2009 V2R Team UNITE - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

Jeff Knoll · 08-12-2009, 08:51 PM

The UNITE Team Combines Royalty for a Heavy Hitter Ultra4 Vegas to Reno Race

JOHNSON VALLEY, CA, AUGUST 10, 2009:

Best In The Desert (BITD) is including a new class of cars for the first time ever at their 1000-mile Vegas to Reno three-day race August 20-22, 2009. Classified as Ultra4, the new King of the Hammers-style rock crawlers will be laying down all their cards. With a switch at the table, Hammerking Productions Dave Cole and Jeff Knoll will be drivers of record under the “UNITE” banner which will field a three-car team, also including Australian Ben Napier who hopes to qualify for the 2010 Griffin King of the Hammers. The UNITE team, originally formed by Brian Kirby and Bobby Ouellette in 2005 after racing the Baja 500, is composed of a virtual who’s who in rock-sports circles for the epic BITD Vegas to Reno race and is sure to produce a winning hand.

Vegas to Reno the long way, the brainchild of BITD’s Casey Folks, is the longest off-road point-to-point race in the United States, and this year he made it tougher. Not wanting to miss a once in a lifetime adventure, Hammerking Productions approached Folks about the addition of King of the Hammers-style Rock crawlers, now branded Ultra4 cars. “Our type of racing is all about the harsh environment and brutal terrain, and we felt this would continue that test of man and machine,” said Hammerking Productions Dave Cole. Cole will pilot a Brian Kirby purpose-built, cross breed of desert car that is also capable of climbing vertical walls and accelerating through the deep silt-beds found in the Nevada desert. “This is my dream car!” exclaimed Cole.

To sweeten the deal and attract a class of racers, Hammerking Productions attached the event to its widely popular Griffin King of the Hammers series of regional qualifiers. “Our approach this year has been to force our teams out of their comfort zone and introduce them to multiple forms of off-road genres,” says Knoll. He then went on to say that “the partnership between Hammerking and Best In The Desert has been working out great so far with more than a dozen Ultra4 teams signing up for this epic adventure.”

The UNITE team partners drivers who regularly participate in multiple motor sports and fabricators from six states and three countries who could be considered royalty in their own racing category. Drivers have experience ranging from the X Games, SCORE/BITD Desert Racing, Gumball 3000 Rally, Drag Racing, and Professional Rock-Sport Racing. Personalities include Adam Woodlee, Wyatt Pemberton, Dan Barcroft, Brian Kirby, Ken Mercer, RJ Brown, Matt Sisson, Dave Camp, Wayne Israelsen, Randy Slawson, Ben Napier, JR VanOrtwick, Dave Schneider, Chris Ridgway, and Chris Pook, who will join forces with Dave Cole and Jeff Knoll of Hammerking Productions and will be lead by the efforts of crew chief JC Andrews the Mojave Desert Racing 2008 overall points champion. “JC is the type of driver who puts together solid, consistent wins. We will all learn from him out in the Nevada desert,” said 2007 SCORE Baja 1000 winner Dave Schnieder and owner of the 4471 car piloted by Jeff Knoll for this event. “Half the fun is just going to be working with these guys!” added Knoll.

Signing on to support the effort of the UNITE team has been a number of the leaders in the off-road motor sports arena, including Griffin Thermal Products, BFGoodrich Tires, Raceline Wheels, Vision X Lights, and Ready Welder. Greg Mulkey, race director for Raceline Wheel, expressed his company’s position: “Raceline Wheels is proud to be associated with Hammerking Productions and we hope to carry over our success in rock-sports to this exciting new class of desert racing. We believe our wheels are perfectly suited for the demands of this type of endurance racing." Mulkey will join the UNITE team for Vegas to Reno and utilize the opportunity to see first-hand testing of their line of racing wheels. Darick Schmitt, distributor for VisionX lighting systems, added, “We see King of the Hammers as the fastest-growing off-road racing series in North America. The commitment by Jeff Knoll and Dave Cole to create a race and build a series that combines so many different off-road disciplines has created a following by top racers which, in turn, brings fan support never seen before in this type of [rock-sports] racing.”

To learn more about the UNITE off-road racing team, get race week live updates and coverage, and King of the Hammers, please visit: www.KingOfTheHammers.com

Sponsors:
www.GriffinRad.com
www.BFGoodrichTires.com
www.RacelineWheels.com
www.VisionXUSA.com
www.ReadyWelder.com

Hammerking Productions, Inc. created the “King of the Hammers” off-road race in 2007 (www.kingofthehammers.com) and released its first full-length film in 2008. The 2009 running of the King of the Hammers was featured on Spike TV and in the film “Second Crusade.” In 2009, Hammerking expanded race action to include three additional regional qualifiers for the 2010 race. Over 15,000 drivers and fans from around the globe will descend on the desert of Johnson Valley for over a week of off-road related activities in 2010.

