Lucas Oil supports off-road series to replace TORC

CRANDON, Wis. — The short-course off-road racing series TORC has suspended operations for 2018, but Lucas Oil Products Inc. and a group of Midwest racing tracks have banded together to create a replacement series to be known as the Lucas Oil Midwest Series.

TORC — The Off-Road Championship — announced March 23 it was canceling events in 2018 but said it would "continue to evaluate future opportunities…."

The series was founded in 2009 to carry on sanctioning short-course off-road racing in the Midwest in the wake of the demise of the Lucas Oil World Series of Off-Road Racing.

TORC's decision to suspend operations came shortly after the series' primary racing venues — Crandon International Raceway, Crandon, Wis.; Bark River International Raceway, Bark River, Mich.; and ERX Motor Park, Elk River, Minn. — disclosed they were withdrawing their support for TORC.

The new Lucas Oil Midwest Series is working with these same three race tracks to run a four-race series this year and work toward "unifying the sport on a national level."

The change affects four tire companies that were listed as sponsors of TORC — Atturo Tire Corp.; Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.; American Kenda Rubber Ind. Co.; and Maxxis International.

Of these, Atturo and Cooper have indicated they will move their support to the new series. Kenda and Maxxis have yet to respond to Tire Business' inquiries.

Lucas Oil — which also is the primary backer of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) — said, "For the first time in a decade, the visceral motorsport of short-course racing will, once again, be unified."

According to Lucas Oil Executive Vice President Bob Patison, "All of us in the short-course world have worked tirelessly over the past 10 years to promote the sport and help it to reach its full potential.

"This expansion is not only exciting for all sides, but it also incorporates big events at proven venues. The objective is to create one viable national touring series for the PRO categories in the next year or two, but we also want to address the economic realities of short-course racing by examining a blended rules package and lowering operating costs in the near future."

The new partnership will kick-off June 15-17 at Crandon Raceway, followed by an event July 13-15 at ERX, then Aug. 10-12 at Bark River and wrap up Aug. 31-Sept. 2 back at Crandon. These events will host races for the PRO and Sportsman categories under existing Midwest rules packages.

Atturo Tire said it would shift its support for Carlson Moto and driver Andrew Carlson to the new series. Mr. Carlson was a three-time winner on the 2017 TORC circuit.

Cooper Tire will continue to support drivers Keegan Kincaid and Cam Reimers in the Lucas Oil series.