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Ultra 4's To Race Spring Crandon

It’s on! Ultra 4 rock crawling ‘moon buggies’ to race at Crandon’s

Brush Run, June 16-17

The wildly popular “King of the Hammers” vehicles will battle – at speed - on the world’s premier short course off-road race track

Contact: Pat Schutte/HPPR

Crandon International Raceway PR Director
pat@highprofilepr.com

CRANDON, Wis. (May 9, 2012) – Fans attending next month’s (June 16-17) annual Brush Run at Crandon International Off-Road Raceway are in for a big time additional treat as the wild open wheel ‘moon buggy’-style vehicles that compete on the Ultra 4 Series, popularized by the annual “King of the Hammers” race, will line up and race the Brush Run both Saturday and Sunday at Crandon.

Likely thought of as the powerful 600-horsepower buggies that crawl up and down ungodly steep rock faces at places like Moab, Utah, the Ultra 4 Series vehicles – when unimpeded - can also blast across the desert at speeds in excess of 100 mph. That said, the inaugural 15 vehicle Ultra 4 race at Crandon will take place on the same track the Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, PRO Light, 2WD & 4x4 trucks race earlier in the day – with no obstacles put in the way of the Ultra 4 vehicles, which are thought to be able to reach the same speeds as the TORC PRO Light trucks at Crandon (approaching 90 mph).

“We’re coming to enjoy Crandon the exact way it is,” said Ultra 4 founder Dave Cole. “I’ve got a bet with Brad Lovell that our fastest guy will beat his PRO Light truck.”

“This style of racing is the foundation of our team, it is very thrilling to have our Ultra 4 family at Crandon the weekend of the TORC Brush Run,” said Lovell. “Ultra 4s are designed to take on any terrain and are truly unlimited four-wheel drives … anything goes! I don’t know exactly what to expect at Crandon from the Ultra 4s, but side bets are developing already. This might be the only change for a lot of these guys to ever race Crandon, so I know they will be going all out!” Note: Lovell’s brother, Roger, will run his No. 232 AMSOIL Torchmate rock racer (Ultra 4) at Crandon so Roger can focus on his No. 44 AMSOIL PRO Light driving duties.

The Ultra 4 vehicles, with their exposed suspension and massive low pressure flotation tires, mark a radical departure from the TORC truck-style racers at Crandon. Likened more to the Super Buggy class, Ultra 4s are considerably more powerful, higher off the ground and - something that the Crandon faithful will no doubt appreciate - tend to roll over onto their tops fairly easily.

“This is something we’ve never seen before – and our fans are really going to get a kick out of it,” said Crandon’s Cliff Flannery. “And it’s pretty neat how it came together so fast. From speaking with Dave at the Indy off-road trade show to having USAC/TORC sign off on it, the Ultra 4s at Crandon are really going to be something!”

Though this isn’t the first time Ultra 4 vehicles will race an off-road short course, having done so in the past at Utah’s Miller Motorsport Park and Glen Helen MX (Calif.), it will be the fastest speeds the 4,500-pound vehicles have attained outside racing in the open desert.

“Everybody likes to go fast. Now we get to do it for the biggest crowed we’ve ever raced in front of, at an iconic track,” said Cole, adding his first trip to Crandon this week was “Incredible.” “All I can think of is that first turn – and how 15 guys, side by side at nearly 100 miles per hour in open wheel buggies are going to make it out of there. One thing’s for sure is that we’re going to put on a heck of a show for the fans at Crandon!”

For more information on Crandon International Off-Road Raceway, including tickets, camping reservations and sponsorship information, please contact the Crandon offices at (715) 478-2222. And please visit our new website at www.crandonoffroad.com

New Track Layout Set For Red Bud

RedBud MX's Traxxas TORC Series track is coming together w/ help from Greaves & Hord
Faster with better flow, jumps directly in front of the fans and a first-ever TORC sand section, RedBud's ready for May 26-27!

By Pat Schutte

BUCHANAN, Mich. (May 8, 2012) - Officials with TORC/USAC announced today that the nation's premier professional motocross racing facility, Michigan's RedBud MX, will feature a newly re-designed track for the upcoming May 26-27 Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, short course off-road truck race.

