Off Road

Huseman took his Monster Energy/ Traxxas/ Toyota/ Toyo #36 4x4 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 stealing 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 4x4 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 4x4 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!!”