Mickey Thompson Tests Tire Toughness at King of the Hammers

Only 37 of 84 cars finished the King of the Hammers, proclaimed the planet’s toughest one-day off-road race, on time this year. Tad Dowker and Jordan Pellegrino, two racers on Mickey Thompson Baja Boss X tires, were among the finishers.

“The Baja Boss X is an extreme competition tire designed to tackle the toughest terrains,” Ken Warner, vice president of marketing at Mickey Thompson said. “Tested at King of the Hammers and other off-road race and rock crawl events, this tire provides incredible grip and endurance to conquer all obstacles.”

Earlier in the week, we spoke with Heather Tausch, Mickey Thompson’s brand manager, who said they would be testing different tire compounds at King of the Hammers. An already-sticky compound and extra-large four-pitch Sidebiters provide off-road traction on the Baja Boss X. The tire’s Powerply XD angled third ply, plus an extra-thick denier cord, offers better puncture resistance, quicker steering response, and greater stability. A non-DOT approved competition tire, the Baja Boss X also features stone ejector ribs to keep tread grooves gravel-free.

Tad Dowker, who finished in 21st place on Baja Boss X tires, said, “We had seven flats during last year’s King of the Hammers week, including five during the race. The grip and durability of the new 4-ply Baja Boss X allowed us to stick many optional lines in the rocks and smash through the boulder-infested goat trails with confidence.”

GenRight Off Road’s Jordan Pellegrino finished in 23rd on 40×12.50/17 Baja Boss X tires, without any flat tires throughout the race.

Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels was founded in 1963 by racing legend Mickey Thompson. The company, headquartered in Stow, Ohio, markets high-performance and racing tires and wheels for truck and off-road applications, in addition to street and strip.

[Images: Mickey Thompson]