2020 Jeep Gladiator To Be Put To The Test In Grueling Off-Road Race

The 2020 Jeep Gladiator is still a few months away from showrooms, but that hasn’t stopped the company from taking the truck off-road racing.

Thanks to a partnership with Savvy Off-Road, the 2020 Gladiator will compete in the Every Man Challenge at the King of the Hammers off-road race. The truck will be entered into the Spidertrax 4600 Stock Class and be driven by Robby Gordon and Erik Miller.

The duo will share driving duties as Gordon will handle high-speed portions of the course, while Miller will be tasked with driving the Gladiator Rubicon on “tight rock sections.” The race kicks off tomorrow morning and the team has already shown plenty of promise as Miller set the fastest class time on the qualifying course yesterday.

While the teaser video doesn’t reveal much, Jeep noted all vehicles competing in the Spidertrax 4600 Stock Class are required to use a stock frame and body as well as a factory engine. This likely means the truck will have a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that produces 285 hp (212 kW / 289 PS) and 260 lb-ft (352 Nm) of torque.

Despite using a number of stock components, Jeep confirmed the Gladiator has been equipped with Dynatrac 60 axles and a custom suspension featuring Fox remote reservoir shocks. The truck also has a winch, a safety cage and beadlock wheels that are wrapped in 35-inch Falken Wildpeak M/T tires.

Interior changes are limited, but Savvy Off-Road installed Sparco front racing seats and removed the rear seats altogether.

Tomorrow’s race spans 124 miles (199.5 km) and takes place in the California desert. As Jeep’s North American boss, Tim Kuniskis, noted “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?”