Newport Coast, Calif. Oct. 19 – Mopar® Ram BFGoodrich Tires driver Samuel Hübinette ended a superb rookie season in the Traxxas TORC (The Off-Road Championship) Series by claiming a victory in the opening race of the season-ending two-day event at Cycle Ranch MX in Floresville, Texas on Oct. 15-16. The man known as the “Crazy Swede” wrapped up his inaugural TORC campaign with four wins, seven podium finishes and the fourth spot in the final PRO Light class standings.
A veteran two-time champ in the extreme sport of Formula DRIFT but a newcomer to TORC competition this year, Hübinette posted his Jenkins Brothers Racing-prepped Mopar Ram second to start the 16-lap PRO Light opening event on Saturday, Oct. 15. The Newport Coast, Calif. resident seized the lead on the opening lap, briefly relinquished it to fellow Mopar Ram pilot Andrew Caddell, then grabbed it back when Caddell got upside down.
Hübinette paced the field for the mandatory competition caution, but competitor C.J. Greaves took the spot on the restart. Undaunted, Hübinette charged back into the lead on the 11th lap and held his grip on the position until the checkered flag fell to score the fourth victory of his rookie TORC season.
“Four wins in our first season — Wow!” said Hübinette. “It was a fantastic result for the Jenkins Brothers Racing Mopar Ram team. I’m proud of our organization, and the way we ended the season strong, just like we started it. These tracks are new to me, but I think I’ve held my own, and then some.”
Hübinette was poised for a runner-up finish in the PRO Light standings heading into the Cycle Ranch finale on Sunday, Oct. 16, but the fates had other ideas. On the very first lap Hübinette tangled with Casey Currie on a jump. The ensuing contact resulted in a flat rear tire and ended Hübinette’s hopes for a Cycle Ranch sweep and a runner-up finish in the standings.
“It would have been a great accomplishment to take the second spot in the PRO Light championship, but I’m very proud of our fourth-place finish,” remarked Hübinette. “We started out the season with two wins, and I kept on learning from there. It was a bit challenging to balance my Formula DRIFT and TORC racing schedules, but I wouldn’t trade this year for anything.
“I want to thank all those who helped and supported me this year, including Mopar, Ram, my Jenkins Brothers Racing team, Sparco and BFGoodrich. They took a bet on me as a newcomer to TORC, and think I gave them some highlights and demonstrated this team has something to build on in the future. I look forward to next year, and maybe even possibly advancing up into the PRO 2 ranks, if all goes well. The first taste of TORC competition has me wanting to accomplish even more next year.”
