Do you really need more proof that Brock Heger is the best UTV driver today? Was being the titleholder for the Baja 1000, Dakar Rally, and Toyo Tires Desert Challenge all at once not enough to convince you?

How about winning the Can-Am UTV Hammers Championship without pitting?

After qualifying third for Thursday’s UTV Hammers race, Heger blasted by pole-sitter Ronnie Anderson and 2024 winner Kyle Chaney from the start. By Mile 50, he was already ahead by two minutes.

“The goal was to get out front in the desert before we hit the rocks and then try to lead the way in the rocks,” Heger explained. “We did that, there was a few gnarly sections right there after Chocolate Thunder. I never really went and looked after everyone put up the snow fence. Shoved us a lot more in there than I thought and definitely not what I was going to do, so it was fun trying to navigate through that. I’ve never really seen it because I was a big sand guy and I would always take the sand and avoid some of that stuff.”

Upon exiting his comfort zone in the desert and hitting the rock section, the only snags Heger hit were a few cases where he got stuck. Even then, he opted against using the winch to get out and just wiggled his way out.

Heger’s rivals at Can-Am were unable to close the gap. Chaney was knocked out by a broken rear differential early on, while fellow 2025 Dakar rookie Hunter Miller suffered two broken axles in Spooners. Paul Wolff arrived at the finish without brakes after his brake line was severed in the rocks, leaving him riding at maximum revs.

Miller’s brother Cody finished runner-up, 13 minutes behind Heger but winning the Pro Modified class. His race was plagued by flat tires to the point where he was gaslighting himself into thinking he had more. He eventually found his stride, but had to abandon stuck teammate Phil Blurton on the lakebed in favor of chasing down Heger.

“We busted a tire the first lap in the desert,” said Miller. “Usually whenever that happens, it puts you far enough back that it’s almost impossible to catch the leaders. After that, we put our head down and we thought we had more flats. We actually pulled into Pit 2 to get tires changed that weren’t even flat because we were just so messed up in the head.

“We charged as hard as we could, trying to keep air in the tire. That’s the thing out here. It’s so easy to rupture a tire with these sharp rocks everywhere and these 3,000-pound race cars that we’re driving.”

An army of Can-Ams tailed Heger’s Polaris, including a podium sweep of the Pro Mod category with Miller, Nathan Parker, and Wolff. Bailey Cole was the next-highest RZR in eighth ahead of colleagues Cody Willenborg and Anderson.

Casey Currie, another Polaris-affiliated Dakar champion, won the Pro Stock Turbo UTV class. Another Polaris piloted by Mitch Guthrie, who recently raced a Ford at the 2025 Dakar, was 13th in Open UTV.

Bryce Menzies finished eight spots back of Guthrie with a 21st in class. Menzies, a Trophy Truck mainstay, competed in a first-generation Polaris RZR Pro R Factory as a member of the factory team alongside Heger.

“The Gen 1 RZR Pro R Factory that Brock drove has been specially modified and reinforced to tackle today’s rock course, and it’s clear that the vehicle continues to be unmatched,” stated RZR Factory Racing technical director Alex Scheuerell. “Brock’s racing expertise and his ability to adapt to the most challenging terrains, combined with the unbeatable performance of the Pro R Factory, is what makes him a force to be reckoned with.”

While the UTV arms race is defined by Can-Am versus Polaris, Supercross legend Jeremy McGrath topped Pro Stock Normally Aspirated in a Kawasaki Teryx. McGrath had also organized two bike events, the King of the Grand Prix and Holeshot King, as part of King of the Hammers’ bike festivities a fortnight ago.

Camren Sorensen, a Formula D Pro-Am driver and the younger brother of FD regulars Branden and Amanda Sorensen, won the Youth 1000 class in a SPEED UTV. Reigning UNLTD Youth 250 champion Code St. Peter and Vito Ranuio’s son Alex joined him on the podium.

Other children of racing stars who raced in Youth 1000 included Mika Block and Tyce Healy. Block, son of the late Ken Block, finished seventh while Healy, son of Ultra4 ace Loren Healy, rolled his car five times after contact with someone else on the lakebed. Both Healys were unharmed.

Class winners

Class	Overall Finish	Number	Driver	Laps	Total Time
Futures Youth 1000cc	86	1	Camren Sorensen	1	1:21:11.312
Open	1	1896	Brock Heger	2	4:21:02.522
Pro Modified	2	221	Cody Miller	2	4:34:13.370
Pro Stock Normally Aspirated	19	525	Jeremy McGrath	2	8:45:29.927
Pro Stock Turbo	17	14	Casey Currie	2	8:20:41.181
Sportsman Stock	26	1003	Aaron Clark	2	9:25:23.400

Featured image credit: Polaris