Mopar Ram Truck Pilot Hübinette Sweeps PRO Light Class in RedBud, Teammate MacCachren Triumphs in PRO 2

May 29, 2011 , Auburn Hills, Mich. -  Samuel Hübinette and Rob MacCachren put the cherry on top of a dream weekend for Mopar® and Ram Trucks at the 2011 Traxxas TORC (The Off-Road Championship) Series season-opening stop at Buchanan, Mich., claiming victories in the PRO Light and PRO 2 classes, respectively, at a wet and muddy RedBud MX course on Sunday, May 30.

Hübinette became the first back-to-back PRO class event winner of 2011, a remarkable accomplishment for the TORC rookie, who had only seven pre-season testing laps in his No. 77 Mopar-powered Ram before the PRO Light Round One event on Saturday, in which Hübinette emerged victorious. The “Crazy Swede” would double up on Sunday in Round Two, this time taking the win in a thrilling, come-from-behind charge to edge out C.J. Greaves at the checkers. Hübinette was joined on the podium by another Mopar-powered Ram driver, Andrew Caddell; coming home fifth was Mopar-powered Ram off-roader Luke Johnson.

“This weekend couldn’t have gone any better,” said Hübinette, a superstar in the world of drifting, who has now scored wins in his first two career TORC starts. “The Traxxas Racing and Jenkins Brothers Racing team provided an amazing package, a great Ram Truck with an awesome Mopar engine and BFGoodrich Tires to help hook up all that power on the muddy, challenging track.

“The folks at RedBud and USAC did a great job in preparing the track, considering the rain and weather this weekend. We were able to put on a great show for the fans that traveled here despite the weather. Overall, it was just an unbelievable TORC debut, and I can’t wait to go off-roading again at the next event in Crandon.”

Hübinette’s teammate MacCachren had to wait until Sunday to taste his first TORC action of the year after Saturday’s PRO 2 and PRO 4 events were postponed due to inclement weather. MacCachren wasted no time in visiting the winner’s circle, claiming the victory in the PRO 2 class in his No. 21 Mopar Ram. Mopar-powered Ram Truck Red Bull driver Bryce Menzies finished just off the podium, in fourth. In the PRO 4 class, Mopar-powered Ram Truck driver Ricky Johnson took the second spot on the podium, challenging Scott Douglas for the win but ultimately coming up just a bit short.

“This is the first time I’ve run this truck in the dirt,” said MacCachren. “The guys did an awesome job with the settings on the Mopar Ram, the BFGoodrich Tires hooked up and we didn’t have to pull a tear-off all day. I’m looking forward to coming back next year.”

“What a spectacular debut weekend for Mopar and Ram Trucks in the Traxxas TORC series,” said Tricia Hecker, Head of Marketing, Mopar. “The victories by Sam and Rob serve as a testament to the power and performance of Mopar parts and Ram Trucks in the off-road world. We are very optimistic that the triumphs at RedBud are the first of many this year for our Mopar-powered Ram Truck drivers.”

Next up for the Traxxas TORC Series is the Round Three and Round Four events at Crandon, Wis., June 18–19. For more information on the Traxxas TORC Series, visit www.torcseries.com.

Mopar-First Features
Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including:

• Camper trailers: first to introduce off-road camper trailers
• Vehicle-information apps: first to introduce smartphone vehicle-information applications, a new channel of communication with consumers
• Electronic owner manuals: first to introduce traditional owner manuals in a DVD and brief user-guide format
• Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS): first to market with a new interactive vehicle tracking device that sends owner a text when vehicle is driven too fast or too far based on pre-set parameters
• 2011 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak: first to introduce a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag-race package car
• Wi-Fi: first to offer customers the ability to make their vehicle a wireless hot spot
• WiTECH: first to support vehicle diagnosis and software updates leveraging off-the-shelf personal computers and a dedicated wireless tool network

About the Mopar Brand
Mopar is Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand.

Mopar distributes approximately 280,000 parts and accessories in more than 90 countries and is the source for all original-equipment parts for Chrysler, Jeep_®, Dodge and Ram vehicles. Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles — a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at http://www.mopar.com.

More than 70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It also was widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s — the muscle-car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “special parts” for super-stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.