Built by ace motocross track designer and constructor, RedBud MX's Tim Ritchie, along with input from TORC track builder Jeff Nordstrom, the 2012 RedBud TORC track was completed yesterday after final input from veteran PRO drivers Johnny Greaves (Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis) and Chad Hord (BOSS Snowplows/Nissan/AMSOIL).

According to Greaves this year's RedBud TORC track will be faster and flowier than last year's inaugural foray into short course off-road racing for RedBud MX, adding distance to the track that brings it to a mile in length, while making for shorter lap times with up to 20-percent speed increases.

"For the most part I'd say it's a 90-percent new track running through the same area as last year's track," explained Greaves. "They (Ritchie & Nordstrom) took out a lot of the slower areas, sharp corners and off-camber sections where you'd end up sliding downhill sideways and built wider turns that'll allow you to carry considerably more speed coming out of the turn."

Greaves said that, much like a motocross track, portions of RedBud's terrain will be left natural - and allowed to develop throughout the weekend as the 900-horsepower, 4,500-pound trucks tear into the rich southwestern Michigan loam. "The question was 'Do you cut into it with a dozer, or just banner it off and let the trucks work it in?' We decided on the latter, starting with virgin grass and dirt and see where we end up," added Greaves.

In addition to the re-design the RedBud MX TORC track will also feature a massive sand section - the first of its kind in Traxxas TORC Series racing. "We'll start with some little rollers, much like we have on the MX track, and see what the turn into," said Ritchie, who mined the sand right off the expansive RedBud property and trucked it into the TORC track.

Certainly well-schooled in the art of building pro MX tracks, Ritchie said he appreciated the input from Greaves, himself a former A-level motocrosser, and Hord. "What they saw was essentially the same thing I envisioned - their input was valuable in the way corners were designed, particularly the width needed versus what we go with for motocross. But at the end of the day the trees still dictated where we could run."

For May 26-27 TORC fans at RedBud MX will be able to view more of the track from numerous vistas compared to last year as trucks will race on higher spots of the property more (vs. down in the valleys). In addition the major jumps will be located directly in front of where the majority of fans gathered last year, landing the jumps and entering more wide open, sweeping turns that'll no doubt be prime areas for passing and making up time.

"It's a larger track for sure, definitely faster with wider turns and longer straights," added Greaves. "I like it ... I like it a lot. The RedBud track will be better than last year, better for the fans."

Bridging the gap between action sport and motorsports, TORC Series short course off-road truck racing delivers an edge that'll certainly win over the legions of motocross fans at RedBud. With radical jumps, stutter bumps and berms built into the existing RedBud MX track, motocross fans and off-road fans alike can combine on one spectacular weekend of racing at Michigan's famed dirt bike circuit!

What: Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL - short course off-road truck racing - the world's premier Baja-style off-road racing in a stadium setting!

Who: Off-road racers from Baja to the Wisconsin northwoods, the TORC Series showcases champion drivers like Ricky Johnson, Johnny Greaves and son CJ Greaves, Scott Douglas, Mike & Mark Jenkins, Bryce Menzies, along with Michigan snowboard Olympian and X Games gold medalist/TORC rookie Nick Baumgartner!

Where: RedBud MX

When: Saturday and Sunday, May 26-27

Time: Gates open at 8 a.m., practice and qualifying begins at 9 a.m., opening ceremonies and racing begins at 11 a.m.

Tickets: Per Day ... $25 for adults, $10 for kids 6-11 (kids five and under are free); Two Day Weekend Pass ... $40 adults, $20 kids!

Media contact: Pat Schutte, HPPR, pat@highprofilepr.com

For more information, please visit: www.torcseries.com

About TORC

The Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, is the fastest, most punishing short course racing series on the planet! TORC events are packed with flag-to-flag fender banging as drivers push the limits over whoops and jump-filled natural terrain race tracks. Off-road racing fans come from far and wide to experience the most challenging form of high-octane competition. And once they taste TORC for the first time they're hooked for life!

Johnson, Caddell Repeat

Johnson and Caddell Repeat Weekend Winners

Charlotte Motor Speedway Media

Saturday, April 21, 2012

It was a wild night of off-road racing at The Dirt Track at Charlotte as Ricky Johnson and Andrew Caddell each pulled off back-to-back wins while Bryce Menzies and Steve Krieman each got their first wins of the season in Traxxas TORC Series action.

