King Shocks Racer Eric Hardin Wins 2026 Vegas to Reno
Besting a field of more than 350 total racers, Eric Hardin and King Shocks conquered the 30th anniversary of the Casey Folks Vegas to Reno, this time run “The Other Way,” on August 15. Hardin’s familiar 2WD Unlimited Truck conquered the 505-mile course in a blistering 7:37:55.986, proving that neither a reverse course nor starting from the rear of his class could stand between him, his King Shocks, and the top step of the podium.
Hardin’s overall win marked King Shocks’ third in four American Off-Road Championship races in 2026. Unlimited Truck 4WD racers Robby and Max Gordon teamed up to take overall victories at both the Parker 400 and Silver State 300 while riding on King Shocks as well.
But the successes didn’t stop there. King Shocks also boasted a clean sweep of the highly competitive Unlimited Truck SPEC class, as Hardin’s nephew Cole Hardin, Conner McMullen, and RJ Stidham locked out the top three spots in the division while separated by just under six minutes. In fact, every SPEC truck to finish in the overall top 15 rode on King Shocks, with Brady Fox taking the final spot among them at fourth in class and 15th overall.
The triumphs continued across many of the other Unlimited classes, led by 1-2 finishes in Class 1 Unlimited for Raul and Darian Gomez and Unlimited Truck Legends for David Ziegler and Kelly McNeil. Eric Hustead would take an additional third place class finish in Unlimited Truck 4WD, joining Gomez, Ziegler, and Gomez in the overall top 30.
In the UTV classes, Steve Allen (UTV Pro Turbo) and Justin Von Metal (UTV Pro Stock) would each give King a class victory. Brian Hoar would round out the top finishers for King in major classes with a third place in Class 10.
When the dust settled, King Shocks established a massive lead in AORC’s 2026 Manufacturer’s Cup standings for Cars and Trucks, carrying a nearly 600-point lead into the season-ending Laughlin Desert Classic later this year. Hoar, Allen, and Von Metal each enter the finale leading their respective championships, while Hardin and Stidham sit second and third in the SPEC class.
“A huge congratulations to Eric Hardin for taking the overall win at Vegas to Reno ‘The Other Way’ on King Shocks, as well as to all of our podium finishers!” said King Shocks president Brett King. “Reversing the race route was no match for our racers and their King Shocks, and to be able to take not only our third overall win of the AORC season, but also a clean sweep of the SPEC truck class, is proof that winners ride with King. We’re excited to carry our lead in the Manufacturer’s Cup Car and Truck standings into Laughlin, and look forward to battling for more championships later this season!”
Racing, prerunning or just having fun, whatever your application; King Shocks has the shock for you with the performance, reliability, precise tuning and adjustability you need. King Shocks, The Leader in Off-Road Technology!