Ram and Mopar announce TORC off-road racing sponsorship

Mopar is on a sketch releasing rampage. Following a sketch of the Mopar 2011 Dodge Charger released yesterday, Mopar and Chrysler Group’s Ram Truck brand today announced a joint sponsorship for The Off-Raod Championship series in 2011 with a sketch of the Ram Truck Mopar sponsored TORC Series truck. The partnership between Ram Truck and Mopar will se five PRO-class drivers behind the wheel of a Ram truck during 14-race series that will kick off Memorial Day Weekend at Red Bud MX in Buchanan, Michigan.

“I couldn’t be more proud to have Ram partnering with these great off-road drivers, championship-caliber teams and the TORC series itself,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO, Ram Truck Brand and Head of U.S. Sales, Chrysler Group LLC. “Off-road racers and fans are extremely passionate about their trucks just like we are. This partnership is a perfect fit for us to connect and share the passion in a fun and exciting way.”

A Mopar Ram Runner will serve as the official pace truck of the TORC Series, which is currently offered as a kit for the aftermarket.Power for the Mopar Ram Runner comes from a HEMI 5.7L V8. It’s basically a true off-roading beast out of Auburn Hills.

Ram Truck and Mopar will share sponsorship of the Traxxas Racing team with Mike and Mark Jenkins along with the Menzies Motorsports team.

Click through for the press talk if you want to learn more.

Mopar Ram Runner TORC Series (Sketch):

Press Release:

Ram Truck and Mopar® Announce TORC Off-Road Racing Sponsorship

April 5, 2011 , Auburn Hills, Mich. – Ram Truck and Mopar® today announced joint sponsorship plans for The Off-Road Championship (TORC) series in 2011.

The sponsorship will see five PRO-class drivers behind the wheel of a Ram truck during the 14-race series that gets underway Memorial Day weekend at Red Bud MX in Buchanan, Mich.

Ram Truck and Mopar will share sponsorship of the Traxxas Racing team fielded by Mike and Mark Jenkins along with the Menzies Motorsports team owned by Steve Menzies.

The new sponsorship has several other elements, as well:

• Ram will become the official vehicle of the TORC Series
• A Mopar Ram Runner will serve as the official pace truck of the TORC Series; Mopar now offers a Ram Runner conversion kit for the aftermarket
• Ram and Mopar will bring a significant trackside presence to each stop of the TORC series. That presence will include off-road Ram Truck test-drive opportunities for fans

“From the drag strip to the circle track, the Mopar brand has a proud heritage in racing,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “We are excited to extend our presence into off-road racing, where many of our Mopar fanatics reside. In fact, off-road accessories and performance parts make up more than 30 percent of our portfolio, so this is a critical market that we want to reach.”

The 2011 driver lineup includes:

Traxxas Racing

• Rob MacCachren, No.21 PRO 2 class (two-wheel drive) Ram, sponsored by Ram Truck
  • MacCachren brings 20 championships and more than 180 off-road event wins from various series throughout his outstanding career that began in the early 1980s. In 2010, MacCachren won the Lucas Oil Pro 2 Unlimited championship and finished second in TORC after capturing the 2009 TORC championship
• Samuel Hubinette, No. 77 PRO Light class Ram, sponsored by Mopar and Ram Truck
  • The two-time Formula DRIFT champion is adding off-road racing to his ongoing drifting and stunt-driving duties

Menzies Motorsports

• Ricky Johnson, No. 48 PRO 4 class (four-wheel drive) Ram, sponsored by Red Bull with associate sponsorship from Ram Truck and Mopar
  • The 2010 TORC PRO 2 champion makes the move to PRO 4 in 2011. The seven-time AMA Supercross champion founded the TORC series in 2009
• Bryce Menzies, No. 7 PRO 2 Ram, sponsored by Red Bull with associate sponsorship from Ram Truck and Mopar
  • New TORC driver brings three years of racing experience in the CORR (Championship Off Road Racing) Series and the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series
• Luke Johnson, PRO Light Ram, sponsored by Red Bull with associate sponsorship from Ram Truck and Mopar
  • The son of Ricky Johnson is one of the youngest drivers in the sport with a bright future ahead

The Mopar Ram Runner is a production truck inspired by high-speed desert off-road racing and is a 4×4 unlike any other Ram. The rigors of off-road racing require large tires, additional ground clearance, and a sophisticated suspension system capable of withstanding tremendous impact. These features are combined with the proven HEMI 5.7-liter V-8 into a package that is stable at speed and rock-solid in the corners. Inspired by trophy trucks, steel front fenders and rear bed-sides are replaced with fiberglass layered in the Liquid Metal Mopar racing scheme. The high clearance wheel wells allow tremendous suspension articulation with zero tire-to-body interference.

Dodge trucks, now recognized as Ram trucks, have raced successfully in various off-road efforts since the mid-1970s, including a string of 37 consecutive SCORE and HDRA victories from 1977 into the next decade by famous off-roader Rod Hall – a record which stands to this day. Dodge vehicles were a large part of Hall’s 14 class wins at the grueling Baja 1000 over his 30-year career. Through 1993, Dodge also scored nine off-road championships over the previous 11 years with Hall behind the wheel.

In 1979, a Dodge driven “The Legend” Walker Evans became the first pickup truck to win the Baja 1000.

Mopar and Ram have been active in international desert racing with Ram Runner development partner KORE, owned by Kent Kroeker. In addition to multiple podium victories in the SCORE Baja 1000 and Best in the Desert’s Vegas to Reno, Kent has scored Ram-powered wins in the SCORE Baja 500, SCORE Primm 300 and also won the Mint 400 in 2008 and 2009.

On November 19, 2004, Kroeker made history when he raced a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 4×4 in the SCORE Baja 1000. Kroeker drove solo for 29 hours 23 minutes and 10 seconds, bringing the Dodge Ram across the finish line and directly to the podium. This Dodge was the first Cummins-powered vehicle ever to finish the Baja 1000. The next day, while others loaded their race vehicles on trailers for the journey back to California, Kent drove back in the street-legal Dodge.

About the TORC Series
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. For more information, see www.torcseries.com

The 2011 TORC schedule consists of:

– By: Omar Rana