Ricky Johnson, of El Cajon, Calif., picked up where he left off the night before with another win in the PRO 4 race, but not without a solid fight from Adrian Cenni.

The race started with the No. 11 of Cenni in first position. Cenni stayed out front for a few laps, but Johnson quickly moved up through the field, claiming the lead on lap 9 as Cenni started developing a flat tire. When the lap 9 mandatory caution came out, Cenni was able to benefit, going to the pits to change his tire and remaining on the lead lap.

On the restart, Cenni started out in the back of the pack, but began passing trucks, eventually getting back to second. He tried to track down Johnson, but ran out of time as Johnson crossed the line to win the race.

Cenni had to settle for second and Scott Douglas finished third.

“I just really want to thank the whole team,” said Johnson. “(I want to) congratulate Adrian, he drove a great race. It was awesome out there. Adrian and I got into each other and he had to go in and change those Maxxises but I had (confidence) in our BFGs. We stayed out there and we pulled it off. I think BFG definitely deserves this win.”

Defending PRO 2 champion Menzies, of Las Vegas, Nev., was able to claim the victory in the second PRO 2 race of the season after letting one get away the previous night.

“We had a fast truck all weekend and I led the whole thing yesterday and just pulled a bonehead move and screwed up by myself, but we knew we were going to come back today and just do it for my whole team and my crew – they deserve it,” said Menzies. “So I'm just super stoked to put this thing on the top of the box. I couldn't do it without everybody who supports me.”

Menzies started in fourth place but was up to second by lap 4, tracking down the No. 9 of Chad Hord. Menzies caught the bumper of Hord and attempted to take the lead on lap 7, but was unsuccessful.

After the mandatory lap 9 caution, Menzies and Hord raced side-by-side, making contact. Menzies was able to slide by and get away from Hord as he cruised on to win the race.

Hord finished second and CJ Greaves, last night’s winner, followed behind in third.

Graham, Wash., native Caddell, got his second consecutive PRO Light win of the season after battling back and forth with Luke Johnson throughout the race.

“It was an awesome race, to race Luke (Johnson), a brand new teammate this year. I got into him a couple of times, I felt a little bad for that,” said Caddell, “This MOPAR truck is hooked up out there, the BFG tires were just awesome out there, I couldn't ask for anything better. It's a special year for me right now and to come out, two in a row with a brand new setup on the truck. Can't ask for anything more.”

Caddell started in the sixth position but started quickly passing trucks, landing in the second spot by lap 5 behind leader Johnson, who was breaking away from the field. A caution on lap 6 allowed the field to close back together, giving Caddell a chance to go after the leader. He moved to the inside to try to take the spot, but wasn’t fast enough as Johnson maintained the lead.

Third place Shawn Morris knocked Caddell’s truck around in the fourth turn, sending Caddell to the back of the pack. That wouldn’t stop Caddell though as he picked off trucks, ending up back behind Johnson. The battle ensued for first place in the closing laps, but it was Caddell who would come out on top, leaving Johnson in second and Ross Hoek in third place.

It looked like last night’s Super Buggy winner Mitchell DeJong would pull-off two wins in a row as he was once again leading the race, but on the restart after the mandatory halfway caution, the 14-year-old had alternator problems ending his chances at victory.

With DeJong out of the race, second place Krieman assumed the lead, but had some company with the No. 7 of John Frana taking away the top spot for a few laps. Krieman was eventually able to take back the lead, overtaking Frana on the track’s rhythm section on lap 15 and cruising past the checkers for the win in the 16-lap race.

Frana hung on with a flat tire to take second and Bob Klaus took third.

“When Mitchell got by me, I was waiting for him to get by me at some point and then he must have had some problem at the restart,” said Krieman. “So I thought 'you know, you’ve got to have something here' and then Frana came around me with his four-wheel drive and I thought 'well, if I could just keep with him, just be smooth' and then I saw they had a flat tire and I started pushing it and I knew there wasn't a lot of time and I got over in the 'whoop' section and here I am. I can't believe it.”

