Entry list for the May 23 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

For tickets, please visit http://secure.brickyard.com/Tickets/Indianapolis500.aspx

Please note: Race is part of the Carb Day festivities

Menards At The Brickyard Formula Off-Road Presented By Traxxas To Bring Off-Road Truck Racing To Famed IMS

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (May 19, 2014) – One of the greatest achievements in the history of off-road racing will occur on Friday, May 23 when the Formula Off-Road Presented by TRAXXAS series competes on the world’s most famous race track – the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Menards at the Brickyard Formula Off-Road by TRAXXAS race will take place on Coors Light Carb Day in conjunction with Indianapolis 500 Race Weekend. The Stadium Super Trucks will race on a modified course on the front straight of the famed 2.5-mile oval and a portion of the infield road course.

“Coors Light Carb Day is a fan favorite at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway because it combines racing and other entertainment in one afternoon and the addition of the TRAXXAS series to our schedule provides further excitement during the day,” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. “The Stadium Super Trucks race often with the Verizon IndyCar Series and produce an incredibly exciting style of racing everywhere they run and we look forward to seeing them put on a show at IMS.”

The Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas series features identically prepared trucks, which are made to resemble their scaled-down TRAXXAS radio-control-car counterparts. Like their TRAXXAS namesake, the trucks are designed to take flight and withstand aggressive driving, however, unlike RC trucks, they produce 600 horsepower generating speeds greater than 130 miles per hour.

The opportunity to race at the Brickyard will also mark the third time in 2014 the TRAXXAS series will race with the Verizon IndyCar Series, and marks the return of series-founder Robby Gordon to competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“My first trip to Indy as a competitor was in 1993 driving for A.J. Foyt,” said Gordon, who is a 10-time Indianapolis 500 competitor and a 12-time Brickyard 400 driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Indianapolis.  “I grew up watching Rick Mears, A.J. and others race at the Speedway and dreamed of driving there, but I never imagined we would race off-road trucks at Indy.  I have a lot of great memories from Indianapolis and this will be another one added to the list.”

The Menards at the Brickyard Formula Off-Road by TRAXXAS race on Coors Light Carb Day will be broadcast on NBCSN June 13 at midnight EDT. The schedule for Coors Light Carb Day is:

Friday, May 23 – Coors Light Carb Day

11 a.m.            Verizon IndyCar Series Practice
12:30 p.m.       Indy Lights Freedom 100 Race
2 p.m.              Tag Heuer Pit Stop Competition
3:15 p.m.         Menards at the Brickyard Formula Off-Road by Traxxas Practice
3:30 p.m.         Coors Light Carb Day Concert with Sammy Hagar and the Wabos and Sublime With Rome
4:40 p.m.         Menards at the Brickyard Formula Off-Road by TRAXXAS Race

The Stadium Super Trucks that will race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will hit man-made ramps at more than 100 mph at multiple locations throughout the circuit hurling drivers nearly 20 feet in the air and 150 feet down course.  The series was created to bring the excitement of Baja-style desert racing to large crowds of race fans.

The first rounds of the 2014 Formula Off-Road Presented by TRAXXAS series were held at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix and the Long Beach Grand Prix.  Both events have produced incredible racing in front of nearly 100,000 fans at each venue.

The franchise format created for the Stadium Super Trucks makes business sense for drivers and marketers given that they don’t have to outspend other teams to be competitive.  Each week the series builds, maintains and delivers race-ready trucks to competitors, which eliminates start-up costs and day-to-day overhead of running a team.  A driver’s focus is on winning races and delivering for their sponsors. All of which is ultimately a benefit to fans.

The 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race is scheduled for Sunday, May 25.

Broadcast Set For Thursday Night

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (April 30, 2014) – NBCSN will broadcast Round 3 of the SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas race from the Long Beach Grand Prix tomorrow (Thursday) at 10:30 p.m. PDT and 1:30 a.m. EDT.

The one-hour broadcast will feature the high-flying TRAXXAS Stadium Super Trucks racing on the 1.96-mile Long Beach Calif. street circuit which winds through the city’s downtown streets along the beautiful Long Beach harbor.

The series features identically prepared trucks which are made to resemble their scaled-down Traxxas radio-control-car counterparts.  Like their Traxxas namesake, the trucks are designed to take flight.  However, unlike RC trucks, they produce 600 horsepower generating speeds upwards of 130 miles per hour. 

