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OPTIMA King of the Hammers Support Fleet

Jesse Balch | Full-Size Drawer System, CargoGlide, Cases, and Bins
A wide shot of the Optima truck fleet that are each equipped with a DECKED Drawer System or CargoGlide that maximizes the usable space in the truck bed.
The Quiet Heroes of the Desert

There’s a specific kind of well-managed chaos that happens behind the scenes of a desert race. While fans are focused on the roar of Trophy Trucks rocketing over the whoops, a fleet of support vehicles is just out of sight, rattling along the access roads, making a strong attempt at self-destruction, and carrying the physical weight of the team on their backs.

For Jesse Balch, primary mechanic for the OPTIMA Batteries team at King of the Hammers 2026, a truck isn't a trophy—it’s a toolbox with 4WD. If the race trucks are the stars of the show, Jesse’s fleet of Tundras, Raptors, and a Ford Tremor are the stagehands, the caterers, and the emergency room doctors all rolled into one. These brutal races would be impossible without Jesse and his ilk.

When you’re a mechanic, you don't care if a mod looks good on Instagram; you care if it works when it’s thoroughly coated in silt and carrying hundreds of pounds of equipment. In Jesse’s world, every vehicle has a job description written in dust and grease:

The four optima fleet trucks that are varying sizes, colors, wraps and have different DECKED Drawer System and CargoGlide systems in each bed.
A bird's eye view of one of the Optima fleet trucks that has a Drawer System in the bed.
A bird's eye view of one of the Optima fleet trucks that has a CargoGlide under a cap in order to easily retrieve heavy gear from the truck's bed.
The extended DECKED Drawers and CargoGlide in the back of the Optima fleet trucks, showing spare batteries and other recovery gear needed in the desert.
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The Workhorses: Toyota Tundras

Serving double-duty, these are the chase trucks when the Raptors race, and the “tool rigs” when the Raptors chase. Equipped with DECKED Drawer Systems, they were stuffed with OPTIMA batteries, REDARC power systems for chase-truck GPS and Starlink systems, and every wrench and socket needed to keep a race team moving in the middle of nowhere.

The Hybrids: Ford F-150 Raptors

No, not that kind of hybrid: these trucks served both as race trucks in the Raptor Rally and as chase vehicles at King of the Hammers. When they aren’t gunning for the finish line themselves, these rigs kept the essentials—spare tires, patch kits, jacks, and more—at the ready inside their Drawer Systems.

The Offroad Limo: Ford F-150 Tremor

Even the high-fliers need a break. The Tremor served as the mobile basecamp for VIPs, loaded with waters, blankets, and lunches. But don’t let the "VIP" tag fool you—it’s still on-the-clock for maintenance in the field, and recently logged a 300-mile loop getting absolutely hammered during filming for the Lakebed Challenge documentary.

These rigs were used for everything from publicity shoots to heavy field maintenance and kicking up dust in some races of their own. They weren't babied; they were abused. According to Jesse, despite the relentless pounding of the desert, both the rigs and the DECKED Systems came out the other side as ready for race-day as ever.

In the desert, these trucks are the make-or-break factor for getting to the finish line. Jesse and his team are always keeping this fleet ready, gearing up for whatever’s next.

A side profile of the Optima truck that has a DECKED Drawer System, spare tires, roof racks for storage and a white Optima wrap.
A bird's eye view of one of the Optima fleet trucks that has a Drawer System and several spare tires in the truck bed.
The four Optima trucks parked next to each other with their truck beds open, revealing the critical DECKED system setups inside.
A bird's eye view of the Optima fleet where you can see the DECKED Systems full of tools and gear.

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