TORC ROUNDS 3-4:
Mark Jenkins and Andrew Caddell Podium at Bark River!

 

Bark River, MI: After a successful start at Crandon, the Traxxas TORC series and Jenkins Brothers Racing (JBR) came to Bark River for Rounds 3 and 4 of the 12-round series. The storied short-course venue gave race fans some of the most exciting TORC action yet, with the JBR team placing both Mark Jenkins and Andrew Caddell onto the podium. Mike Jenkins battled with Scott Douglas, just missing the Pro 4X4 box with a bit of bad luck but no shortage of close, crowd-pleasing racing.

 

Pro 4X4 Round 4: Mark Jenkins Scores First Pro 4X4 Podium
In only his second weekend of Pro 4X4 racing, Traxxas driver Mark Jenkins climbed  the podium with a second-place finish in Sunday’s epic 9-lap brawl. When the green flag dropped, the field of trucks charged into Turn 1 in their quests for Sunday’s double purse pay-out. With Steve Barlow out in front and Rick Huseman, Mike Jenkins, and Scott Douglas three-wide on his bumper, contact was inevitable as the drivers made an all-out charge for the front. Huseman and Mike Jenkins made wheel-to-wheel contact, causing Huseman’s truck to tuck into Mike’s. In an explosion of dust and debris,Mike’s no. 47 truck drove up and over the front of Huseman’s Pro 4X4, with both trucks shedding fiberglass. Barlow held onto the lead while Scott Douglas ran an outside line to take second. From the back of the pack, Johnny Greaves slipped through the melee into third, with Mike Jenkins in fourth and his brother on his bumper in fifth. There was more contact before lap one was in the record books as Scott Douglas careened into a concrete wall and then into Mike Jenkins, sending both trucks off track. Mark pounced on the opportunity and raced to the mid-race caution flag in third with Huseman in tow.

The restart was just as exciting to watch as positions were shuffled among Barlow, Jenkins and Huseman. As Turn 2 approached, Huseman ducked to the inside to grab the second position while Barlow ran an outside line that opened the door mid-air for Jenkins in Turn 3. However, Mark would not stay in third for long, as he closed the gap on Huseman on the next lap, nearly completed an airborne pass over the ski jump, then got around the no. 36 Monster Energy/Traxxas truck as they touched down and entered the next turn. Barlow also passed Huseman and stayed in close pursuit of Mark. While under heavy pressure for his podium spot, Mark Jenkins showed he has what it takes to run at the front as he hustled his Traxxas/BFGoodrich/Amsoil ride at the limits. Flying over 200 feet off the Monster Energy jump and railing through the esses on two wheels for nearly 50 feet, Mark summoned every bit of power and traction his Pro 4X4 could deliver.

The checkered flag waved for Johnny Greaves with the win, and for Mark Jenkins with a hard-fought second place finish and his first TORC Pro 4X4 podium. Mark stated on his finish, “Saturday’s race was disappointing as the engine’s oil system failed causing me to sideline the truck. The Jenkins Brothers crew did a great job today, prepping a back-up Pro 4x4 which actually had a better set-up than yesterday’s. I got a little anxious when I saw the oil temp needle was buried above 300 degrees at mid-race but the engine stayed strong thanks to Amsoil and we grabbed a podium!”

 

Pro 4X4 Round 3: Mike Jenkins Battles Scott Douglas
TORC fans enjoyed some of the most intense and close racing yet as Mike Jenkins went wheel-to-wheel with Scott Douglas in Round 3 Pro 4X4 action. Driving in third position behind race leader Johnny Greaves and fellow Traxxas-sponsored driver Rick Huseman, Mike put on an impressive display of driving prowess as he kept veteran racer Douglas behind his Traxxas/BFGoodrich/Amsoil machine. Both drivers left it all on the track as they pushed their trucks harder and faster through each turn. Douglas showed his proven skills as he swooped and dove to find a way into podium position, but Mike was always able to find more traction, more power, and a better line to counter every move Douglas made.

The mandatory mid-race yellow flag regrouped the field, but there would be no surprises at the restart as the trucks resumed their running order: Greaves, Huseman, Jenkins, Douglas, Barlow, Drews. Greaves and Huseman spread out at the front of the field, leaving the most intense racing to Mike Jenkins and Scott Douglas. With just two laps to go, it looked like Mike would make his first return to the Pro 4X4 podium since winning the final round of the 2009 season in Las Vegas. But as the two drivers raced through turn one, Douglas’ truck contacted the rear of Jenkins’, knocking him off the track and bending his truck’s rear sway bar linkage. This tweaked the suspension and effectively eliminated the truck’s ability to turn right with any speed resembling race pace. Although Mike’s hobbled truck left him unable to defend his position against Douglas and Steve Barlow, Mike went on to finish the race and collect valuable series points.

 

Traxxas Pro Light Round 3: Andrew Caddell Scores $2,500 Purse
New JBR driver Andrew Caddell burst onto the TORC series scene with 1-2 finishes at Crandon, and anticipation was high for his return to the Traxxas Pro Light class at Bark River. Caddell did not disappoint, as he and rival Casey Currie showed just how close Traxxas Pro Light racing can be as they battled for second place. Caddell got around Currie just before the mid-race yellow, and took aim on race-leader Marty Hart as the anticipation built for the green flag. With full-throttle racing again underway on the land-rush straight, Caddell floored his V8-powered truck and looked to the inside of Hart as they rounded the first turn, but could not complete the pass. Time ran out before Caddell could again challenge Hart for the lead, but he handily took second to secure the $2,500 purse generously provided by Traxxas and TORC.

 

Traxxas will continue to sponsor the Jenkins Brothers Racing team and THE Traxxas Off-Road Championship. For more information about Traxxas, The Fastest Name In Radio Control®, visit Traxxas.com.