Robby Gordon Partners With Torchmate Racing

Robby Gordon Partners with Torchmate Racing

Capitalizing on a 10-year relationship with Lincoln Electric, Robby Gordon Motorsports has embraced the new addition to the Lincoln family and welcomed Torchmate CNC Cutting Systems onto Planet Robby. Gordon, who has acquired the Torchmate Racing built TTB car for the upcoming Griffin King of the Hammers event, will begin testing the rebadged Speed Energy #77 car this week and he has tasked rock crawling champion and former Pirate4x4.com owner, Lance Clifford, to navigate. “Although I have not yet met Lance, he has come highly recommended and is a welcome addition to our team. We put a lot of value in having the right people to help us succeed,” said Gordon. Clifford, who has worked during KOH the last 4 years providing live web based coverage, is looking forward to racing. “I was just planning on enjoying the event with my family, but when the best off-road driver in the world calls you up and asks you to navigate you don’t think twice about accepting.”

The new relationship will put Torchmate CNC cutting systems to work in both Robby Gordon Motorsports North Carolina and Southern California facilities, and will see Torchmate as an associate sponsor of Gordon’s new venture into Ultra4 racing as well as his current SCORE Trophy Truck and Dakar off-road programs. “We’re excited to work with Robby Gordon and it’s a perfect fit with Torchmate philosophy on racing and business,” said Bill Kunz, general manager of Torchmate. “The same Torchmate machines the general public can purchase will be put to good use at the hands of Robby Gordon Motorsports,” Kunz added.

The demands of the King of the Hammers race test the merit of both driver and machine due to the brutal terrain. In its 6th running, this year’s course (which remains a closely guarded secret until race week) will be the longest and most difficult to date. The delicate balance of rock crawling’s technical skill set, coupled with wide open assaults in the open desert, require a vehicle that is comfortable at two completely different ends of the off-road spectrum. Gordon had this to say about his first impression of the vehicle, “The craftsmanship in the construction of this TTB car is a testament to the quality of products Torchmate builds. We build racecars of the highest standard in our fabrication shops, and this vehicle looks like something we built. I am excited to have a chance to race it in KOH and know we can do well. This relationship is not just a one-race deal; we are looking forward to building the Torchmate brand alongside our existing partners and introducing Torchmate to a new market.” A number of crossover drivers have attempted the King of the Hammers in the last 5 years, but few return, and even less make the leap to car owner.

The buzz created by Ultra4 racing fans suggests that Robby Gordon’s presence this year will no doubt be one of the highlights of the event. “It’s always great to see new drivers make an investment in our sport, but when it’s a driver as popular as Robby Gordon, that creates the potential to introduce a wide selection of fans and have a positive result for all of our teams,” responded Dave Cole of Hammerking Productions when asked about his newest racer. “It’s a lot like the Baja 1000,” Gordon closed with, “It’s a huge event people plan the whole year around. I can’t wait to give it a shot!”

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Permalink Reply by mark tebaldi on January 31, 2012 at 9:28pm

That is also my dream, I have started to go to many the local bars in Cornelius, NC, and all I saw was the nasty red bull junk. I quickly suggested to them that Speed Energy drinks are the BEST around!!!

There needs to be marketing and sales of Speed around here when RG lives right around the corner. We need Speed coolers in all the bars and gas stations out here too!!!

Think about it, Red Bull is a european company selling 8oz cans for $3.00, WHY? We need a RG drink made in the USA to take over the energy drink market, this is a serious issue for the US economy, contact your local rep., RB and SPEED and USA!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Wheaton56 on January 31, 2012 at 9:43pm

As this is exciting news for RGM, and this torchmate rig is very nice and I have seen in person.

A friend of mine used to drive it and I gotta wonder what's in store for JT Taylor now. He is prob going to race his tube shark buggie again. This rig was also raced at the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and a lot of other cool races.

Sweet and hope he does good

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Permalink Reply by J.R. Sands on January 31, 2012 at 10:25pm

Wheaton, you have seen this KOH 2010 winner ...Jimmy's 4X4 rig in person. Right-on

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Permalink Reply by Wheaton56 on February 1, 2012 at 12:24am

Well the Torchmate rig is differnt than the other one posted. This has an IFS custom style TTB front end. very trick.

And as far as i now it hasn't wont KOH

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Permalink Reply by J.R. Sands on February 1, 2012 at 7:14pm

Thanks for getting back, so the Torchmate rig...right on

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Permalink Reply by Aaron on February 2, 2012 at 2:00am

Im pretty sure i saw that JT is driving rig 'lucky 13' from the 667 Rockers.... or better known as Jimmys 4x4. You can bet your sweet arse he isnt missing the KOH, he is one of the original 12 or 13 that started it all. It sounds like there will be no shortage of Jimmys rigs at Johnson Valley. Something in the double digits as far as chassis go. A few irs and the rest solid axle. I know that Healy is going to be in the latest greatest version of what Robby is driving. GAS ON

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Permalink Reply by Wheaton56 on February 2, 2012 at 12:07pm

Good to know,

Ill call him up and see what going on. I havent seen a line up

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Permalink Reply by Aaron on February 2, 2012 at 2:23pm

Please do, ive alway admired that dude. He is one Proud Am erican and that shows in every interview he does! I cant wait to see how KOH unfolds, thiss is one time that Coloradoans have people to cheer for that may actually win! JT,Lovells,Fish,Greg,Dunsberry,Pickett.

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Permalink Reply by WestCoast 2 VV on January 31, 2012 at 11:37pm

This is great news, especially when it reads "acquired the vehicle". Robby making it happen, Speed Energy is alive & well!

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Permalink Reply by Michael Martinez on February 1, 2012 at 1:06am

I watched "rock crawling" on the picture box some time ago. I sat and thought as I gazed at the slave master :"To what do we owe the honor of this". I wanted to do it so bad but I could feel my real life creep up my legs like jagged burrs reminding me of the horror of long term relationship commitment and how the list of things I'll never do will never stop growing, then a commercial came on and I hit the john only to return to find the remote was in the hands of "the supplier".
That was then this is now and I can't say enough about how well rounded RGM is these days...........snowmobiles around the Glen ??? Do they do that????