Travis Pastrana to race TORC/Chicagoland event, July 19-20!
Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Action sports icon and top RallyCross racer Pastrana will contest TORC’s PRO 2WD class at the popular NASCAR venue
• Baja-style off-road racing under the lights at Chicagoland Speedway’s Route 66 Raceway! Every ticket’s a Pit Pass … FREE parking … FREE Pit Party with a “Live” Band!
JOILET, Ill., (July 10, 2012) – The world’s best-known action sports athlete - Travis Pastrana - will put his formidable driving skills to the test in a Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, short course off-road truck when TORC stops for rounds 7 & 8 at Chicagoland Speedway’s Route 66 Raceway, Thurs. & Fri., July 19-20.
Highly decorated amateur motocross champion. 125cc AMA Motocross and Supercross champion. Eleven-time X Games gold medalist. Four-time Rally America champion and World Rally Championship (WRC) competitor. NASCAR Nationwide Series driver. USHRA Monster Truck driver. And, if that wasn’t enough, Pastrana’s “Nitro Circus The Movie 3D” will be released nationwide on August 8th.
“Travis’ resume is second-to-none in American motorsports history in terms of diversity at the highest levels of competition. His transition to a TORC Series PRO 2WD truck in Chicago next week will be seamless - tailor-made for his motocross and rally racing skills,” said Kevin Miller, President of TORC/USAC.
Pastrana will pilot a Menzies Racing Red Bull/Ram/Mopar/KMC Wheels TORC PRO 2 truck for the first time in his career. And though the 900-horsepower, 4,000 pound off-road behemoth is a bit beyond what Pastrana’s raced in the past (his #199 USHRA Monster Truck notwithstanding), his Menzie’s Racing teammate and motocross kindred spirit Ricky Johnson is equally confident that the former motocross champ will have no problem adjusting to TORC’s mash-‘em-up short course racing action.
“Anyone that’s won an overall national motocross title knows what it’s like to bang bar-to-bar from one end of a track to the other. Travis is no stranger to that,” said Johnson. “Add to that the fact he’s an accomplished rally car racer, along with the advantage of a Menzies Racing-built PRO 2 truck, and Travis will be a strong contender for a podium spot next week in Chicago.”
Two nights of racing action under the lights at Route 66 Raceway’s dirt oval feature four PRO classes (three truck, one buggy) in the fastest, most punishing short course truck racing series on the planet. TORC features legendary off-road heavyweights in defending TORC PRO 4x4 class champion and five-time AMA Motocross champion Ricky Johnson battling former class champion Johnny Greaves from nearby Green Bay, Wisc. A series of bodywork-tearing, truck-flipping battles throughout the three-hour race program, TORC racing at Route 66 Raceway’s dirt oval will again have the massive crowd on their feet hollering at the non-stop action!
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, Rob MacCachren, Mike & Mark Jenkins, Scott Douglas, Bryce Menzies, CJ Greaves, Andrew Caddell, Travis Pastrana and Illinois’ own Scott Taylor (Belvidere). Where: Chicagoland Speedway’s Route 66 Raceway’s dirt oval When: Thursday and Friday, July 19 & 20 Time: Gates open at 2 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. Media contacts: Patrick Kenny, Chicagoland Speedway/Route 66 Raceway, Senior Manager, Communications, pkenny@chicagolandspeedway.com and Patrick Schutte, TORC Series PR Director, pat@highprofilepr.com
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 Demolition Derby, NASCAR and NHRA fans at Chicagoland Speedway/Route 66 Raceway. With radical jumps, stutter bumps and berms built into Chicagoland Speedway/Route 66 Raceway’s dirt oval, existing sprint car and late model fans need to get out and see what the heck’s happening on their hallowed grounds here in Joliet, Ill.!
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!