Currie, MacCachren, Johnson & DeJong win on Friday @ Traxxas TORC/Chicagoland Speedway
Posted on Friday, July 20, 2012
Mopar/Ram driver’s the only on to go 1st/1st in the premier TORC PRO classes on the dirt track @ Route 66 Raceway
By Pat Schutte
• TORC enjoys a worldwide audience for its two hour ‘Live’ broadcast on the SPEED Channel, along with packed grandstands at Chicago
JOLIET, Ill., (July 20, 2012) – The Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, wrapped up its big weekend at NASCAR venue Chicagoland Speedway/Route 66 Raceway with a ‘Live’ two-hour showing on the SPEED Channel, featuring flag-to-flag coverage of all four TORC PRO classes.
Led by Rob MacCachren’s (Mopar/Ram/Rockstar) victory in the PRO 2WD class – his second-straight win at Chicagoland Speedway - other class winners on Friday included: Ricky Johnson (Red Bull/Mopar/Ram/KMC Wheels) in PRO 4x4, Casey Currie (Monster Energy) in PRO Light and Mitchell DeJong (Traxxas) in Super Buggy.
PRO 2WD
The evening’s final race trumped the PRO 4x4 class this one time thanks in part to Travis Pastrana’s (Red Bull/Mopar/Ram/KMC Wheels) star power and audience draw, though the motocrosser would not figure in the podium as he did on Thursday at Chicagoland (2nd in Pastrana’s TORC debut). Instead MacCachren, PRO 2 points leader heading into Chicago, Chad Hord (BOSS Snowplows/Nissan/AMSOIL), and defending TORC PRO 2 champ Bryce Menzies (Red Bull/Mopar/Ram/KMC Wheels) gave MacCachren all he could handle in the 900-horsepower, 13-truck Battle Royal.
“What a great race with Bryce,” said MacCachren from the podium. I didn’t know how I was going to get by him, but it ended up taking a dive bomb move.” MacCachren arrived at Chicagoland Speedway in 6th place in the overall TORC Series PRO 2 points chase and ended up leaving in 1st place overall.
With Menzies leading early on in the contest, MacCachren – considered to be Menzies’ mentor – caught the younger-by-two-decades racer and passed him right after the competition yellow. As MacCachren worked to check out – putting up the Oakley Bomb Award fastest lap time for his effort – Hord laid down consistent lap after lap and would get by Menzies for 2nd place when the former champ tangled with Jeff Kincaid (Traxxas/AMSOIL/BFG). Kincaid and Menzies then went toe-to-toe for the third and final podium spot before a collision sent Kincaid into the wall, breaking his front end.
For his part Pastrana raced hard and, despite a halfway rollover onto his door, had a great outing for his first time racing the TORC Series. “I love being sideways and I love being in the air. This sport was made for me,” he said.
PRO 2 Results
1- Rob MacCachren 2- Chad Hord 3- Bryce Menzies 4- Mike Oberg 5- CJ Greaves 6- Jeff Kincaid 7- Mike Jenkins 8- Keith Steele 9- Travis Pastrana 10- Mark Kvamme 11- Steve Barlow 12- Scott Taylor 13- Andy Zipperer
PRO 4x4
Current TORC PRO 4 points leader and defending class champion Johnson made it six wins on the year with a thoroughly dominant performance at Chicagoland Speedway, one which 2nd place Johnny Greaves (Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis) said: “Figured I’d drop behind (RJ) and see what I could learn.”
After a 3rd place starting position (based on his previous night’s finish) Johnson got up front early in the 15-lap contest. And though he and Greaves would separate from the pack, Johnson’s command of 1st place was never in doubt as he clocked the fastest lap time for the Oakley Bomb Award.
Running well in pursuit of Greaves and Johnson was Scott Douglas (AMSOIL/Borla Exhaust/BFG). And Douglas would be rewarded with yet another podium finish (he hasn’t missed a PRO 4 podium yet this year), coupled with a gracious interview on SPEED.
Also noteworthy was a great battle for the final top five spots between Mark and Mike Jenkins (Traxxas/AMSOIL/BFG) and Adrian Cenni (Real Tree Energy/4 Wheel Parts), eventually won out by Mark Jenkins (4th) and Cenni (5th).
PRO 4x4 Results
1- Ricky Johnson 2- Johnny Greaves 3- Scott Douglas 4- Mark Jenkins 5- Adrian Cenni 6- Mike Jenkins 7- Dan Baudoux 8- Mark Oberg 9- Milan Mazanec
PRO Light
The night’s best battle for 1st ended up being in the TORC PRO Light division when Currie and current PRO Lights points leader Andrew Caddell (Mopar/Ram/Traxxas) locked up in a spectacular duel which was eventually won by Currie.
“This is the first time I’ve driven this truck since I wrecked it here last year,” said Currie, who won the Traxxas Maxx Lap for his top PRO Light lap effort on the night. “I know I had more on the track and just put it to it.”
Caddell would race through to a 2nd place finish, extending his PRO Light points lead, while Shaun Morris would nail his first podium in the year in 3rd.
PRO Light Results
1- Casey Currie 2- Andrew Caddell 3- Shawn Morris 4- Brad Lovell 5- Ross Hoek 6- Rafael Navarro 7- Mark Oberg 8- CJ Greaves 9- Jason Janusz 10- Eric Ruppel 11- Josh Hintz 12- Kendal Norman 13- Nick Baumgartner 14- Matt Cook 15- Keegan Kincaid 16- Luke Johnson 17- Randy Eller
Super Buggy
Fourteen-year-old Mitchell DeJong (Traxxas/BFG) got back on the winning track on Friday at Chicagoland Speedway with a convincing win in the Super Buggy class – his fifth win of the 2012 TORC Series season.
DeJong, who started back in the pack of the 12-buggy field took the overall lead following the competition yellow. A brief challenge from John Frana would make things interesting, but in the end DeJong would open up a full straight-away lead on Frana at the checkers.
“It was slick out there, challenging to drive,” said DeJong. “We had to start back in the pack as well, which didn’t help. But this was our fifth win of the season, which gives us a bunch of steam heading towards the championship.”
Super Buggy Results
1- Mitchell DeJong 2- John Frana 3- Scott Schwalbe 4- Andy Zipperer 5- Jerry Weaver 6- Gord Felske 7- Mark Steinhart 8- Bob Klaus 9- Steve Krieman 10- Bryan Bernloehr 11- JR Wheeler 12- Scott Viers
Up next … Bark River International Raceway, Aug. 11-12
Media contact: Pat Schutte, HPPR, pat@highprofilepr.com
Photo courtesy of Mad Media
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!