KOH 2025 – Hankook Tire Racing Part II | Pre-Running & Testing the Dynapro MT2
Mid-week at King of the Hammers (KOH) brought emotional highs and lows for the Hankook Tire race teams. The format leading up to EVERY MAN CHALLENGE (EMC) race is three-fold; pre-running, testing, and qualifying.
This adventure story is produced in conjunction with Hankook Dynapro MT2, @HankookTireUSA
Teams are allowed to preview, or pre-run the course a few days before the main event, and while the speed limit is limited to 25 mph, this allows them to analyze the various terrains, determining the best line through technical sections, evaluate hazards, and strategize where they can make time over the competition.
The second phase is final testing of the vehicles, running at full speed over terrain similar to what they’ll face on race day. The final element is “qualifying,” where teams compete on a short course for starting positions.
KOH Veteran: Jacob Pacheco
Jacob Pacheco Overcomes Major Pre-race Mechanical Challenges
“The car was running good and the suspension and shock tuning were right where we wanted them to be. New tires need a bit of track time to get them broken in and warmed up, and after 20 miles of hard desert running the Hankook Dynapro MT2s were feeling great, and we were expecting to make a solid run in the qualifying round.” said Jacob Pacheo
Unfortunately, the team had an engine failure two days before qualifying; a valve broke and went into the manifold and cylinder. They didn’t have a spare engine, but were lucky to find one that could be delivered to the pit the next morning.
Crew Chief Henry Medel and his amazing team were able to get the new engine installed and running in seven hours. The next morning, KOH officials allowed the team to qualify the next morning, and though the short course was really torn up by then they still grabbed a 28th starting position out of 168 teams.
”It’s going to be one tough course this year. They’ve changed the direction on some sections and added new routes in other areas. We should be able to knock off some of the slower cars in Lap 1, the desert loop, and hopefully avoid most of the bottlenecks in the rocks on Lap 2. After a week of testing, I’m feeling confident that the Dynapro MT2 was the right tire choice for this race.” said Jacob
KOH Rookie: Joel Dulac
Grassroots Rookie Makes First Attempt at King of the Hammers
Excited to compete in his first King of the Hammers, Dulac arrived on the lakebed 10 days early and spent more than a week testing all aspects of his new-to-him Stock Class Suzuki Samurai. Minding his grassroots budget, he selected a small patch of sagebrush some distance from Hammertown for a basecamp. When asked how the week had gone, Dulac said,
“It has been great. My entire family is here, and we’ve been pre-running in the desert every day. We’ve had to fix a few mechanical things, but I think the suspension and Dynapro MT2 tires are up for the task.”
The Samurai only has 62 horsepower and is pretty light, so team Dulac used the extra week to break in the tires and develop their race strategy.
”Because we’ll be slower than the high-horsepower cars, we are running 16 pounds of air pressure, which allows the MT2’s sidewall to flex and increase the footprint and traction. The fast cars rely on speed and power to bounce over everything, but we need the tire to wrap around and grip each rock. The Dynapro MT2s are doing a great job so far. We didn’t pay to be in the qualifying round, so we’ll be starting near the back. This means we’ll probably get caught in a lot of traffic in the rocks. But that’s okay, our strategy is to be patient, keep the car in one piece, and finish the race.”
Stay tuned as we’ll be following our two Hankook Tire teams as the green flag drops and they test the mettle of Hankook Tire’s Dynapro MT2 at the 2025 KOH EVERY MAN CHALLENGE.
Where Can I Find The Dynapro MT2?
The Dynapro MT2 is available in 36 sizes, with select options currently in stock at Hankook-certified dealers such as TIRE RACK / SIMPLE TIRE.
Join the Action!
Follow @HankookTireUSA or #HankookTire on social media for real-time updates and race results. Check out the Hankook Dynapro MT2 to see why it’s built for the toughest off-road challenges on the planet.
This adventure story is produced in conjunction with Hankook Dynapro MT2, @HankookTireUSA
