Class 11 Bugs Set to Race KOH
Words & Images: Jason Stilgebouer
Dennis Sletten racing the 1163 Class 11 Bug at the Empi Shootout at Glen Helen Raceway.
A class 11 race will be taking place at the 2021 King of Hammers presented by Ultra 4 Racing. Dave Cole, President, and founder of Ultra 4 and KOH, recently announced on the popular desert racing forum, Race Dezert. TT Spec and Class 10 are to be added to the mix as well. The race has unofficially been dubbed “Class 11 Showdown.”
In off-road racing, there are many different vehicle classes to compete in, but the one that stays most true to its original form is Class 11. If you want to learn more about what a Class 11 is, check out the Anatomy of the Class 11 bug here.
Here is what Dave wrote on Race Dezert:
"Been talking to @fastfelix about carving some time out of the event week and letting the Class 11 guys and girls throw down.
This will in be in addition to our T1 race and potentially even a Spec TT (T2) big money race.
It will be a 10 mile course using the short course area and 8+ miles of desert. Most likely under the lights in a twilight race Thursday night."
Since official statements have yet to be released from the Ultra 4 regarding the race, we reached out to Dave for additional information.
The Class 11 Showdown will fall on Thursday, which is typically the day all Desert racing takes place for the T1 race, which is unlimited trucks. A 10-mile loop through the desert during the early evening known as "Twilight." There have even been some talks of a land rush start to kick the race off.
So, how did this come about? Luckily, Dave, is very active on the Race Dezert Forum, and Josh Felix, owner and racer of an 11 car had one day reached out regarding KOH and setting up a race for a Class 11 Stock Bugs. Next thing you know, they were on a phone call are already planning what the Class 11 race could be. This is Grassroots motorsports at it's finest.
There have been a few rumors that a few trophy truck teams are currently building Class 11 Bugs. There is no official confirmation on this, only rumors, but if this were true, that would mean even more media coverage from sponsors and would build up the community even more. But also it would be pretty cool to see a stock Bug and a Trophy Truck on the back of a trailer on the way to a race. Regardless, we hope this is true.
Nothing has been set in stone just yet; we know that it will take place if there are enough interest and number of competitors for the race. There has been overwhelming support for this race from the Class 11 community and many competitors have expressed their interest in pursuing this race coming next year.
So calling all racers, go out, buy a Class 11 Bug, and we will see you at the King of Hammers. In the meantime you can keep up with everything related to this topic on Race Dezert and join the conversation.