2014 Formula Off-Road Presented By Traxxas Broadcast Schedule

Event                                                                    Broadcast Date/Time PT                               Network

Grand Prix of St. Petersburg                       April 17, 10 p.m. PT                                          NBC Sports Network

Long Beach Grand Prix                                   May 1, 10:30 p.m. PT                                      NBC Sports Network

Indianapolis                                                        June 12, 9 p.m. PT                                            NBC Sports Network

Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix                        June 20, 10:30 p.m. PT                                   NBC Sports Network

X Games Austin                                                                June 8 (Live)                                                       ABC/ESPN

Toronto Grand Prix                                         July 31, 10:30 p.m. PT                                     NBC Sports Network

Orange County Calif.                                      October 9, 10 p.m. PT                                     NBC Sports Network

Coronado Speed Festival                              October 10, 11 p.m. PT                                  NBC Sports Network

Las Vegas                                                            November 20, 9:30 p.m. PT                         NBC Sports Network

Iron River, Mich. (April 29, 2014) – Nick Baumgartner will officially become a dual sport X Games athlete June 5-8 when he competes in X Games Austin. Both Baumgartner and off road truck racing will make their X Games debuts in the Texas heat. Baumgartner will go to battle in the No. 12 Loctite® SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas SST fighting for X Games Austin Gold.

“I have worked so hard for these opportunities and having my dream of racing the Summer X Games come true is so awesome,” Baumgartner said. “I am so thankful that Henkel and the Loctite® products team believes in me and what I am doing. Without their support I would not be living my dreams and competing to be the best on the snow and in the truck.”

“Nick’s enthusiasm and commitment to success is very inspiring to so many people, making him a great ambassador for Henkel and our Loctite brand of adhesives and sealants,” said Mike Shannahan, General Industrial Marketing Director for Henkel Corporation, North America. “We are proud to support Nick in his latest challenge of competing in the Stadium Super Truck race in this year’s Summer X Games. With the aggressive style demonstrated by Nick in both Snowboard X and off road truck racing, combined with the high performance and reliability of the Loctite products used on his race truck, we are confident Nick will be a dominant force in the upcoming Summer X event.”

Baumgartner has a lot of seat time in a Stadium Super Truck and in his last SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas SST race he finished third pressuring off-road legends Robby Gordon and Rob MacCachren right to the finish line. Gordon and Baumgartner would jump the final ramp side by side for an epic finish.

“I am stoked to represent the Winter X Games athletes in Austin,” Baumgartner continued.

Fresh off the Olympics, Baumgartner is now switching gears and preparing for the off-road racing season. Due to the importance of this snowboard season and making the toughest Olympic Team in the world, lining up sponsors and raising money for the season had to be pushed back so focus was in the right place. Look for Baumgartner’s team very soon at a track near you.

X Games Austin Autograph and SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas SST Schedule:

June 5, 2014

SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas SST Practice

1-3 p.m.

June 6, 2014

SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas SST Practice

12-2 p.m.

Autograph session at Loctite Tent in X Fest

2:30-3:30 p.m.

June 8, 2014

SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas SST Practice & Seeding

8-11:30 a.m.

June 8, 2014

SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas SST Final

12:30-2 p.m.

LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 13, 2014) – As the Citgo truck of Venezuela’s E.J. Viso and the TRAXXAS-sponsored truck of Sheldon Creed slammed each other heading into the final lap of the SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by TRAXXAS race at Long Beach, Robby Gordon watched the two leaders through his front window and inherited the win as both drivers took themselves out of contention.

 The race was the IndyCar veteran Viso’s to win, as he led the most laps in his first-ever SST race.  Creed, 16, always fast and aggressive, challenged Viso rather than be content to finish second, which resulted in the hard contact between the drivers.

 Viso finished second followed by Creed in third, St. Petersburg-winner PJ Jones in fourth and 14-year-old Gavin Harlien rounding out the top five.

 Gordon’s SPEED Energy/HD Supply truck became the unlikely winner after not being much of a factor throughout.

