2026 EVP & Segway Race Recap

Evolution Powersports & The Segway Factory Racing Team Kick Off
the Season with Speed, Preparation, & A Podium Pace

The opening race of the 2026 off-road racing season at King of the Hammers (KOH) marked a major milestone for the Evolution Powersports race program. Debuting a completely overhauled race car, the event set the tone for a long and demanding season of desert racing ahead. In the month leading up to KOH, our team logged countless late nights rebuilding, refining, and dialing in every aspect of the car to maximize performance and reliability.

This race also marked the beginning of new partnerships with Bilstein Shocks and Yokohama Tires, both of which played a critical role in our performance at King of the Hammers.

Suspension Development and Testing with Bilstein Shocks

In the weeks leading up to the event, Sam and I spent extensive time testing with the Bilstein team to fine-tune the shock package—not only for King of the Hammers, but for the entire 2026 race season. At the same time, Kyler and Nathan dedicated countless hours to setup changes, suspension adjustments, and data analysis to ensure the car performed at the highest level across desert, rock, and high-speed terrain.

Race Day Highlights at King of the Hammers

Race day delivered one of those rare moments right off the start line, as I launched side-by-side with my dad, Todd. While uncommon, it always makes for a great show for spectators. I let him go early, confident we would catch him later once the field stretched out.

Less than two miles into the course, we came across him off the race line while Sam and I settled into our rhythm. Thanks to extensive pre-running—especially in the first and last ten miles where multiple race lines existed—we felt confident in our race strategy and began methodically working through the field. About halfway through the first lap, Todd passed us back, but with four laps total, we stayed patient and focused on the long game.

Lap one was run at a fast but conservative pace, allowing us to learn the limits of the newly rebuilt car while still making passes. After fueling in main pit, we headed out for lap two with a clear understanding of just how capable the car was. We increased the pace, continued passing competitors in our class, and pushed harder with each mile.

Yokohama Tires Deliver Under Extreme Race Conditions

Throughout the race, the car endured relentless abuse—rocks, berms, deep whoops, and high-speed impacts—with zero tire issues all day. I have never pushed tires harder in a race environment, and the Yokohama Geolandar M/Ts exceeded every expectation, delivering flawless performance from start to finish under extreme off-road racing conditions.

Halfway through lap three, we caught Todd again in a stretch of deep whoops and made a decisive pass. At that point, we had moved into second place in-class, though we were unaware of our position at the time. For the remainder of lap three and all of lap four, we enjoyed clean air, allowing us to focus on consistency, execution, and race management.

Final Results and Post-Race Review

Crossing the finish line after a performance like that—without knowing our final position—was an incredible feeling. After reconnecting with the team, we learned that we had physically finished 2nd in-class and 27th overall, a massive achievement considering we started 8th in-class and 81st overall.

Following final review, we were assessed a 45-minute penalty for missing two virtual checkpoints (VCPs) four times each. Unfortunately, the course file provided prior to the race did not perfectly match the physical course markings, and we missed the VCP locations by only a few hundred feet. Even with the missed checkpoints, our pace would have still secured a second-place finish.

Looking Ahead to The Mint 400

Despite the final result, the 2026 King of the Hammers race proved the potential of the car, the effectiveness of our new partnerships, and the strength of the Evolution Powersports and the Segway Factory Racing team. None of this would be possible without the continued support of our sponsors, partners, crew members, families, and the event organizers who put on such an incredible off-road racing event.

With less than a month until The Mint 400, the momentum is real. We’re refining every detail, building on this performance, and heading into the next round focused, motivated, and hungry.

This car is capable of winning—and the podium is firmly in our sights.

Race Information

Race: KOH Desert Challenge - B3 Desert Limited
Vehicle Classes: UTV Open, UTV Pro Mod, UTV Pro Stock Turbo, Pro Stock NA
Combined Class Entries: 100

Segway Super Villain SX20T - Jacob Zuccone & Sam Rode
Class Raced: UTV Pro Stock Turbo
Class Entries: 18
Class Finish Position: 2nd / 27th Overall
Combined Class Finish Position: 33rd / 100

2970 Sponsors
Segway Powersports / Segway Factory Racing, Yokohama Tire, Bilstein Shock Absorbers, PRP Seats, CA Technologies USA, EVP.MOde, Zuke Designs, Metal FX Off-Road, Baja Designs, HPR, Rugged Radios, StarStream Pro