How to enter King of the Hammers: fees, classes and safety kit

King of the Hammers is the race Indian off-roaders bring up most often after a hard day at a club event, because it mixes rock crawling and flat-out desert running in one go. Ultra4 publishes the whole entry process, so here is the short answer. You buy a race number, buy a USAC competition licence, register your car in a class and pay an entry fee that for 2027 runs from $200 for the Class 11 Showdown to $3,950 for the top Unlimited class. All of it is in US dollars, because that is how the organiser lists it.

The 2027 event is at the Johnson Valley OHV Area in California from 21 January to 6 February. Ultra4 counts 8 races, 770 teams and 80,000 attendees across the week, with the Every Man Challenge run over a two lap course of 155.5 miles.

The four steps, in order

First, secure a race number on Ultra4USA.com if you have not raced with Ultra4 in the past 12 months. Numbers cannot start with zero or contain letters, and the organiser asks for 48 hours to assign one.

Second, buy a USAC competition licence. It has to be bought before you reach the lakebed and it is checked on site. Only the Driver of Record registers for the race, but the co-driver and every pit crew member needs their own USAC licence, plus a general admission ticket.

Third, register with your licence number, class and subclass, medical insurance details and the car's specification, from engine to tyres, wheels and shocks. A W-9 form is needed each year for prize payouts. Fourth, pass tech. Ultra4 runs pre-tech and full tech at locations across the United States so teams are not forced to do it all at the race.

Entry pricing moves in windows. The returning racer rate closed on 28 September 2026, the early entry rate ends on 30 November 2026, and the standard rate starts on 1 December 2026. Ultra4 also says the old first time entry waiver is gone, so no free first start.

What the car and the kit must be

The 4600 Stock class is the one an Indian builder will recognise. It is open to four wheel drive production vehicles whose maker built at least 1,000 units of that model year in the region, with two full size side by side seats. The factory frame must stay, reinforcement is allowed, the stock body stays with holes only for cage tubes and linkage, and factory headlights must work. Wheelbase can move 3 inches from stock, leaf stays leaf, coil stays coil, and a solid axle cannot become independent. Shocks are capped at 2.65 inches diameter and 14 inches of stroke, one per wheel. Tyres must be DOT production items, 35 inches maximum with portal hubs and 37 inches without. In India that describes a Thar or a Gurkha build, not a tube frame buggy.

Driver kit is strict. A Snell SA2020 or SA2025 helmet, or an approved FIA one, with a D-ring fastening. A one piece suit to FIA 8856-2018 or an SFI spec, with two piece suits banned. SFI 3.3 gloves, SFI 38.1 head and neck restraint, no neck donuts, a 5 to 7 point H-style harness, a racing seat rather than the OEM one, SFI 27.1 window nets, a 2.5 lb extinguisher inside and 5 lb worth outside, and water and supplies for 24 hours.

A first time Driver of Record can also take the optional Rookie Program, which costs $2,500 and is waived if you run the programme's partner decals. It covers monthly virtual training, a five day Rookie Week in Johnson Valley and a final lakebed meetup on 29 January 2027.

How it compares with India

RFC India's 2026 edition in Goa ran 61 teams across 4X4 Extreme, 4X4 Modified and 4X4 Stock, with 26, 20 and 14 special stages. That ladder of stock to modified to unlimited is the same idea as Ultra4's 4600, 4500 and 4400. The difference is format. RFC is a week of timed special stages in monsoon jungle, KOH is one long race against the clock through rock trails and open desert.

Sources

• 2027 King of the Hammers Entry Fees
• How to Race King of the Hammers 2027
• King of the Hammers competitor FAQ
• 2027 King of the Hammers Schedule
• Ultra4 Rulebook: 4600 Stock Class
• Ultra4 Rulebook: Safety Equipment
• 2027 King of the Hammers Rookie Program
• About King of the Hammers
• Rainforest Challenge India 2026 to be held in Goa