Easy Rick · 08-12-2009, 10:20 PM

Good luck, and god speed!

Team 44554

Motorsports2 · 08-12-2009, 10:39 PM

Good Luck guys, and we are glad to be a part of the program!

pure-adrenaline · 08-12-2009, 10:54 PM

I cant wait!

imagineer · 08-13-2009, 03:29 AM

Good luck.

napsta · 08-13-2009, 05:23 AM

Its about 36 hours until we get on the plane. Can't sleep. This is going to be huuuuuge. Thanks heaps to Randy, Dave and Jeff for the help so far. Will be there soon. Bringing Bundy Rum for Wayne, any other requests from the other side of the world?

bob91yj · 08-13-2009, 05:32 AM

Congrats to Jeff and Dave for starting with a vision, and seeing it become a main stream off road reality. No one would have believed that there would be a class for KoH cars in BITD racing three years ago.

easyspops · 08-13-2009, 04:55 PM

Man, this just get's better and better. Kudos to Dave and Jeff, and a special thanx to Casey Folks for the BITD inclusion of Ultra4 cars. Now Big Rich is putting on a KOH qualifier down here in Tucson, I expect next year there will be a qualifier every month. I'm looking forward to that, don't dissapoint me you two. This is the most excited I've been in years as far as motorsports events goes, what a great concept you both have developed. I can see the growth limited only by the venues available for this race series, not insurmountable, but challenging nonetheless. I know you both are really working hard to grow this sport, keep up the good work, we all expect great things from you. Good luck, good racing, and prove to all, your team is desert racing "royalty". See you in Vegas, Gene

Woodlee · 08-13-2009, 09:20 PM

Thanks for the opportunity to be a part of such a great team. I can't wait !!!!!!

broncolou · 08-14-2009, 04:32 AM

"GET IT" boys

I'll be watchin from

the beach in Jersey....

FatCity · 08-14-2009, 10:02 AM

Good luck out there guys.

The title cracks me up.
I cant help but think of you guys all together with your fist's in the air.

DSI · 08-14-2009, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FatCity

Good luck out there guys.

The title cracks me up.
I cant help but think of you guys all together with your fist's in the air.

soooo wrong! so so wrong

BCzuk · 08-14-2009, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by napsta

Bringing Bundy Rum for Wayne, any other requests from the other side of the world?

Can you throw one of those fancy suzuki samurai grills you have over there in your carry on and give it to Pook for me

miniwally · 08-14-2009, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FatCity

Good luck out there guys.

The title cracks me up.
I cant help but think of you guys all together with your fist's in the air.

Go Team Untie

JeepRecoveryTeam · 08-14-2009, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DSI

soooo wrong! so so wrong

I don't know what you're upset about. You look pretty good in those gold bracelet things.

DSI · 08-14-2009, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeepRecoveryTeam

I don't know what you're upset about. You look pretty good in those gold bracelet things.

i wasn't going to comment on your superman costume there big boi....

ZukIzzy · 08-14-2009, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by napsta

Its about 36 hours until we get on the plane. Can't sleep. This is going to be huuuuuge. Thanks heaps to Randy, Dave and Jeff for the help so far. Will be there soon. Bringing Bundy Rum for Wayne, any other requests from the other side of the world?

Don't bring that stuff for me I got too drunk to drive just reading that. But I am sure I can find a few to help you take care of it.

wayne

DSI · 08-14-2009, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZukIzzy

Don't bring that stuff for me I got too drunk to drive just reading that. But I am sure I can find a few to help you take care of it.

wayne

Spiked Wayne Beer

Heck, I think you were drunk off the fact there was a :gasp: Diet Coke in the shop fridge the other night

ZukIzzy · 08-14-2009, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DSI

Spiked Wayne Beer

Heck, I think you were drunk off the fact there was a :gasp: Diet Coke in the shop fridge the other night

The only reason its Deit Pepsi in stead of Deit Coke is that I made more money painting the Pepsi plant then the Coke plant.

wayne

The monsters do make me a bit buzzed when they sit too long near the Wayne beer

easyspops · 08-14-2009, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FatCity

Good luck out there guys.

The title cracks me up.
I cant help but think of you guys all together with your fist's in the air.

