“Never Give Up”
In all fairness, I may have been a little harsh in my criticisms of The Off-Road Race Championship Series and their Ft. Worth, Texas debut a little over a month ago. As a new series, TORC is obviously going to experience a multitude of unforeseen circumstances. While some of the early mistakes could have easily been avoided through hard-earned promoter experience, I do have to commend Ricky Johnson and Mitch Covington for their vision and bringing the reality of Professional short-course racing to life in the larger venues. As Evan Evans says, “Never Give Up,” and that attitude certainly applies here – (I will expand Evan and his incredible attitude later in this article, so keep reading)!
Nothing compares to Crandon International turn one and two
Rounds 5 and 6 of the TORC Series were held at the historic Crandon International Raceway in Wisconsin over Father’s Day weekend and the event ran almost flawlessly! The forward strides the series has made in the last five weeks have been incredible and the results have certainly paid off. The folks at TORC continue to improve upon the series and implement the lessons learned from each event. I also would like to commend the staff and the volunteers at Crandon International Raceway for a job well-done. With 40 years of experience under their belt, the folks in Crandon know exactly what they are doing and how to treat their fans!
The painful learning curve TORC experienced during the first two events resulted in an adjustment to ticket pricing (to the spectator’s favor), nearly immediate results broadcasts through various internet mediums, and a drastic change in the delivery of Wes Kain’s P.A. announcements (sans discussions of brass knuckles and violence). It seems as though TORC is taking to heart the suggested improvements and really running with them.
The Traxxas and Team Associated (RC-10) conflict continues to rear its ugly head and Travis Coyne is still conspicuously missing from TORC competitions – even though his name appeared in the Crandon race program. Ironically, the July issue of DirtSports magazine not only headlined the series’ debut in Texas with the tagline, “TORC’s New Vision Comes to Life” – the very first copies of the magazine were delivered to the Crandon raceway hot off the presses. Turning the magazine over to the back cover, Team Associated implemented a creative marketing technique by featuring Coyne’s truck with the big red X’s and asking the seemingly innocent question, “What are they afraid of?” The ad then directed people to their web-site. While this is mostly an inside joke, it has definitely garnered the attention of those in the know. My suggestion to Traxxas? Turn the other cheek? While that is commendable, I think it would be an even better PR move to turn this into a farce and have a little fun with the situation. How about a little show-down between the two rivals at one of the events? We are talking about radio controlled cars for heaven’s sakes – they are supposed to be fun!
One criticism I have is a comment from an interview of Mitch Covington that appeared in the aforementioned July issue of DirtSports. When asked about the sponsor issue Covington responded with, “People get focused on Race-Dezert as being ‘they’…as in that’s what ‘they’ are saying. The reality is that people that write on Race-Dezert are not the people we are trying to win over. The people we are trying to win over are the ones that came through the gate in Dallas who will talk about it for years to come.” It has been my experience that RDC has a major following and a wide-reaching audience. Race promoters and sponsor companies closely monitor the forums to find out what is happening and be in the know. Many of the top names in the sport (whether it is desert or short-course racing) post race reports and cater to their fans through this venue. This is not an audience that can be ignored and discounted and it definitely is not in the best interest of TORC to alienate the participants on this enthusiast driven web-site.
Eric Chernetski, in the No. 699 Chevy Grassroots Classix. Chernetski currently claims the fourth place points position.
So what about the racing, you ask?! The first competition of the weekend began with the “Grassroots Classixs,” a class of passenger or sport utility vehicles using only two wheel drive. The cars are limited to 460 cubic inches of horsepower or less and the original suspension concept and springs must be maintained. Looking at these vehicles, one can certainly imagine their debut at this legendary raceway and the excitement the crowd felt as they watched their local hero pilot his garage-built beauty around this 1.75 mile track. While I anxiously look forward to the undeniable adrenaline-producing action of the Pro 4×4 trucks, the commencement of the Grassroots Classix race establishes a benchmark for the evolution of short-course racing. After two rounds of Classix racing, it was Dale Chestnut in the No. 613 Ford Bronco who came out on top. Earning the first place finish on both Saturday and Sunday, Dale currently has a comfortable points lead as he heads to Bark River, Michigan for Rounds 7 and 8 of TORC Series Racing.
Rick Huseman has every reason to smile
By the time the Pro 4×4 race staged, the crowd was more than ready to experience the thundering sound of the 800 horsepower unlimited trucks heading toward turn one during the land rush start. As the trucks lined up and the green flag dropped, it was Rick Huseman in the No. 36 Monster Energy-sponsored Pro 4×4 that swept the class during both rounds of competition. Once again earning the Oakley Bomb Award for the fastest lap times during both rounds, Huseman narrowly missed breaking Johnny Greaves’ track record on Saturday. With five top podiums, one fourth place finish, and six (yes, SIX!) Oakley Bomb Awards, Huseman is leading the points and is well on his way to a season championship in the TORC Series.
Saturday’s Pro Light race delivered immediate carnage when Chad Hord and Jeff Kincaid smashed into each other just after turn one while fighting for the same piece of real estate during the land rush start. Kincaid quickly recovered and continued on with the race while Hord barrel rolled four times across the track and narrowly missed taking a swim in the lake. After being righted, Hord pulled off an amazing feat by miraculously working his way back up through the ranks and earning a fourth place finish. It was Marty “the one man party” Hart who swept the podium and took home both first place trophies during Saturday and Sunday’s race action. As far as the points standings, Kincaid is currently in the lead with Hord and Hart following closely behind in second and third, respectively.