Coming up Friday, May 25, at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will return for the Circle K NOS Energy Outlaw Showdown. Tickets are just $25 for adults and $10 for kids 13 and under. To purchase tickets, call the Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

Connect with The Dirt Track at Charlotte by following on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thedirttrack or by becoming a fan of The Dirt Track at Charlotte Facebook page.

Unofficial Results:

Super Buggy Class: 1. Steve Krieman; 2. John Frana; 3. Andy Zipperer; 4. Michael Hester; 5. Jerry Weaver; 6. Jeff Sleegers; 7. Mitchell DeJong; 8. Bob Klaus.

PRO Light: 1. Andrew Caddell; 2. Luke Johnson; 3. Ross Hoek; 4. CJ Greaves; 5. Randy Eller; 6. Brad Lovell; 7. Shawn Morris; 8. Nick Baumgartner; 9. Matt Gerald/Jason Janusz; 10. Jeff Sleegers; 11. Mitch Dorr/Josh Hintz; 12. Keegan Kincaid.

PRO 2: 1. Bryce Menzies; 2. Chad Hord; 3. CJ Greaves; 4. Jeff Kincaid; 5. Steve Barlow; 6. Mike Jenkins; 7. Jamie Grosser; 8. Mike Oberg; 9. Andrew Caddell; 10. Dan Schlieper.

PRO 4: 1. Ricky Johnson; 2. Adrian Cenni; 3. Scott Douglas; 4. Mike Jenkins; 5. Mark Jenkins; 6. Johnny Greaves.

Young Guns Shine At Charlotte

Young Guns Shine Under Charlotte Lights In Night 1

Posted on Sunday, April 22, 2012

Charlotte Motor Speedway Media

The first of two nights of Traxxas TORC Series racing is in the books at The Dirt Track at Charlotte as Ricky Johnson, CJ Greaves, Andrew Caddell and Mitchell DeJong each took home wins after a night of tough off-road racing.

The biggest race of the night, the PRO 4 feature, was won by Johnson, of El Cajon, Calif. Johnson started in the fourth position, but quickly moved into third behind leader Scott Douglas and second place Adrian Cenni. The top three stayed together until a couple of quick moves by Johnson on lap 6 landed him in the top spot. Johnson took control of the rest of the race as many trucks had issues, including last year’s event winner Johnny Greaves and the No. 11 of Cenni.

Douglas finished second and Mike Jenkins, the president of Traxxas, finished third.

“You know, I’ve got to thank my whole crew,” said Johnson. “We had a good night, I'm gonna take it, we were able to get in front and move away. Scott is a hell of a competitor, he's getting his truck sorted out, Mike Jenkins is always right there so you can never count him out and then Johnny, he had a problem there at the end. I really want to congratulate tonight's winners.”

CJ Greaves claimed the victory in his first career PRO 2 race. Greaves ran in the top three for most of the night, but it looked like the No. 1 car of Bryce Menzies would win the race until he spun in the second turn on lap 17. The incident allowed Greaves to take the lead and eventually win the race. The No. 4 of Jeff Kincaid finished second and Menzies fought back to finish third.

“I don't even know what to say,” said Greaves, of Abrams, Wis. “My team put so much work into it. They built this truck new and we got to test it once and then brought it here. We had a lot of problems early in the week and they got it all figured out and here we are up top and I can't give enough thanks to them.”

The victory made 16-year-old Greaves the youngest driver ever to win a PRO 2 race.

In the PRO Light class, Caddell, of Graham, Wash., started in the fifth position but quickly moved through the field to take the top spot on lap 4. As he pulled away from the field the battle began for the rest of the top five positions with drivers going three wide several times attempting to claim the runner-up position. Caddell cruised to the win as Brad Lovell and CJ Greaves finished second and third.

“I knew the team was going to bring me a great truck this year like they did all year last year and you know, it was just up to me out there,” said Caddell. “They gave me the best equipment out there.”

Fourteen-year-old DeJong, from Temecula, Calif., won the Super Buggy race in a commanding fashion, taking the lead on lap 4 and never looking back. Andy Zipperer finished second and John Frana followed behind in third.

“I'm so happy. It was a little rough out there, on the start,” said DeJong. “I just took my time and made my way through and ended up on the podium.”

