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Team Green’s Jeremy McGrath Drives His Teryx KRX® 1000 to a Podium Finish at King of the Hammers
Tens of thousands of off-road enthusiasts and more than five hundred racing teams converged in Hammertown within Johnson Valley, California for King of the Hammers, a weeklong off-road competition through rugged desert and punishing rocks. In the UTV Stock NA Class, Team Green’s Jeremy McGrath drove his Teryx KRX 1000 through the legendary course to secure a second-place finish and put Kawasaki on the podium.
With ample pre-season testing, McGrath came into The Hammers prepared to make his third year of competition his best result yet. The King of Supercross started his 2022 King of the Hammers effort with an impressive performance in Monday’s UTV Stock NA qualification session where he laid down the second-fastest lap time (2:37.635).
When the green flag dropped, McGrath launched out of the two-by-two starting formation with a valuable stretch of clear track between him and Turkey Claw, the initial rock section of the course. At Mile Marker 2, Turkey Claw proved the first critical juncture to pass as drivers bottlenecked through narrow gaps in the rock formations before reaching open desert and the droves of dust that lay on the other side. Capitalizing on his strong qualification performance and the capability of the KRX 1000 in the rocks, McGrath navigated his way out into the desert without issue.
Traversing Herculean sections like Sledgehammer, Wrecking Ball and Hell to Pay, it’s no surprise that the challenges experienced at The King of the Hammers can too be larger than life. McGrath, however, not only made it through the technical portions of the course successfully but managed to make up time on his competition in the most extreme rock sections. As the race progressed, McGrath kept his eyes set forward and charged past over 30 turbo and other modified class competitors in his naturally-aspirated KRX 1000. After a demanding seven hours behind the wheel, McGrath crossed the checkered flag as the second-place finisher of the UTV Stock NA class and 21st of all 125 UTV competitors. McGrath made his way to the podium for a hard-earned celebration.
“I am so stoked to finish again this year - which is always a huge feat in itself - but to reach the runner-up spot on the podium is just an amazing feeling. I have accomplished a lot in my racing career, but this definitely goes down as one I am most proud of, due to the fact that this program is primarily me, my family and friends. I am so grateful to be driving the Kawasaki Teryx KRX 1000 as I feel like it is the only side x side that can make it around a King of the Hammers course right off the showroom floor. I can’t wait until next year!”
- Jeremy McGrath