I feel I've made a terrible assumption, "Royalty", I pictured the "Kings" of racing, Scherer, DSI, Ridgway, etc. The "Queens of the Desert", doesn't have the same ring. Are those fire suits really legal? Jeff, are those the same tights, and green slippers you wore at Reno Rocks? Are ya'all going for the "best appearing crew award"? Hands down you have that sown up, I guess image really is everything!!! Give em hell boys, see you in Vegas.

napsta · 08-14-2009, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZukIzzy

Don't bring that stuff for me I got too drunk to drive just reading that. But I am sure I can find a few to help you take care of it.

wayne

Oops, too late. We are at the airport waiting for our flight. will be there in about 16 hours. cya soon!

DSI · 08-14-2009, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by napsta

Oops, too late. We are at the airport waiting for our flight. will be there in about 16 hours. cya soon!

i am sure we can make it disapear!

see you wanker's sunday!

DocRocks · 08-15-2009, 10:54 AM

Glad to be part of such a great team and an epic race. Can't wait.

....uh, but nobody said anything about wearin no damn tights though.

... and Ben, you know it won't go to waste.

YAONTO · 08-16-2009, 03:27 PM

We're starting to get feedback on the cars and what is happening out there in the desert already!

We will be covering the event "as live as the Nevada desert will allow"

Check out the post and subscribe!
http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=812168

YAONTO · 08-17-2009, 03:09 PM

Make sure you guys are checking out the updates as we get ready to go racin!
http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=812168

Lance and I have the plan ready to post live (as cell phones allow) here on Pirate...I'm stoked...it will be awesome!

08-12-2009, 08:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
Jeff Knoll MotorsportsSolutions Join Date: Sep 2002 Member # 13974 Location: Chaos Posts: 4,595	2009 V2R Team UNITE The UNITE Team Combines Royalty for a Heavy Hitter Ultra4 Vegas to Reno Race JOHNSON VALLEY, CA, AUGUST 10, 2009: Best In The Desert (BITD) is including a new class of cars for the first time ever at their 1000-mile Vegas to Reno three-day race August 20-22, 2009. Classified as Ultra4, the new King of the Hammers-style rock crawlers will be laying down all their cards. With a switch at the table, Hammerking Productions Dave Cole and Jeff Knoll will be drivers of record under the “UNITE” banner which will field a three-car team, also including Australian Ben Napier who hopes to qualify for the 2010 Griffin King of the Hammers. The UNITE team, originally formed by Brian Kirby and Bobby Ouellette in 2005 after racing the Baja 500, is composed of a virtual who’s who in rock-sports circles for the epic BITD Vegas to Reno race and is sure to produce a winning hand. Vegas to Reno the long way, the brainchild of BITD’s Casey Folks, is the longest off-road point-to-point race in the United States, and this year he made it tougher. Not wanting to miss a once in a lifetime adventure, Hammerking Productions approached Folks about the addition of King of the Hammers-style Rock crawlers, now branded Ultra4 cars. “Our type of racing is all about the harsh environment and brutal terrain, and we felt this would continue that test of man and machine,” said Hammerking Productions Dave Cole. Cole will pilot a Brian Kirby purpose-built, cross breed of desert car that is also capable of climbing vertical walls and accelerating through the deep silt-beds found in the Nevada desert. “This is my dream car!” exclaimed Cole. To sweeten the deal and attract a class of racers, Hammerking Productions attached the event to its widely popular Griffin King of the Hammers series of regional qualifiers. “Our approach this year has been to force our teams out of their comfort zone and introduce them to multiple forms of off-road genres,” says Knoll. He then went on to say that “the partnership between Hammerking and Best In The Desert has been working out great so far with more than a dozen Ultra4 teams signing up for this epic adventure.” The UNITE team partners drivers who regularly participate in multiple motor sports and fabricators from six states and three countries who could be considered royalty in their own racing category. Drivers have experience ranging from the X Games, SCORE/BITD Desert Racing, Gumball 3000 Rally, Drag Racing, and Professional Rock-Sport Racing. Personalities include Adam Woodlee, Wyatt Pemberton, Dan Barcroft, Brian Kirby, Ken Mercer, RJ Brown, Matt Sisson, Dave Camp, Wayne Israelsen, Randy Slawson, Ben Napier, JR VanOrtwick, Dave Schneider, Chris Ridgway, and Chris Pook, who will join forces with Dave Cole and Jeff Knoll of Hammerking Productions and will be lead by the efforts of crew chief JC Andrews the Mojave Desert Racing 2008 overall points champion. “JC is the type of driver who puts together solid, consistent wins. We will all learn from him out in the Nevada desert,” said 2007 SCORE Baja 1000 winner Dave Schnieder and owner of the 4471 car piloted by Jeff Knoll for this event. “Half the fun is just going to be working with these guys!” added Knoll. Signing on to support the effort of the UNITE team has been a number of the leaders in the off-road motor sports arena, including Griffin Thermal Products, BFGoodrich Tires, Raceline Wheels, Vision X Lights, and Ready Welder. Greg Mulkey, race director for Raceline Wheel, expressed his company’s position: “Raceline Wheels is proud to be associated with Hammerking Productions and we hope to carry over our success in rock-sports to this exciting new class of desert racing. We believe our wheels are perfectly suited for the demands of this type of endurance racing." Mulkey will join the UNITE team for Vegas to Reno and utilize the opportunity to see first-hand testing of their line of racing wheels. Darick Schmitt, distributor for VisionX lighting systems, added, “We see King of the Hammers as the fastest-growing off-road racing series in North America. The commitment by Jeff Knoll and Dave Cole to create a race and build a series that combines so many different off-road disciplines has created a following by top racers which, in turn, brings fan support never seen before in this type of [rock-sports] racing.” To learn more about the UNITE off-road racing team, get race week live updates and coverage, and King of the Hammers, please visit: www.KingOfTheHammers.com Sponsors: www.GriffinRad.com www.BFGoodrichTires.com www.RacelineWheels.com www.VisionXUSA.com www.ReadyWelder.com Hammerking Productions, Inc. created the “King of the Hammers” off-road race in 2007 (www.kingofthehammers.com) and released its first full-length film in 2008. The 2009 running of the King of the Hammers was featured on Spike TV and in the film “Second Crusade.” In 2009, Hammerking expanded race action to include three additional regional qualifiers for the 2010 race. Over 15,000 drivers and fans from around the globe will descend on the desert of Johnson Valley for over a week of off-road related activities in 2010. __________________ California Motorized Recreation Council (CMRC) Board Member Carrera Performance Group Clients include, Off Road Business Association International Side X Side Association OffRoadPress.com SXSPerformance.com Carrera Performance Group, LLC Off Road Solutions, from Marketing to Management

