Raul Gomez wins the Nitto Race of Kings at the Progressive 2022 King of The Hammers Powered by Optima, while Nitto-sponsored Vaughn Gittin Jr. takes the top spot in the 4600 Class of the 4WP Everyman Challenge, at the Progressive 2022 Ultra4 King of the Hammers Powered by OPTIMA Batteries
CYPRESS, Calif. (Feb. 9, 2022) – Nitto Tire U.S.A., a leading manufacturer of off-road and street performance tires, has announced that Team Nitto Tires drivers Raul Gomez and Vaughn Gittin Jr. have won in the Nitto Race of Kings and the 4WP Everyman Challenge, at the Progressive 2022 Ultra4 King of The Hammers Powered by Optima in Johnson Valley, California.
Regarded as the most challenging single-day race on the planet, the King of The Hammers race is extremely hard on both drivers and equipment. Its unique mixture of brutal rocks and high-speed desert sections over 212 miles of racing makes just finishing a major accomplishment, with many competitors never seeing the finish line. This year Team Nitto Tires driver Raul Gomez was the first to the checkered flag taking the win by over 15 minutes ahead of the nearest competitor. Gomez didn’t have a flat tire the entire race crediting his Nitto Trail Grapplers with helping to keep him ahead of the fierce competition. The team also took delivery of his brand-new racecar only four days before the race making his win even more of an accomplishment.
“We came out this year looking for a win- brought out a new car, did some testing & tuning, and got it dialed in for the race,” said Raul Gomez, pilot of the #83 Unlimited 4400 car. “One of the greatest things about working with Nitto for about 5 years now, is the confidence I have with their product and knowing I wouldn’t have any issues. It’s a testament to the Trail Grappler M/T that I had no flats during the race and why it made it on top of the box for this year’s 2022 King of the Hammers race.”
Adding to Team Nitto Tires’ long list of wins at King of The Hammers, was Vaughn Gittin Jr. in the 4600 Stock Class. Competing in the 4WP Everyman Challenge race on Friday, Vaughn Gittin Jr. piloted a stock-class 2022 Ford Bronco over the rough and rugged course to victory in the 4600 Stock Class. The Stock Class win was even more impressive, with Vaughn Gittin Jr. placing fifth overall in a field of much less-restricted Legends and Mod Class cars.
“This year’s Race of Kings Hammers course was extremely tough on tires,” said Chris Corbett, Light Truck and Off-Road Brand Manager at Nitto Tire. “This year all tire brands suffered extremely tough tire losses on race day. We are proud the Trail Grappler M/T rose above the rest and helped deliver Raul Gomez to the podium with zero flats.”
For more information about the 2022 Progressive King of the Hammers, presented by Optima Batteries, please visit www.Ultra4Racing.com. To learn more about Nitto Tire, please visit Nitto on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NittoTire, on Twitter and Instagram at @NittoTire, on YouTube at www.youtube.com/NittoChannel or www.nittotire.com.
About Nitto Tire®
Nitto Tire (www.nittotire.com) develops performance tires for all uses, including racing, off-road and street. Using state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing facilities in Japan and the United States, Nitto provides innovative and high-quality performance tires for the most demanding automotive enthusiasts. For more information about Nitto or its products, visit the company’s web site or contact the company directly. Nitto is a registered trademark of Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc., located at 5665 Plaza Drive, Ste. 250, Cypress, CA 90630.
