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2020 Jeep Gladiator Goes for the Win in King of the Hammers Off-Road Race

It’s not even out on the market yet, and it has already set the fastest time on an off-road qualifying course: the 2020 Jeep Gladiator gears up to do battle on Wednesday in the Hammers Desert race, after being ten seconds faster than the the next closest competitor in the Spidertrax 4600 Stock Class in the qualifying round.
2020 Jeep Gladiator ready for The Hammers 8 photos
Photo: Jeep
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Arguably the most impressive car unveiled by Jeep in the past few years, the Gladiator will get a chance to prove its worth in the race in the hands of racing driver Robby Gordon and Hammers champion Erik Miller.

The Hammers race is a competition that combines racing over the dunes of Johnson Valley, California with rock climbing, making for a very intensive experience for any machine.

To get the Gladiator in shape, Jeep handed one over to Savvy Off-Road, an aftermarket shop based in Corona specialized in tweaking cars for this competition. But even with Savvy’s input, modifications need not be extensive.

As per the rules of the class the Gladiator will be competing in, the car must be fitted with a factory engine, stock frame and body, a single shock at each wheel and 35-inch tires.

In the Gladiator, off-roading capabilities are handles by the use of Command-Trac and Rock-Trac 4x4 systems, Dana 44 axles, Tru-Lock electric front- and rear-axle lockers, Trac-Lok limited-slip differential, electronic sway-bar disconnect and 33-inch off-road tires.

“Jeep has been attending King of the Hammers for many years, listening to, observing and engaging the group of hardcore off-road enthusiasts who gather there,” said in a statement Tim Kuniskis, head of Jeep Brand.

“The all-new Jeep Gladiator’s high-speed locker protocol is a direct outcome of their input. So we figured even though we haven’t built the first customer unit yet, why not bring it out and put it to the test at this ultimate proving ground – the toughest one-day off-road race in the world?”

We’ll learn how the Gladiator will handle the race later today.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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