TORC: Rob MacCachren Crandon season finale summary

CRANDON Chaos Ends Hope for ROCKSTAR Energy Racing Championship

Las Vegas, NV --Rob MacCachren's hopes for winning back-to-back TORC Pro 2 championships came to an end early Sunday morning after a chaotic final season ending race. For some, the Traxxas TORC Series final race weekend of the season ended about the way it started, with the stormy adverse North Woods Wisconsin weather.

Crandon's faithful crowds braved the unpredictable weather that descended on the Crandon International Raceway beginning Thursday and didn't stop until the green flag dropped for Saturday's racing action. TORC Officials postponed practice and Friday night's race action due to heavy rain and it continued into the early morning hours of Saturday. In order to save the track, race officials cancelled Saturday's practice, as well as last minute qualifying and had drivers draw starting positions.

Saturday's race action kicked off and MacCachren railed his #21 Ford F150 Pro 2 through the rigors of intense off road racing. Before the midway point of the race, MacCachren was fighting his own battle inside the cockpit of his #21 ROCKSTAR Energy / BFGoodrich Tires / Mastercraft Safety race truck.

MacCachren was just trying to keep up with the muddy conditions and that forced him to slightly crack open his front helmet shield. About the time he did that, he immediately took a face full of mud in the eyes. It was all he could do to fend off the mud and race on. He continued racing at the front of the pack, but as the race progressed his sight began to fade. Near the end, MacCachren was passed by Ricky Johnson just as the white flag waved and all MacCachren could do was hold on for the second place spot.

Sunday's final Pro 2 race of the Traxxas TORC Series season kicked off mid-morning due to the Crandon Cup race being held in the late afternoon. Heading into the last TORC competition of the year, MacCachren trailed the point's leader by a mere 5 points, but that was enough that Rob had to not just win, but win by several positions over Johnson.

As the race started, the #21 charged quickly, but contact with another racer flattened a tire. Rob was able to stay with the pack to the midway yellow even while running on a flat tire. The ROCKSTAR Energy Racing pit crew performed a lightening fast tire change and MacCachren was able to stay on the lead lap. Racing hard through the final laps, it all came to an end as MacCachren became involved in a multi-truck crash putting the exclamation point on the end of the season. Rob fought his way out of the chaos to reach the finish line in 4thposition, but Johnson had crossed the checkered flags in the second position earning the TORC championship.

"I am disappointed with the end results," said MacCachren shaking his head ever so slightly. "It's been a wild ride and we all knew it was going to come down to the final race weekend at Crandon. We've been real good here in the past, but it wasn't meant to be here this year."

ROCKSTAR Energy Racing has battled with Johnson each and every race for the past two years. Last year MacCachren claimed the title, but here in 2010 Ricky Johnson ends up on top.

Rob later commented, "It's really been a great year of racing. Ricky Johnson, Robby Gordon, Jeremy McGrath, Jeff Kincaid and Chad Hord are the best of the best and racing against them is what we want to do. Unfortunately it wasn't in the cards for us this season in the TORC Series. We have a lot of racing left and we are leading the Lucas Oil Series. We need to focus on earning the championship. I am very thankful for the many sponsors associated with Rob MacCachren Motorsports and my ROCKSTAR Energy Racing team. We could not compete at this level without them. ROCKSTAR Energy Drink, BFGoodrich Tires and Mastercraft Safety along with all of our associate sponsors have been behind me 110 percent and that's what it takes to race for championships. I really want to thank all the fans that have come out to all the races in 2010, it's great to be welcomed by the racing fans of the Midwest. Racing TORC has been great and we look forward to returning next season."

Rob MacCachren switches gears as he now focuses on desert racing for the next week heading to the SCORE Primm 300 on September 11, 2010, held at the Primm Valley Resort in Nevada where he will race the #20 SCORE Trophy Truck.

-source: romm