The 2023 King of the Hammers is underway with the “Lakebed” full of action. All attention was on two simultaneous races Saturday afternoon. The “TerraCrew” 1450 trucks and Class 11 Volkswagen bugs both started at the same time in two different locations. A classic landrush start was held for the bugs as they shot off into the desert and jockeyed for position. Out front with the lead positions was Cisco Bio and Cory Vandermark.
This year the bugs would run a 40-mile desert loop. King of the Hammers always has a high attrition rate no matter what class you are running. Out of 25 starters, only 15 finished. Vandermark was one of those finishers, but he did not see the podium. When the dust settled, Alex Gonzales brought home the victory ahead of Cisco Bio. Rounding out the podium in third was desert racing veteran Larry Roeseler.
In the Terra Crew race, Vincent Munoz stood atop the podium. Ken Knudsen and Darren Parsons finished second and third. Racing action continues with limited and unlimited desert racing classes Sunday.
*Some images courtesy of the King of the Hammers
