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Once Currie and his crew got the new custom built V-8 Pro-lite truck dialed-in to Crandon, there was no looking back.
The Off Road Championship Racing Series (TORC) kicked off with a statement-making Victory on the legendary Crandon off-road track for Casey Currie. The "Big House," Crandon International Off-Road Raceway, which also hosts the World Championship Off-Road Races, was this year's opening site for the TORC Series.
Currie started third from the inside in Sunday's race.
The Traxxas TORC Series continues to be the fastest, most punishing short course racing series on the planet. TORC events are packed with flag-to-flag fender banging, with drivers pushing the limits over whoop and jump filled natural terrain racetracks, much to the thrill-seeking delight of spectators. This season opener at the famed Crandon, Wisconsin track lived up to every inch of its reputation for thrilling race action.
Massive crowds gathered in spite of the threat of rain to watch the classic west versus mid-west rivalry. The weather remained reasonable, but the racing got heated as the newly modified Crandon track allowed for more passing and alternate line choices. Some of the top names in short course racing showed up, geared not only with the intention of standing on podiums, but also gunning for the large purses put up by series sponsors Traxxis, Amsoil, and BOSCH, making this the largest payout for a short course in recent history.
For Casey Currie, the Anaheim, California racer, it was not only the first race of the series, but also the debut of his new custom built V-8 Pro-lite.
"We went into Crandon with a truck that was built in-house at Casey Currie Motorsports, and we did manage some testing, but none on a long track like Crandon," remarked Currie.
"When we arrived we were a little behind the ball with gearing but after qualifying we settled in nice and the truck worked great. We had some small issues with the carb, but we pulled it together in time to finish on top."
Currie stated after the race that he knew his gearing was off right away, and compounding that he began to have issues with the brakes and carburetor.
"The return piston was caught, so my brakes were stuck on the entire race. You could see my rotors glowing the entire race."
Proof yet again though, that winning races begins in the garage, Currie and his team dialed in the new truck in time for its winning debut.
"Yeah, I would have to say that having everything built at Casey Currie Motorsports definitely helped my confidence, because I knew everything was built to how I wanted it."
Currie Enterprises has long been recognized in the off road world for specializing in building superior rear ends, drivelines and suspension kits. And, Currie says he only uses K&N products on his truck, from air and oil filters, to the greases and oils, and he has never once had a single complaint.
"The motor builder says everything is staying clean and we know power is maximized using K&N air filters," comments Currie. "Also, K&N is so good at having product in stock, I always seem to need things at the last minute, and they are the first to rush it out the door for me."
As for his plans regarding the rest of the season Currie says, "We are planning on being at X games, and we are really focusing on the TORC series. I would love to finish off the year at the Lucas Oil Series, and just get behind the wheel as much as possible."
Ryan Partin takes over the points lead at the same spot he took it last year on his way to the championship.
Ryan Partin, the Orlando, Florida sprint car racer has been rolling hot all season, running up front in every race so far. Being up front so often appears to have reassured him of one thing - he's a winner. Last weekend at North Florida Raceway Partin ran away with the Top Gun Sprint Series Feature. He also had a heat win, giving him a clean sweep for the evening.
Although Partin has a full race schedule planned for this year his primary focus is on repeating as Top Gun Sprint Series Champion.
"We have had a strong car all year, but with the equipment changes we made in the off season, it has taken some time getting everything to gel just right," remarked Partin.
"Our engine program has been one of the weakest links for the team, forcing us to rely heavily on our chassis program to keep us up front. The team has been working so hard this year to squeeze out every last bit of horsepower, knowing that's what it's going to take to capture another championship this season. Going into this last race we knew that we would have a couple more ponies, but the guys found a whole stampede for me. This made the car such a hotrod to drive and I practically just cruise it to the win."
After once again running fast during practice, and then winning the heat race over the points leader, Partin and his team were only hoping that officials wouldn't call the race on account of rain.
"I was hoping that they wouldn't call the race, knowing that we had one heck of a car and this could be the night that we would take the points lead. The whole pit area was standing in turn two, staring at the track wondering what it was going happen, when they made the announcement to resume racing. When my dad came back with a chunk of the track's clay, smiling, we knew that we had the setup for this one. Then I was informed that I had the pole, and I got that feeling that this was my night - just don't screw it up."
