TORC Series Set to Expand Reach in 2014

New Ownership Brings Passion, New Venues to New Year

When BJ Birtwell and his company, the Armory, took over the reigns of the TORCSeries presented by AMSOIL last fall, he wanted to ramp up the steady growth the series had worked on for the past five years. New venues and a sophisticated marketing plan are major parts of his program. After just a few months, the industry is taking notice.

"Short-course gets in your blood, and all you want to do is be a part of it," Birtwell told Dirt Sports Nation last month. "But you can't be guided by passion alone; it needs to be balanced with rationality. And when I looked at the Armory's capabilities and what TORC needed more of, it became clear that there was an opportunity for us to build on the solid foundation of what TORC had already been creating."

TORC announced its 2014 schedule in early December, with several notable additions. For the first time in history an off-road series will head to the Black Hills of South Dakota, with two nights of racing at the popular Sturgis Buffalo Chip during the middle of the largest motorcycle rally in the world.

Alongside a return to Charlotte, N.C., TORC will break new ground in middle America. Two nights of racing will take place at Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis May 17-18.

"You can see the Gateway Arch and St. Louis skyline from the track," said Birtwell. "It's a great location and the proximity to downtown will make the race weekend a lot of fun for race teams and fans. Both of these tracks (Sturgis and St. Louis) will be 'Crandonesque' and purposed to showcase the full capabilities of these trucks.

After opening the season in Las Vegas, the series will make its annual stops at Bark River and Crandon, including a season-ending showdown for the fifth annual AMSOIL Cup.

"What better place to finish the TORC season than in Crandon," said Birtwell. "It's the largest event in all of short course off-road racing and certainly deserving of the 'World Championships' moniker. If you haven't made it to Crandon yet for a race, make 2014 your year to check it off your bucket list. You won't be disappointed."