Ram Truck and Mopar Announce TORC Off-Road Racing Sponsorship

Ram Truck and Mopar recently announced joint sponsorship plans for the most gnarly truck racing in the business — the Off-Road Championship (TORC) Series in 2011. The sponsorship will see five PRO-class drivers behind the wheel of a Ram truck during the 14-race series that gets underway Memorial Day weekend at RedBud MX in Buchanan, Mich.

Ram Truck and Mopar will share sponsorship of the Traxxas Racing team fielded by Mike and Mark Jenkins along with the Menzies Motorsports team owned by Steve Menzies.

“I couldn’t be more proud to have Ram partnering with these great off-road drivers, championship-caliber teams and the TORC Series itself,” said Fred Diaz, president and CEO, Ram Truck Brand and Head of U.S. Sales, Chrysler Group LLC. “Off-road racers and fans are extremely passionate about their trucks just like we are. This partnership is a perfect fit for us to connect and share the passion in a fun and exciting way.”

The new sponsorship has several other elements, as well:
1. Ram will become the official vehicle of the TORC Series.
2. A Mopar Ram Runner will serve as the official pace truck of the TORC Series.
3. Mopar now offers a Ram Runner conversion kit for the aftermarket.
4. Ram and Mopar will bring a significant trackside presence to each stop of the TORC Series.
5. That presence will include off-road Ram Truck test-drive opportunities for fans.

“From the drag strip to the circle track, the Mopar brand has a proud heritage in racing,” said Pietro Gorlier, president and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “We are excited to extend our presence into off-road racing, where many of our Mopar fanatics reside. In fact, off-road accessories and performance parts make up more than 30 percent of our portfolio, so this is a critical market that we want to reach.”

The Mopar Ram Runner is a production truck inspired by high-speed desert off-road racing and is a 4×4 unlike any other Ram. The rigors of off-road racing require large tires, additional ground clearance, and a sophisticated suspension system capable of withstanding tremendous impact. These features are combined with the proven HEMI 5.7-liter V-8 into a package that is stable at speed and rock-solid in the corners. Inspired by trophy trucks, steel front fenders and rear bed-sides are replaced with fiberglass layered in the Liquid Metal Mopar racing scheme. The high clearance wheel wells allow tremendous suspension articulation with zero tire-to-body interference.

Dodge trucks, now recognized as Ram trucks, have raced successfully in various off-road efforts since the mid-1970s, including a string of 37 consecutive SCORE and HDRA victories from 1977 into the next decade by famous off-roader Rod Hall — a record which stands to this day. Dodge vehicles were a large part of Hall’s 14 class wins at the grueling Baja 1000 over his 30-year career. Through 1993, Dodge also scored nine off-road championships over the previous 11 years with Hall behind the wheel.