This is Partin's first season with K&N and the experience has been nothing but positive. He says his dad though has been using K&N oil filters on his sprint cars for quite some time now.
"Failure is not an option for us," says Partin. "We run for championships on a tight budget, so we ask a lot out of the products we use. With dirt sprint car racing, the environment isn't ideal. Rocks, dirt, high rpm's, and some nights anything else you can think of is on the track. Here in Florida our dirt tracks contain a lot of sand in the clay, which has always been a big issue with air filtration. We have tried a couple different types of air cleaners and air boxes, but kept having the same problems - more filtration, less flow, which killed our horsepower. More flow, less filtration lead to having grit and sand in the injection stacks, which meant more rebuilds."
"At the end of last year, I went to the PRI show in Orlando and met Bob Harris. I spoke with him about the issues we were having and he turned us on to the Carbon Fiber Injection Stack Air Box. This was something we should have done a long time ago. The air box was lighter, less maintenance, and it provides all the air the engine can eat.
Partin will also be running with some other sprint car series in and around his region. And, there's also a trip planned to race for the first time in Australia during the winter. But his biggest goal is to win the Top Gun Sprint Series Championship again this year.
"With this win we took the points lead, which is the same way we took it last year, and we never lost it. We have been in the top five all season, so this really proves that if we keep digging, we can find the speed we need to win."
If you managed to survive the bottom portion of the hill and reach the summit there was a road jump and several ledges that offered up a variety of challenges.
There are as many reasons for succumbing to the urge to crest a hill as there are hills. Whether it's simply because it's there, or to satisfy the need to know what's lurking on the other side, one of the clearest motives no doubt has to be for a stash of cash.
The new course added even more crazed excitement for spectators.
The most-prestigious hillclimb series in the United States, the North American Hillclimber's Association (NAHA), returned to southern California, at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, for an epic showdown on an all-new course. The NAHA moved the course about a half mile from the original location to a new section of virgin terrain.
At the base of the 500-foot horsepower-sucking hill, the promoters dug out a pit for the starting line, and added a unique 50-foot tabletop jump, which added even more thrills for spectators. If you managed to reach the top there was also a road jump and several ledges that offered up a variety of options when it came to technique.
Peterson says that having K&N supporting the Glen Helen event is awesome and adds to its overall prestige.
Few competition motorcycles look any more menacing, and handle more abruptly, than a pro hillclimbing bike. With a wheelbase on average over eight feet, three feet longer than a typical street bike, and stump-pulling horsepower - technique is everything.
This year there were three different winners, in three different classes taking home their share of the $15,000 purse, and in process, they inked themselves into the history books, as this was one of the best events in the last decade.
"The Hillclimb at Glen Helen was the second round of the Malcolm Smith/Racer X-NAHA Pro-Hillclimb Series. This was the fourth year that we have held the event there, and it is the only one in Southern California. Since the first year in 2007, I have been the guy building and designing the course for the riders. It's a lot of fun for me creating a competitive and safe hill for the guys to compete on, and most of all, putting on a good show for the fans," offered up the event organizer and racer Robie Peterson.
"Having K&N supporting the event is awesome," added Peterson. "We have built a great relationship with them over the years and are honored to have such a big player in the industry support it."
When a race works this well there's no need to fix it. Regarding the affair, Peterson commented, "Next year's event will most likely be a little earlier in the year due to heat issues in June, but other than that, it will be the gnarly roost throwing event that it always is."
NDRA superstar Matt Long is enjoying the results of five years of hard work. "Everything is finally beginning to click and results show it. We have a total of 6 wins for the year so far. I only won two races last year and none the year before that," says Long. He did have several second place finishes, as well as many top 5 finishes. "The big challenge right now for our team is that we are trying to compete in two different series, the NDRA and Fastrak.
Matt Long Racing is competing in the NDRA and Fastrak Series
Long's race team is looking forward to lots of travel during the month of July in their quest for the NDRA Regional Championship. "This weekend we have two big NDRA shows, Carolina Speedway, which is my home track and Friendship Speedway in North Carolina," says Long. Next, the team travels to West Virginia Motor Speedway for a big $10K race in the Fastrak series. "I'm pretty excited about the West Virginia trip," says Long. "I have tons of family and friends coming to the event because the speedway is only about an hour from my hometown of Cambridge, OH." The team will then compete in a NDRA Touring race on July 17th, followed by a Fastrak race at the Wythe, VA Speedway on the 24th. The end of the month brings the team's most anticipated event of the year, a $5k to win at Eldora Speedway. "Eldora owes me one," says Long. "Two years ago, I was leading and taken out on the start. I destroyed my car so we didn't make it up there in 2009."
