Riverside, CA (October 25, 2009)—He did it! Or as he would say, “we did it.” Rick Huseman, along with his dad and brothers that make up his team, realized his dream this past Saturday by clinching the 2009 Traxxas TORC Series PRO 4X4 Class Championship at the dirt track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. To win a championship in this class is no small task, beating out a field of the top professional 4×4 off-road racers in the country-some with multiple championships. And, he did it in style by winning and impressive 6 races, 10 podiums, and finishing up with a 14-point lead over his next competitor, Kyle LeDuc. He also landed a whopping 7 Oakley Bomb Run Trophies for the fastest lap times.
Huseman took his Monster Energy/ Traxxas/ Toyota/ Toyo #36 4×4 Tundra into this weekend’s season finale with a lead that, barring any catastrophe, would land him his first championship. The track conditions and a couple of hungry drivers who had a remote shot at steeling the top spot, meant the championship was not a given. But Rick was confident and determined to not let up. “We have come too far and worked too hard to let this one slip away from us now,” said Huseman as he began to focus on the task ahead on Friday. “I’m going to go out there and try to stay out of trouble, but take the opportunities as they come. But mainly make sure we finish the race.”
Friday night racing was treacherous to say the least and presented a formidable challenge to even the most skilled driver for the 20-lap shootout. The combination of mud and dust made visibility almost impossible at times. The track crews worked very hard though to keep the track watered but still the dust worked its way back to the top and into the air as the powerful 4×4 trucks tore through the racing surface. Craters and ruts left behind when the mud layer broke through to the dry layer also made the track very unpredictable but were no problem for Huseman’s Toyo Tire clad Toyota.
With Kyle LeDuc having “nothing to lose and everything to gain,” Rick knew that the hungry LeDuc would be running hard and aggressive. It was important for Huseman to stay clean and finish well. That’s exactly what he did, managing a 5th place finish behind teammate Johnny Greaves after a race filled with carnage. At one point, with a little space between him and the other racers, Rick decided to shoot for the fastest lap which he was able to turn—earning him his 7th Oakley Bomb.
The track crews worked around the clock to achieve better track conditions for Saturday’s races. The track was not perfect, but it was a lot better than on Friday. With his good finish on Friday, all Rick had to do was take the green flag to mathematically clinch the championship. The race, while very entertaining for the crowd, was filled with a lot of crashes, flips, flats, fires—you name it—it happened in that race. Only 4 trucks finished the race including Traxxas CEO, Mike Jenkins, for his first PRO 4X4 win. Rick really wanted to win the race and end the season with a victory. However, one of the many contacts made during the race took out his steering and he exited the race on lap 10 to watch from the infield.
“This is awesome!” shouted Huseman from the winner’s circle following Saturday’s race. “This is exciting to get my first championship here in front of my family and friends and for this series. My team has worked so hard to give me a great truck all year long. We have been running this truck now for several years and I we really have it dialed in. Everything from the awesome motor Toyota/TRD gave me to my MasterCraft seat—everything just came together this season.”
Mike Vicente, Motorsports Marketing for Monster Energy: “We couldn’t be more proud and excited for Rick, his team, and the entire Huseman family. If you consider the level of world-class racers who make up the TORC series, to claim the Championship in the TORC Pro 4×4 class speaks volumes for the amount of talent, dedication, and fortitude that Rick has shown not only this year, but throughout his entire racing career. The only thing that might compare to this well deserved, and long-time coming Championship is the fact that Rick earned it while maintaining the respect of his fellow competitors, who voted for him as the TORC 2009 Driver of the Year! Congratulations Rick!!”
Rick Huseman was presented his championship trophy trackside by The Traxxas TORC Truck Series CFO, Mitch Covington. He was also recognized at a banquet held at the South Point Casino in Las Vegas on Sunday evening. The race will air on ABC Sports on November 8th at 1:30pm Eastern (10:30am Pacific).
More Information on Rick Huseman Racing:
Rick Huseman Racing, headquartered in Riverside, California, is a top contending-high powered professional short-course off-road racing team that races in the Traxxas TORC Series. The series brings the best off-road racers to fabled tracks in the Midwest as well as large market tracks on the West Coast. The Off-Road Championship series has a terrific television package for the 2009 season. Races are being broadcast on ESPN2 and ABC Networks and produced by award winning and X-Game producer, Paul Tablieub. Rick Huseman Racing offers maximum exposure for sponsors with cross marketing opportunities and high impact on-site exposure. And don’t let that smile fool you-behind that smile is a warrior with a fierce desire to win, landing him on the podium, and putting his sponsors in the spotlight.
Thanks to his great sponsors and associates, Rick has been able to build a highly competitive team. RHR is sponsored by: MONSTER Energy Drink, TRAXXAS R/C Cars, TOYOTA, Toyo Tires, Oakley, MasterCraft Race Seats, MAKITA Industrial Power Tools, KC HiLites, Weismann, DIRT LOGIC, SignPros, Simpson, The Converter Shop, and OMF Beadlocks.
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Contact:
Rick Huseman
rick@rickhusemanracing.com