08-12-2009, 10:20 PM	#2 (permalink)
Easy Rick I'm back and watchin Join Date: Feb 2005 Member # 43607 Location: Building Trick cars, pretty close to heaven. Posts: 4,136	Good luck, and god speed! Team 44554 __________________ KOH racer #554 Huge thanks to our partners: Trick Toys Fabrication, NITTO Tires, Longfield Super Joints, PSC steering components, Brian Smith Development.............tricktoysracing@yahoo.com

08-12-2009, 10:39 PM	#3 (permalink)
Motorsports2 Wheeler Join Date: Jan 2008 Member # 107468 Location: Orange Co., CA Posts: 412	Good Luck guys, and we are glad to be a part of the program! __________________ www.powertacwest.com www.visionxusa.com www.motorsportsquared.com www.m2outfitters.com

08-12-2009, 10:54 PM	#4 (permalink)
pure-adrenaline Registered User Join Date: Oct 2001 Member # 7482 Location: Farmington,NM Posts: 1,720	I cant wait! __________________ "It's all about the skinny pedal"

08-13-2009, 03:29 AM	#5 (permalink)
imagineer Rock God Join Date: Jul 2005 Member # 50419 Location: Easton MA Posts: 1,451	Good luck. __________________ Murphy's Law Motorsports #816 Check us out on FACEBOOK Kessler Machine & Fabricating, Fox Racing, Raceline Wheels, Yukon Axle & Gear, B.F. Goodrich, NEA4WD, PAC Racing Springs, Spiegel Scrap Metal, Griffin Radiators, Baja Designs,AMSOIL, Flexcon Industries, Ruffstuff, HOWE performance

08-13-2009, 05:23 AM	#6 (permalink)
napsta Drinking Rum Join Date: Oct 2007 Member # 101680 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 588	Its about 36 hours until we get on the plane. Can't sleep. This is going to be huuuuuge. Thanks heaps to Randy, Dave and Jeff for the help so far. Will be there soon. Bringing Bundy Rum for Wayne, any other requests from the other side of the world?

08-13-2009, 05:32 AM	#7 (permalink)
bob91yj Registered User Join Date: May 2003 Member # 19705 Location: Santee, CA Posts: 729	Congrats to Jeff and Dave for starting with a vision, and seeing it become a main stream off road reality. No one would have believed that there would be a class for KoH cars in BITD racing three years ago. __________________ Dust Junkies Racing 2009/2010/2012 Baja 1000 Class Champions Last edited by bob91yj; 08-14-2009 at 05:14 PM.