DeJong is the youngest driver to ever race in the Super Buggy Class and this was his first start in a TORC Series Super Buggy race.

Traxxas TORC Series racing continues tomorrow night at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Gates open at 3 p.m. with opening ceremonies scheduled for 6 p.m. Tickets for the Traxxas TORC Series event are just $20 for adults and free for kids 13 and under. To purchase tickets visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

Connect with The Dirt Track at Charlotte by following on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thedirttrack or by becoming a fan of The Dirt Track at Charlotte Facebook page.

Unofficial Results:

Super Buggy: 1. Mitchell DeJong; 2. Andy Zipperer; 3. John Frana; 4. Bob Klaus; 5. Steve Krieman; 6. Jeff Sleegers; 7. Jerry Weaver; 8. Michael Hester.

PRO Light: 1. Andrew Caddell; 2. Brad Lovell; 3. CJ Greaves; 4. Luke Johnson; 5. Keegan Kincaid; 6. Shawn Morris; 7. Ross Hoek; 8. Josh Hintz/Mitch Dorr; 9. Randy Eller; 10. Nick Baumgarter; 11. Matt Gerald/Jason Janusz; 12. Jeff Sleegers.

PRO 2: 1. CJ Greaves; 2. Jeff Kincaid; 3. Bryce Menzies; 4. Chad Hord; 5. Andrew Caddell; 6. Mike Oberg; 7. Mike Jenkins; 8. Jamie Grosser; 9. Steve Barlow; 10. Dan Schlieper.

PRO 4: 1. Ricky Johnson; 2. Scott Douglas; 3. Mike Jenkins; 4. Johnny Greaves; 5. Mark Jenkins; 6. Adrian Cenni.

Johnson VS. Greaves Act Two

Traxxas TORC PRO 4 racers Ricky Johnson vs. Johnny Greaves set to square off in Charlotte

Epic battle at Charlotte last year between the two was short course off-road racing’s most talked about race of the year!

By Pat Schutte

INDIANPOLIS (April 17, 2012) – With the opener of the 2012 Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, championship at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway just a few short days away, the two principle combatants in the premier PRO 4 class – defending series champion Ricky Johnson (Ram Truck/Mopar/Red Bull) and 2010 champion Johnny Greaves (Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis) – get set to relive short course off-road racing’s most memorable battle of 2012.

Before we get RJ and Greaves’ take on their upcoming rematch at Charlotte, here’s a look at the final two laps of last year’s ferocious duel between the two:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9TAmOi-xxA

TORC’s top racers would go at it again and again throughout the 2011 season, coming together equally as viscous in Bark River (Mich.) when, on the last turn of the last lap, contact between Johnson and Greaves sent Greaves – who was leading a the time – into a concrete barrier, ending his afternoon and handing the win and a huge points shift to Johnson.

As expected all season the Johnson/Greaves battle of 2011 would come down to the series’ final weekend of action at Cycle Ranch MX just outside San Antonio, Texas. There is was Johnson with two decisive victories, erasing Greaves’ four-point lead heading into the weekend, and earning Johnson his first-ever TORC PRO 4 championship.

So here’s RJ and Greaves on the upcoming TORC season, a look back at last year and their thoughts on what’s going down in Charlotte this weekend.

TORC Series: Guys, recap the 2011 season. Your thought heading into the year, what went down during the season and the end result in the PRO 4 championship chase.

Ricky Johnson: We had a lot of questions going into last year. There can be lot of mechanical failures in the PRO 4 class. Were we going to be able to handle that as a team? I really felt we were going to have a lot more DNFs than we did. But with the Menzies team, Bryce, my son Luke and the rest of the crew I had surrounded myself with the best of everything. So 2011 was just a matter of keeping everything together, which in the end we did.

Johnny Greaves: We started out a little slow, then picked up the momentum and took the points lead over. This is definitely a team effort and we sport years and years of putting together the proper people to make this work. We knew it’d come down to a duel in the end – and the best man won that day. RJ’s a great driver and has put together the right people behind him as well. He did what he had to do in order to win. I hope things shape up the same way this year and hopefully we can put that TORC PRO 4 overall championship back in place here this summer.

TORC Series: Talk a bit about the other guy, your rivalry and how racing against each other impacts your driving.

