TORC: The Off-Road Championship (TORC) was an American
short course off-road racing
Short course off-road racing is a form of auto racing involving the racing of modified vehicles on a dirt road closed course of a short length (tens of kilometers / miles or less). It is distinct from long course desert racing such as the Baja 100 ...
series. It tours throughout the United States featuring professional four and two-wheel-drive
Trophy Truck
A trophy truck, also known as a Baja truck or trick truck, is a vehicle used in high-speed off-road racing. This is an open production class and all components are considered legal unless specifically restricted.
Although any truck that meets t ...
s along with a Pro Light class. TORC was founded by off-road racing driver
Ricky Johnson
Richard Bernard "Ricky" Johnson Jr. (born July 6, 1964) is an American former professional motocross, off-road truck and stock car racer. He competed in AMA motocross and Supercross during the 1980s and, won seven AMA national championships. He ...
in 2009. It was known as the Traxxas TORC Series, owing to title sponsor
Traxxas
Traxxas is a radio control model manufacturer based in McKinney, Texas. Traxxas offers electric and nitro powered radio-controlled cars, off-road and on-road vehicles, boats, and drones.
Company history
Starting in 1986, Traxxas began selli ...
, from 2009 to 2013. It was purchased by The Armory in August 2013.
It was sanctioned and officiated by the
United States Auto Club
The United States Auto Club (USAC) is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, USAC sanctioned the List of USAC Championship Car seasons, United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the ...
(USAC) since its inception.
A multi-year deal between TORC and
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC, owned and operated by NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast. The division is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network, and its d ...
was announced in 2014 where it was confirmed that NBC would carry not only the series' on-track events but its docu-reality series as well.
However, the series returned to
Fox Sports
Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world.
The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the Fo ...
in 2015. Coverage of events for 2016 and 2017 was broadcast by BeIN Sports.
The series has not returned since announcing the cancellation of all events in 2018, the series itself would then quietly fold near the end of 2018 with the series website being taken down shortly after.
History
![Crandon 2013 Pro 2 Chad Hord 9](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Crandon_2013_Pro_2_Chad_Hord_9.jpg)
The series was founded in time for the 2009 season by former
motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
racer and
Motorcycle Hall of Fame
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is an offshoot of the American Motorcyclist Association, recognizing individuals who have contributed to motorcycle sport, motorcycle construction, or motorcycling in general. It also displays motorcycles ...
member
Ricky Johnson
Richard Bernard "Ricky" Johnson Jr. (born July 6, 1964) is an American former professional motocross, off-road truck and stock car racer. He competed in AMA motocross and Supercross during the 1980s and, won seven AMA national championships. He ...
as the Traxxas TORC Series
after hosting an off-road racing event at his
Perris Auto Speedway
Perris Auto Speedway, also known as the PAS, is a 1/2 mile clay oval track located at 18700 Lake Perris Drive on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, California. The track features a raised backstretch offering fans a better view over the infie ...
in 2008. There were two large sanctioning bodies in short course off-road racing for 2008:
CORR and
WSORR.
CORR had been sanctioning events on the
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to:
Geography Australia
* Western Australia
*Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia
* West Coast, Tasmania
**West Coast Range, mountain range in the region
Canada
* Britis ...
and WSORR had sanctioned
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
events.
CORR closed before the end of the 2008 season and canceled its final two racing weekends.
TORC took over the sanctioning of most of the Midwest events.
USAC assumed complete management of the series starting in 2010.
The Armory took over ownership of the series in late 2013 to handle all marketing and operations of the series.
USAC remained on board as the sanctioning body. One of The Armory's first acts was securing an exclusive 5-year agreement landing the series championship weekend at
Crandon International Off-Road Raceway
The Crandon International Off-Road Raceway is a short course off-road racing racetrack, located near Crandon, Wisconsin, United States on U.S. Route 8. The course hosts the World Championship Off-Road Races, Red Bull World Cup, Forest County Po ...
starting in 2014, ensuring no competing sanctions can race at the track. In late 2015, Mountain Sports International took over managing the series.
MSI immediately announced adding sportsman racing back under its sanction starting in 2016.
In March 2018, the series announced that it would hold no events in 2018.
Divisions
The series was originally divided into Pro, Sportsman, and Grassroots divisions.
