Perseverance pays off for Erik Miller this year, who has just come through the finish line to claim the win and the title of 2016 KING of the Hammers! He joins Shannon Campbell and Loren Healy as the only racers with double crowns. After competing at his first-ever Ultra 4 race at the 2010 King of The Hammers, Erik kept at it and won the title in 2012.
While no racer ever knows what will happen during the toughest one-day off-road race on Earth, Erik Miller has seemed to get more than his fair share of bad luck these past couple of years. In 2014 Erik was positioned for a possible win when his orbital valve busted at Clawhammer and he ran miles to the pits for a replacement part, finishing 25th. Last year Erik was in the lead when his rear wheel studs sheared off on Lap 2. After using ingenuity to get the car back together enough to limp to the pits and replace the part, they battled through until they had again gained the lead in Lap 3. Then a mere 30 miles from the pits Erik lost steering and the lead again. Fixing the car and driving all out to the finish, he was amazingly through the line 2nd, just inches away from the win again.
Erik’s never lift and never give up attitude have propelled him during his racing career and there couldn’t be another racer we’d be happier to see crowned King as him! Stay tuned for even more news of Erik’s race day and coverage from the 2016 Nitto King of The Hammers Powered by Optima.