Ricky Johnson: I’ve looked up to Johnny for years. So for me to be a worthy competitor of his this past year was huge. I race every lap like it’s the last lap of my life. I want to win, but at the same time I don’t want to crash anybody. We’re two guys that are going for the same thing – and something’s got to give. It’s like an MMA fight. And I didn’t want him to win and I’m sure he didn’t want me to win.

Johnny Greaves: You know, you can go out and win races all day long, but that’s not nearly as fun as the toe-to-toe battles with RJ. We had one questionable run-in, Bark River, but I don’t hold it against him as I might have done the same thing if I was in his position. They make the race tracks do what they do and that’s one of the big reasons racing was so close with RJ and I.

TORC Series: And finally, after what went down at Charlotte last year you’ve got to be pumped with the season opening back at the Dirt Track. Will the race this weekend really set the tone for what’s going down in 2012?

Ricky Johnson: For us the Charlotte race will be no different than any other race. You’ve got the Jenkins Brothers, Scott Douglas, Adrian Cenni – a lot of other players I have to focus on, not just Johnny. But yeah, this is the first race of what’s going to be a season-long fight … a fight right down to the end.

Johnny Greaves: What fans saw at Charlotte last year between RJ and I was brought on by just plain hard racing. And I don’t see things being any different when TORC opens up this weekend in Charlotte.

What: Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL – short course off-road truck racing – the world’s premier Baja-style off-road racing in a stadium setting! Who: Off-road racers from Baja to the Wisconsin northwoods, the TORC Series showcases champion drivers like Ricky Johnson, Johnny Greaves and son CJ Greaves, Scott Douglas, Mike & Mark Jenkins and Bryce Menzies. Where: The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway When: Friday and Saturday, April 20 & 21 Time: Gates open at 3 p.m., qualifying begins at 4 p.m., main event opening ceremonies begin at 7 p.m. Tickets: $20 for adults, $10 for kids 12 and under. Note: NASCAR card holders get in for TEN BUCKS!!! Special: Super Buggies race for the first time at the Dirt Track at CMS this year; Traxxas R/C Demonstration by professional R/C vehicle drivers; Friday and Saturday feature a Public Pit Party with music by Tim Hall and Buffalo Country!

About TORC

The Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, is the fastest, most punishing short course racing series on the planet! TORC events are packed with flag-to-flag fender banging as drivers push the limits over whoops and jump-filled natural terrain race tracks. Off-road racing fans come from far and wide to experience the most challenging form of high-octane competition. And once they taste TORC for the first time they’re hooked for life!

TORC Moves To SPEED

TORC: The Off Road Championship
Now Broadcast On SPEEDTM

TORC's Docu-Reality Series "The Off Road Championship" moves to SPEEDTM This Fall. Charlotte and Chicago Races to Air LIVE.

INDIANAPOLIS (March 30, 2012) - Officials with the TRAXXAS TORC Series and SPEED are excited to announce a partnership that moves "The Off Road Championship" to SPEED, with 18 new episodes this fall. Additionally, the Charlotte (4/20) and Chicago (7/20) rounds of the 2012 Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, will be broadcast "LIVE" on SPEED" -the only new live broadcast programming of short course off-road racing in America!

"Unprecedented!" beamed USAC President Kevin Miller of the "LIVE" broadcasts and TORC's new partnership with SPEED. Our two LIVE airings from the Charlotte and Chicago NASCAR venues are ground-breaking for the sport of short course off-road racing. The Prime Time events will no doubt prove to be a publicity windfall for both the TORC Series and its racers. The move to SPEED allows us to dramatically increase the size and depth of the audience for our successful docu-reality coverage of the sport. TORC couldn't be more pleased with its new partnership with SPEED."

Headlining the Traxxas TORC Series at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Chicago's Route 66 Raceway will be all four of The TORC series' elite PRO divisions, including PRO Buggy, PRO Light, PRO 2WD and PRO 4x4; with its defending class champion Ricky Johnson of Team Red Bull/ KMC Wheels/ Mopar/ Ram.

