In a week dominated by memorable performances, Ohio’s Kyle Chaney shook the sport’s current paradigm to its core by taking a historic overall victory in Saturday’s King of the Hammers “Race of Kings.” With a field filled with the sport’s best drivers and most potent race vehicles, Chaney piloted a Can-Am based UTV to victory against machines costing four times as much (or more) that carry four to six times the horsepower.

For the most part, the first part of the race was over run over familiar territory. Up front, the factory Ford Bronco of former race winner Loren Healy got past pole winner Paul Wolff early. Healy led for much of the first lap and a half before succumbing to terminal drivetrain woes.

Defending race winner JP Gomez was first back to Hammertown after the second lap, hoping to make some time on a rapidly moving Jason Scherer, who had been carving through the field from his rear starting position. Also in the hunt at this point was the Jeep-based racer of Casey Currie.

In an unusual move by race promoter Dave Cole, this year’s third lap was plotted over some virgin rock trails and kept secret until just before the race. Gomez was the first to enter the new section, which proved as much of a navigational challenge as a driving one. Close behind was former king Josh Blyler, followed by the Can-Am of Chaney and navigator Terry Madden before a second Can-Am of Cody Miller.