The Pro division is headlined by a four-wheel drive (PRO 4WD)
trophy truck
A trophy truck, also known as a Baja truck or trick truck, is a vehicle used in high-speed off-road racing. This is an open production class and all components are considered legal unless specifically restricted.
Although any truck that meets t ...
class. It also has a two-wheel drive trophy truck class (PRO 2WD) and a light-duty two-wheel drive
pickup truck
A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...
class (PRO Light).
The series began with a Sportsman truck division, consisting of four- and two-wheel drive truck classes plus a stock truck class. Sportsman buggies featured regular 70 horsepower buggies plus a light class with
restricted 55 horsepower engines.
It had three grassroots classes all featuring stock vehicles. The Formula 4x4 trucks were stock 4x4 trucks or
SUVs
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
, Classix race cars were stock cars with modified suspensions, and the Enduro trucks were two wheel drive 3/4 ton pickup chassis.
The Sportsman division later was later dropped by TORC and a separate entity named Midwest Off Road Racing (MORR) was created to sanction those trucks. TORC restored the sportsman classes for the 2016 season after MSI took over its sanction.
Drivers
Champions
Other drivers to compete for TORC championships include:
Brian Deegan,
Chad Hord
Chad Hord (born August 21, 1976) is a professional American off-road racing driver from Felch, Michigan. As of 2012, he races a PRO 2 short course truck in the Traxxas TORC Series (TORC).
In 1995, he began racing in Short-course Off-road Drivers ...
,
Jarit Johnson
Jarit Johnson (born January 16, 1979) is an American competitive racing driver. He is the brother of NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, and a former NASCAR competitor; he currently drives a Pro 2 Trophy Truck in the TORC: The Off Road Championship ...
,
Scott Taylor and Olympian
Nick Baumgartner
Nick Baumgartner (born December 17, 1981) is an American snowboarder from Iron River, Michigan. He competes in snowboard cross (SBX) and qualified for the 2010 Winter Olympics. He won the gold and silver medals in the 2011 and 2012 Winter X Gam ...
.
The Pro Buggy class saw its youngest champion ever in 2012, Mitchell deJong joined the series at 14 years old and won the championship against adult veteran racers, in just his rookie year.
Tracks
![CJ Greaves Pro Lite Crandon 2014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/CJ_Greaves_Pro_Lite_Crandon_2014.jpg)
Before the inaugural season, TORC announced that it secured an exclusive deal with
Bark River International Raceway and a 15-year exclusive deal with
Crandon International Off-Road Raceway
The Crandon International Off-Road Raceway is a short course off-road racing racetrack, located near Crandon, Wisconsin, United States on U.S. Route 8. The course hosts the World Championship Off-Road Races, Red Bull World Cup, Forest County Po ...
.
It partnered with
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
-related tracks in 2013 including
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
's
Eldora Speedway
Eldora Speedway (nicknamed "The Big E", "Auto Racing's Showcase Since 1954," and "The World's Greatest Dirt Track") is a high-banked clay dirt oval. Located north of Rossburg, Ohio in the village of New Weston, Ohio, it features permanent and ...
and Friday and Saturday events in conjunction with the Sunday NASCAR
Nationwide Series
The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...
event at
Chicagoland Speedway
Chicagoland Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and actively hosted NASCAR racing including the NASCAR Cup Series until 2019. Until 2010, the speedway has also hosted the IndyC ...
.
TORC did not race at Chicagoland in 2014 but announced shortly after the completion of the season that it would once again host an event at the facility's dirt track in conjunction with the NASCAR Nationwide Series race there June 18–20, 2015.
[, ]
*
Antelope Valley Fairgrounds
The term antelope is used to refer to many species of even-toed ruminant that are indigenous (ecology), indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia.
Antelope comprise a wastebasket taxon defined as any of numerous Old World grazing and b ...
(2012–2013)
*
Bark River International Raceway (2009–2017)
*
Buffalo Chip Powersports Complex
Buffalo most commonly refers to:
* Bubalina, including most "Old World" buffalo, such as water buffalo
* Bison, including the American buffalo
* Buffalo, New York
Buffalo or buffaloes may also refer to:
Animals
* Bubalina, a subtribe of the t ...
(2014–2015)
*
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway (previously known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009) is a motorsport complex located in Concord, North Carolina, outside Charlotte. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including th ...
(2011–2012, 2014–2016)
*
Chicagoland Speedway
Chicagoland Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and actively hosted NASCAR racing including the NASCAR Cup Series until 2019. Until 2010, the speedway has also hosted the IndyC ...