"I couldn't be more stoked about SPEED coming on board with TORC," said Johnson. "Last year SPEED did a phenomenal job covering our event in Chicago, right down to the announcers' efforts and the amazing camera angles. Everyone with TORC elevated their game knowing we were live on SPEED, and that'll no doubt continue this year. As a driver - and a fan of short course off-road racing - you couldn't ask for a better way to kick off the 2012 TORC season."
Entering its third season of production, TV's premiere off-road racing reality show, TORC: The Off Road Championship, has revolutionized high-definition motorsports coverage by being the largest long-form TV production that utilizes RED digital cinema cameras. Never before seen viewpoints are created using HD GoPro cameras mounted on radio-controlled helicopters in the sky and TRAXXAS radio-controlled trucks being driven right on the track. The 18 new episodes of original programming begin on SPEED this fall with week-to-week story-telling of all the action, both on and off the track.

Over the last two seasons, the show has taken viewers deep inside the world of short course off-road racing; documenting the triumphs, challenges and controversy that viewers won't find in traditional motorsports programming. "The battle for a championship is waged both on and off the track," says BJ Birtwell, Executive Producer at The Armory, the production company for TORC: The Off-Road Championship. "There's so much at stake for all these drivers that to simply show flag to flag racing would be a disservice to the amount of effort and emotion each team puts into their fight for the championship."

The fastest, most punishing short course truck racing series on the planet features legendary off-road drivers - including five-time AMA Motocross champion and defending Traxxas TORC Series PRO 4x4 class champion Ricky Johnson and 2010 Champion Johnny Greaves, both of whom nearly came to blows after last year's door-banging run to the finish line where Johnson actually landed on Greaves roof! No doubt fans who saw the incident and subsequent dust up between the teams afterwards will be back to watch the battle continue for the 2012 Traxxas TORC Series opener in Charlotte!

The TORC race caps a week of motorsports action at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Complex that begins with the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals on April 13-15th, followed by the Charlotte Auto Fair that attracts over 100,000 automotive enthusiasts to the speedway. With radical jumps, stutter bumps, challenging berms and the rolling thunder of 900 horsepower off-road race trucks, Traxxas TORC Series short course off-road racing delivers in-your-face action that's sure to win over the legions of NASCAR, sprint car, and Late Model fans that make Charlotte their home base. The Dirt Track at Charlotte motor speedway features excellent seating facilities in a family friendly environment. Every ticket is a free pit pass so fans can come early to experience the action in the pits, watch the live TV production ramp up, and check out the midway activities including Traxxas Radio Control truck demos and try-me track.

What: Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL - short course off-road truck racing - the world's premier Baja-style off-road racing in a stadium setting!

Who: Off-road racers from Baja to the Wisconsin North Woods, the TORC Series showcases champion drivers like Ricky Johnson, Johnny Greaves and son CJ Greaves, Scott Douglas, Rob MacCachren, Mike & Mark Jenkins, and Bryce Menzies.

Where: The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway

When: Friday and Saturday, April 20 & 21

Time: Gates open at 3 p.m., qualifying begins at 4 p.m., main event opening ceremonies begin at 7 p.m.

Tickets: $20 for adults, $10 for kids 12 and under. Register for free admission tickets for kids 13 and under courtesy of Traxxas, the Fastest Name in Radio Control and Charlotte Motor Speedway. Visit Traxxas.com for details.

Special: Super Buggies race for the first time at the Dirt Track at CMS this year; Traxxas R/C Demonstration by professional R/C vehicle drivers; Friday and Saturday feature a Public Pit Party with music by Tim Hall and Buffalo Country!

About TORC

The Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, is the fastest, most punishing short course racing series on the planet! TORC events are packed with flag-to-flag fender banging action as drivers push the limits over whoops and jump-filled natural terrain race tracks. Off-road racing fans come from far and wide to experience the most challenging form of high-octane competition. And once they taste TORC for the first time they're hooked for life! For more information visit torcseries.com

About SPEED™

SPEED, anchored by its popular and wide-ranging coverage of NASCAR, is the nation's first and only cable television network dedicated to automotive and motorcycle racing, performance and lifestyle. Now available in nearly 84 million homes in North America, SPEED, a member of the FOX Sports Media Group, is among the industry leaders in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services, including SPEED2, a groundbreaking new broadband network featuring live, streaming and on-demand events complementing offerings of the linear network. For more information, please visit SPEED.com, the online motor sports authority.