08-13-2009, 04:55 PM	#8 (permalink)
easyspops Granite Guru Join Date: Mar 2009 Member # 133025 Location: on the Colorado River Posts: 717	Man, this just get's better and better. Kudos to Dave and Jeff, and a special thanx to Casey Folks for the BITD inclusion of Ultra4 cars. Now Big Rich is putting on a KOH qualifier down here in Tucson, I expect next year there will be a qualifier every month. I'm looking forward to that, don't dissapoint me you two. This is the most excited I've been in years as far as motorsports events goes, what a great concept you both have developed. I can see the growth limited only by the venues available for this race series, not insurmountable, but challenging nonetheless. I know you both are really working hard to grow this sport, keep up the good work, we all expect great things from you. Good luck, good racing, and prove to all, your team is desert racing "royalty". See you in Vegas, Gene

08-13-2009, 09:20 PM	#9 (permalink)
Woodlee Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Member # 41800 Location: Middle Tennessee Posts: 504	Thanks for the opportunity to be a part of such a great team. I can't wait !!!!!! __________________ WideOpenDesign.com 615-962-9135

08-14-2009, 04:32 AM	#10 (permalink)
broncolou Rock God Join Date: Jan 2004 Member # 26750 Location: Parkton MD Posts: 2,164	"GET IT" boys I'll be watchin from the beach in Jersey.... __________________ Lou EB Buggy #231 RCrocks/Line Mtn www.EXTREMEAXLESALES.COM WWW.INTERCOTIRE.COM WWW.RC4X4.ORG WWW.earlybroncos.com www.stickeylee.com www.bilstein.com

08-14-2009, 10:02 AM	#11 (permalink)
FatCity Adnimistrator Join Date: Jan 2001 Member # 2870 Location: Wildomar, Ca. Posts: 2,424	Good luck out there guys. The title cracks me up. I cant help but think of you guys all together with your fist's in the air. __________________ FatCity Off-Road Racing

08-15-2009, 10:54 AM	#23 (permalink)
DocRocks Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Member # 26496 Location: Atl Posts: 1,145	Glad to be part of such a great team and an epic race. Can't wait. ....uh, but nobody said anything about wearin no damn tights though. ... and Ben, you know it won't go to waste. __________________ Ken Mercer Mercer Motorsports RockSports Team #770 www.mercermotorsports.com 2009 & 2010 KOH Team #770 Bunk is a true Hero! Ask me why :)

08-16-2009, 03:27 PM	#24 (permalink)
YAONTO Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Member # 130874 Location: Anywhere, CA Posts: 477	We're starting to get feedback on the cars and what is happening out there in the desert already! We will be covering the event "as live as the Nevada desert will allow" Check out the post and subscribe! http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=812168 __________________ ~ Charlene ~ [COLOR="Orange"]Check Out [I][URL="http://www.pirate4x4.com/tv/live.php"]Pirate4x4 TV Live! [/URL][/I] "I plan on skidding into the Pearly Gates 5th gear pinned with a smile on my face..." :p Bower Motorsports Media - Lets put you in first place [email]charlene@bowermedia.com[/email] [url]www.BowerMotorsportsMedia.com[/url] / [url]www.UTVWeekly.com[/url] / [url]www.RogerNormanRacing.com[/url] / [URL="http://www.JKOwners.com"]www.JKOwners.com[/URL][/COLOR] / [url]www.RacingForTits.com[/url]

08-17-2009, 03:09 PM	#25 (permalink)
YAONTO Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Member # 130874 Location: Anywhere, CA Posts: 477	Make sure you guys are checking out the updates as we get ready to go racin! http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=812168 Lance and I have the plan ready to post live (as cell phones allow) here on Pirate...I'm stoked...it will be awesome! __________________ ~ Charlene ~ [COLOR="Orange"]Check Out [I][URL="http://www.pirate4x4.com/tv/live.php"]Pirate4x4 TV Live! [/URL][/I] "I plan on skidding into the Pearly Gates 5th gear pinned with a smile on my face..." :p Bower Motorsports Media - Lets put you in first place [email]charlene@bowermedia.com[/email] [url]www.BowerMotorsportsMedia.com[/url] / [url]www.UTVWeekly.com[/url] / [url]www.RogerNormanRacing.com[/url] / [URL="http://www.JKOwners.com"]www.JKOwners.com[/URL][/COLOR] / [url]www.RacingForTits.com[/url]

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