Crandon's Turn 1
The Pro 2WDs were the last race to run on Saturday and the fans could hardly keep up with all the mayhem. Mike Jenkins in the No. 25 Traxxas-sponsored truck lost control after the Borg Warner turn and hit the wall – hard! In a separate incident, Rhonda Konitzer suffered from a spectacular crash towards Calamity Corner and the track went to full red. Once the carnage was cleared racing resumed and quite frankly, it was refreshing to see someone other than Ricky Johnson win in this class. After an eight year hiatus, Rob MacCachren in the No. 11 Rockstar Energy-sponsored truck returned to Crandon International Raceway and claimed the highest spot on the podium during the fifth round. During Sunday’s Pro 4×4 action, the largest trophy went to Scott Taylor in the No. 8 Skyjacker-sponsored truck.
The much anticipated 16th Annual Forest County Potawatomi Chairman’s Cup Challenge is the longest running off-road cup race in the country. With the winner potentially driving away with two checks totaling $28,500 (Ford generously provides a $25,000 check to the overall winner – if they win in a Ford) this competition is the one to watch! The Pro 4×4’s staged at the starting line for the land-rush start while the Pro 2WD’s lined up for a staggered start towards the infamous Borg Warner corner.
When the flag dropped in the Chairman’s Cup Challenge, complete chaos ensued within the ranks of the Pro 2WD class. As the Pro 4×4‘s were barreling down the track towards the bedlam created by the Pro 2WDs – officials scrambled to not only avoid the mess but to clear the track. Rob MacCachren, Greg Adler, and Mike Jenkins fell victim to the log jam created by the staggered start and the early pile-up took the three trucks out of contention. The attrition rate of the Chairman’s Cup Challenge was extremely high in both the Pro 2WD and Pro 4×4 classes. In the end, it was Ricky Johnson in the No. 48 Red Bull Ford who proudly claimed the two checks totaling $28,500. Bet Ricky is glad he runs a Ford!
Evan Evans Truck earlier this year during TORC practice
Earlier in this article I mentioned Evan Evans and his “Never Give Up” spirit. Evan is the son of legendary off-road racer Walker Evans and was practically raised at the track. Paralyzed from the chest down in a devastating motorcycle accident, Evan’s determination to continue racing despite his disability is an inspiration to anyone who meets him. While Evan has overcome his disability with a specially outfitted hand-controlled Pro 2WD, his tight budget has made it difficult to make all the races and spread his inspirational message.
While walking around the pits in Crandon I heard of the selfless donation the guys over at Racer Services made to Evan’s race program. Upon learning of Evan’s budgetary constraints, Jake Velasco and Paul Mishel of Racer Services generously donated their shop, their prep services, and their time to make the Crandon race a reality for Evan. After performing a full tear-down and prep to the No. 5 Pro 2WD, Paul and Jake also organized an all-volunteer pit crew to drive out to Wisconsin and assist at the Brush Run race.
In addition to the already unselfish donation of their services, Jake and Paul also rallied the off-road community to provide additional parts and materials. Bill Sleeper at Pro Power generously donated a complete engine while Tony at RDE provided Evan with a new transmission. Roy at Pro-Am helped offset the race entry fees by donating money and also providing hubs. Sakata Racing Electronics assisted Evan’s program with additional funding and is currently engineering a custom hand throttle control. BF Goodrich and MasterCraft also stepped up to the plate with the donation of much needed tires and safety equipment. TORC Series racers also rallied behind the cause and Greg Adler donated much needed funding through Pro Comp / 4 Wheel Parts while Curt LeDuc provided Evan with spare parts…..I am sure I am missing some.
As I walked up to the No. 5 pit, I could truly see the appreciation and gratitude Evan felt for everyone who made the Crandon race a possibility. Anyone who walked through the pit was asked to sign the hood of the Pro 2 “for good luck” and Evan never missed the opportunity to pass along his inspirational message.
So how did Evan do? After working his way up to the third position after the land-rush start on Saturday, Evan had to pull off the track half-way through the race due to an issue with the ring and pinion. Working well into the night, the crew was able to get the truck dialed in and back on the track for Sunday’s action. Unfortunately an issue with the torque converter once again prevented the No. 5 from completing the race. Regardless of the issues, Evan is still a winner and a hero in the eyes of the children that visited his pit to sign the hood of his Pro 2WD. Evan’s “Never Give Up” motto and the selfless donation of time, money and services by the off-road race community is a lesson that will stick with me for quite awhile.
While I may have been critical of the first TORC Series race, it is stories like Evan’s and the guys over at Racer Services that prove to me that unification within the off-road community is a possibility. In a day and age when it is seems like everyone only looks out for themselves, it is refreshing to hear of unexpected and random acts of kindness. It is this level of generosity that not only captures the essence of off-road racing and the foundation of the sport, it also exemplifies the warmth and hospitality demonstrated by the dedicated Crandon International Raceway staff and volunteers.
In all honesty, I was initially dreading another 5 days on the road in hotels and the grueling flight schedule from LAX to Wisconsin. By the time I boarded the plane for my flight home – I discovered I had a completely different attitude. I left Wisconsin with a new appreciation for the efforts of the TORC Series and renewed hope for short-course racing in general. The fans and the locals add to the flavor of the experience while the staff and the volunteers at Crandon International Raceway are in a class by themselves. I have nothing but positive things to say about my weekend in Crandon and I would definitely recommend finding out for yourselves why this raceway has been coined “The Big House.”
For Complete Results and Current TORC Series Standings Check Out the RDC Grid