(2010–2013, 2015–2017)
*
Crandon International Off-Road Raceway
The Crandon International Off-Road Raceway is a short course off-road racing racetrack, located near Crandon, Wisconsin, United States on U.S. Route 8. The course hosts the World Championship Off-Road Races, Red Bull World Cup, Forest County Po ...
(2009–2017)
*
Cycle Ranch (2011)
*
Dodge City Raceway
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid ...
(2013)
*
Eldora Speedway
Eldora Speedway (nicknamed "The Big E", "Auto Racing's Showcase Since 1954," and "The World's Greatest Dirt Track") is a high-banked clay dirt oval. Located north of Rossburg, Ohio in the village of New Weston, Ohio, it features permanent and ...
(2013)
*
ERX Motorpark (2016)
*
Gateway Motorsports Park
World Wide Technology Raceway (formerly Gateway International Raceway and Gateway Motorsports Park) is a motorsport racing facility in Madison, Illinois, just east of St. Louis, Missouri, United States, close to the Gateway Arch. It features a ...
(2015)
*
Langlade County Speedway Langlade may refer to:
Places
* Langlade, Wisconsin, a town, United States
* Langlade (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community, United States
* Langlade County, Wisconsin, United States
* Langlade, Gard, a commune in the Gard départ ...
(2010)
*
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada in Las Vegas, Nevada about 15 miles northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, is a complex of multiple tracks for motorsports racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is ...
(2009)
*
Sunnyview Expo Center (2009–2011)
*
Perris Auto Speedway
Perris Auto Speedway, also known as the PAS, is a 1/2 mile clay oval track located at 18700 Lake Perris Drive on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, California. The track features a raised backstretch offering fans a better view over the infie ...
(2009)
*
Pikes Peak International Raceway
Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR) is a racetrack in the Colorado Springs area within the city limits of Fountain, Colorado, that by October 12, 1997, was "the fastest 1-mile paved oval anywhere". The speedway hosted races in several series ...
(2011)
*
Primm Off Road Raceway (2013–2014)
*
Red Bud MX Red Bud MX is a US motocross race track located in Buchanan, Michigan, USA. The track is located just north of town, surrounded the agricultural farming fields. It is home to one of the largest motocross tracks in the Midwest, is favorite to many p ...
(2011–2013)
*
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas. The reconfigured track measures with banked 20° in turns 1 and 2 and banked 24° ...
(2009, 2015–2016)
Television coverage
In 2009, PRO events were televised on national television in the United States with
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%).
ESPN2 was initially fo ...
covering the 2009 events at Texas, Crandon's spring event, both Bark River events, and the second Perris event.
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
televised the first 2009 event at Perris and it broadcast Crandon's World Championship Off-Road Races race live.
Marty Reid was the lead play by play announcer along with Tes Sewell. Former
Miss USA
Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020, ...
Kimberly Pressler
Kimberly Ann Pressler (born May 21, 1977) is an American sports reporter, businesswoman, model, and former Miss USA who currently works for FOX on Professional Bowlers Association ( PBA) telecasts. Ms. Pressler has been featured in People Magazin ...
was the pit reporter.
From 2010 through 2012, ''The Off Road Championship'' aired on Discovery HD Theatre (now Velocity) and was produced by The Armory (www.thearmoryagency.com) with executive producer B.J. Birtwell. Season 1 consisted of twenty 1-hour episodes which aired from Sept 2010 to March 2011. Four seasons of the program have been produced. These shows featured a style which TORC refers to as docu-reality, the distinguishing feature of which consists of more talk and less live-style racing action coverage.
For 2013, Speed TV broadcast live coverage of the Saturday evening PRO truck events for all the race weekends, excepting the final September event at Primm which was scheduled for NBC. Speed covered two races live, which coverage was also re-aired on Fuel. NBC also broadcast one event. The Armory continued to produce TORC's Television programming in 2014 and 2015 on NBC Sports and Fox Sports, respectively. Bobby Gerould and National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brady Doty were the broadcast host and PXP announcers while noted motorsports broadcaster Tony Bokhoven was the Pit Reporter.
References
External links
*
The Armory website
{{Off-road racing
Auto racing organizations in the United States
Off-road racing series
Sports in the Midwestern United States
Recurring events established in 2009
Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2018
Defunct auto racing series
Articles containing video clips
United States Auto Club