various rugged GEOLANDAR® off-road tires at KOH.
Cameron Steele will be making his first KOH appearance since returning to Team Yokohama. This year he will be competing in all KOH races: Desert UTV class on the GEOLANDAR SD; the Unlimited TT and 4400 classes with the GEOLANDAR MT-R; and the Yokohama Tire Every Man Challenge on DOT GEOLANDAR M/T G003.
Veteran Team Yokohama members returning to KOH include Wayne and Kristen Matlock, who will be campaigning on GEOLANDAR SD & GEOLANDAR M/T G003 SxS tires in the Desert UTV class. Levi Shirley and Philip McGilton will be competing in the 4400 class on the GEOLANDAR MT-R, while Jonathan and Jordan Brenthel, and Nick and Chris Isenhouer will continue to prove the GEOLANDAR MT-R in the Spec TT and Unlimited classes, respectively. Bailey Cole, who is the reigning KOH 4600 stock class winner, will be racing in four classes on a variety of GEOLANDAR tires.
Yokohama and partner Warrior Built Foundation will do battle in their 1960s-era "Class 11” VW Beetle on GEOLANDAR AT/4 tires, in a field of 40 cars. Yokohama and Warrior Built will also be hosting a group of combat veterans onsite at the race and will outfit one vet’s vehicle with a new set of GEOLANDAR A/T XD tires. Along with the giveaway, Yokohama and Optima Batteries will host veterans from Warrior Built for an evening event during the week.
“Yokohama is honored to sponsor the King Of The Hammer’s Every Man Challenge,” said Candace Cogan, Yokohama senior manager of events, partnerships and sponsorships. “It’s an extremely challenging race, designed to test driver, machine and tires. Every year teams on the GEOLANDAR M/T G003 tires continue to prove the durability and find success in the race. We look forward to working with Hammerking and the dedicated racers to continue to build the EMC race.”
“We’re excited to build on our partnership with Yokohama,” said Mike Jams, CEO of Hammerking Productions. “The Every Man Challenge is one of our biggest and most popular races, and Yokohama’s support is testament to their strong commitment to the sport and our racers.”
For details on KOH, visit https://kingofthehammers.com/.
Besides King of the Hammers Every Man Challenge Race, Yokohama’s extensive list of 2025 North American-based motorsports activities – both on- and off-road – includes Porsche Endurance Challenge, Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama, Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama, Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Ford Mustang Cup, Subaru Motorsports USA sponsorship, Pikes Peak GT4 Trophy by Yokohama, Championship Off-Road Series, SCORE, and the TrophyLite Series.
About King of the Hammers
King of the Hammers (“KOH”) is a two-week-long off-road racing festival centered at Johnson Valley in the Mojave Desert. It’s the biggest off-road race in the country and one of the toughest and most iconic races in the world. Every year, over 80,000 spectators pack into Hammertown, and millions more tune in online to watch hundreds of racers battle for glory in a series of races culminating in the ultra-extreme Race of Kings. Winning KOH is the ultimate goal for drivers worldwide, cementing it as a cornerstone of off-road culture. KOH info: https://kingofthehammers.com/.