For important races like Eldora, Long says he depends on superior products like K&N filters to take care of his motors. "I run K&N because the quality is second to none, and they are very easy to use. That is very important in dirt racing! I just took my crate motor out of the car to have it freshened up after over 1700 laps. Because of the great products I use from K&N, the motor will not need main bearings, rod bearings, or even rings, which is really quite amazing for a dirt motor," says Long. "We recommend the K&N filters to everyone."
When asked what he enjoys most about racing, Long says he loves spending time with the fans and having fun. "This is a serious hobby for me and my team is very competitive, but having fun is also important. I try to be involved with my fans and I like to sign autographs till the last person leaves," says Long. "We love dirt racing and really enjoy watching the sport grow!"
Ryan Truex won his first race of the season in the New England 125
The reigning East Series champion won his first race of the season in the New England 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday. He extended his lead in the East Series standings. He joined his dad, Martin Truex Sr., and his older brother, Martin Truex Jr., as East Series winners at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Driver Ryan Truex
But maybe most importantly, Ryan Truex made up for a last-lap loss at New Hampshire last year.
Ryan Truex led a race-high 66 laps, taking over on lap 60 and never surrendering it in Saturday's race. He survived four caution periods while in the lead. There was a four-car crash on lap 90 that took out Mackena Bell, Jason Patison and Matt Frahm.
Ryan Truex said maintaining his lead on restarts was key to winning the race.
The next NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Race is at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut on July 3
"I've struggled a lot over the past year and half on restarts," said Ryan Truex, driver of the No. 00 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing. "I was joking over the radio, I told them I finally figured out how to get a restart done and it only took a year and a half. It's just a matter of getting the right jump on everyone and keeping it out front. Once we got out in that clean air, we just set sail and they had nothing for us."
Ryan Truex posted his fourth top-five finish in five East Series races in 2010. It was also his first career East Series win at New Hampshire and the fourth of his East Series career.
"I'm just happy to get a win here, this feels like the Daytona 500 for me," Truex said. "I think this is the biggest race of the year. You're in front of the (NASCAR Sprint) Cup Series guys, and you can show off your talents and abilities to them."
His brother, Martin Truex Jr., is a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and his dad, Martin Truex Sr., raced at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the old Busch North Series.
"It's just awesome, so special to win at such a historic race track," Ryan Truex said. "The East Series has been here so long and had so many great winners. I'm just happy to add myself to the list."
Ryan Truex lost to Matt DiBenedetto last year at New Hampshire when he was passed on the final lap of a green-white-checkered flag finish. Ryan Truex had the lead for the green and white checker flag, but DiBenedetto got around him on the final lap. Ryan Truex finished second.
"I felt like we kind of got one stolen away from us last year," Ryan Truex said. "Pretty frustrated about that. To come back this year and dominate like we did, once we got out front, we never gave it up."
Rookie Kevin Swindell finished second, posting a career-best finish in the East Series and his first top-five of the season.
"We didn't qualify as well as we thought we would after as good as a mock lap as we had. The rain messed us up a little bit," said Swindell, driver of the No. 9 Curb Records/Nos Energy Drink Chevrolet. "Mangaged to get a couple spots in the pits. It was just a matter of trying to race with that 00. I was just too tight behind cars to really make a run at him."
Rookie Darrell Wallace Jr. was third. He was making his East Series debut at New Hampshire. His car blew an engine in practice and he had to start the race at the rear because his team had to replace the engine.
"It's been a rough two days for us," Wallace said after the race on Saturday. "First time at the track. I didn't really how to get around here. Still kinda clueless going into the race. We just had to wing it for the first 50 laps or so until I finally started getting a line down. Once it came in, we were fast."
Pole winner Brett Moffitt led the first two laps of the race and another 37 more from laps 32 to 59. He fell back late in the race and finished fifth.
Ryan Truex extended his lead in the East Series standings to 33 points over Wallace, driver of the No. 6 Chevrolet for Revolution Racing.
The next East Series race is a road course race at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut on July 3.
