TORC Bark River Race
Report - Ruppel Steps Up the Pace
Chetek, WI (August 22, 2011) - As the TORC season progresses
so does Eric Ruppel and his #73 Phil's Inc. McGunegill Engine
Performance A & J Landscaping Thompson-Nelson Insurance
BFGoodrich Ford. As the team continues to fine tune the
Jenkins Brothers built chassis, Eric is becoming more
comfortable behind the wheel of his Ford Ranger. This was very
evident during Rounds Seven and Eight of the Traxxas TORC
Series presented by AMSOIL at the Bark River International
Off-Road Raceway.
Crew chief Kent Kramer made some changes to the truck since
the last time it hit the track. One of the major upgrades was
a complete set of PRO-AM disc brakes were mounted to the
chassis. After a conservative practice session on Friday
afternoon, Rupe "got up on the wheel" for the final Saturday
morning shakedown before Round Seven.
"I can really dive deep into the corners and drive through the
turns much better than before," noted Eric Ruppel.
In 2011 there is quite a large contingent of "rookie"
PRO-Light drivers and the majority of them are going through
the same learning curve as Rupe. Getting the truck set-up to
match the conditions of the race track is another new element
the team is learning to understand.
"When we raced our Super Stock Truck, there were only a few
variables we could change on the truck," comments crew chief
Kent Kramer. "Now everything is adjustable and creating notes
on everything we do so important. Rupe and I are going through
a steep learning curve, but we are getting a handle on it."
At Bark River the team finished a respectable eighth place in
Round Seven and ninth in Round Eight out of sixteen trucks
that took the green flag. Thanks to the change to the truck
and more time behind the wheel the race pace of the 73
McGunegill Engine Performance BFGoodrich Ford is much closer
to the front runners of the class than it was earlier in the
year.
With the kind of progress that Eric Ruppel has made so far
this season, look for even better results heading into the
final portion of the season.
The next race on the 2011 TORC race schedule is September 2-4,
in Crandon, Wisconsin.
Eric Ruppel and his team would
like to thank all its sponsors including
McGunegill Engine Performance
BFGoodrich Tires
AMSOIL
King Shocks
Trailready
Phil’s Inc.
A & J Landscaping
Thompson-Nelson Insurance
J & H Transmission
Eric Ruppel has marketing
opportunities for the remainder of the 2011 TORC Series.
Interested parties can contact Eric –
ericr@frontieragturf.com