 “I saw what was going on in front of me and it was cool to see two great young drivers going hard and putting on a great show for the fans,” Gordon said.  “That’s what’s great about these trucks – we can beat and bang and keep going which is what the fans want to see.  It was great to have E.J. a part of the series and we know Sheldon is going to a great driver and one to keep an eye on for many years.”

 After the dust up between Creed and Viso, Creed fell back to fourth behind Jones, and on the race’s final turn – a 180-degree hairpin – Creed took an aggressive inside line and dove hard inside his TRAXXAS teammate’s truck and slammed Jones, driving him out of the racing lane and coming back to finish third.

 “Had to do it,” Creed said.  “Last lap and I saw an opening and had to take it.  That’s what makes these trucks so awesome.”

 “Well, I guess he had to take the chance,” Jones said.  “We’ll do this again and I’m sure I have an opportunity to make a pass like that on him somewhere down the road.”

 The massive Long Beach-crowd was on its feet and yelling throughout the race.  As truck after truck pounded the road circuits tire barriers and keep on moving, the crowd’s enthusiasm grew.  Jerett Brooks, twice a podium finisher in the season’s first two rounds in St. Petersburg, suffered the hardest hit of the race as he stuffed his Synergy Electric truck into the turn-8 tire wall, then drove off to the delight of the fans surrounding the 1.96-mile 11-turn circuit.

 Mexico’s Apdaly Lopez finished sixth, series rookie Bradley Morris finished seventh, Scotty Steele came home eighth followed by another series rookie Nick Vanis in ninth and Brooks in 10^th.

 The race from Long Beach will be seen on NBCSN on May 2 at 10:30 p.m. PST.  The first two rounds of the Formula Off-Road Presented by TRAXXAS will be seen this Thursday at 10 p.m. PST on NBCSN.

 The next stop on the 2014 series schedule will be in Indianapolis, Ind. May 23.

PJ Jones Wins Round 2 at St. Petersburg Grand Prix

SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 30, 2014) – PJ Jones captured Sunday’s thrilling second round of the SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas race at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, beating Robby Gordon to the line by a truck length.

Jerett Brooks, 16, finished third, making it the high-school student’s second-consecutive podium finish after coming home second in Saturday’s first race.

Jones, a veteran of IndyCar, USAC Silver Crown and Sprint Cars, started sixth and drove a calculated yet aggressive race to hold off Gordon and a full field of strong trucks.

“We had a really fast truck and kept our mistakes to a minimum, but you do make mistakes in these trucks,” said Jones, the winner of two of the last three Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas races.  “Robby and Jerett got racing each other behind me which helped, and I had to hold Robby off when he made a couple of late dives on me on that last lap.

“Best thing is that the crowd was really into it and people have been coming up to me all weekend saying how much they love the trucks and love watching them jump.  A lot of them said we were the reason they came here this weekend and can’t wait to see us race again.  The fans that didn’t know about us already are fans now, I’m sure.”

Following Saturday’s first race of the season, which had Gordon holding off Brooks and third-place finisher Justin Lofton in a driving rain storm, Jones considered Sunday’s victory redemption for a costly mistake on Saturday.  Racing in some of the worst conditions possible, Sunday’s race was a complete opposite with brilliant blue Florida skies and warm temperatures.

More than 75,000 spectators lined the 1.8-mile 14-turn road circuit to watch Jones and the Traxxas-branded trucks launch off of man-made ramps on the same DOT-approved Toyo Tires that consumers can buy.  The loud raucous cheers of disbelief from the massive crowd could be heard over the trucks as fans of traditional road racing saw the truck literally fly through the air side by side.

Saturday and Sunday’s races at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will be broadcast on NBCSN April 17 at 1 a.m. EST and 10 p.m. PST. (April 16).

Round 3 of the SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas will be April 13 at the Long Beach Grand Prix in Southern California.  Tickets to the race are available through the Long Beach Grand Prix web site at www.gplb.com.

Race #2 Results:

1. PJ Jones
2. Robby Gordon
3. Jerett Brooks
4. Justin Lofton
5. Sheldon Creed
6. Scotty Steele
7. Gavin Harlien
8. Apdaly Lopez
9. Davey Hamilton

Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas

Fact Sheet

Track:                    Grand Prix of St. Petersburg circuit

Circuit Type:            Downtown temporary street circuit

Race Time:              Sunday, March 31, 2 p.m.

TV Schedule:           NBCSN, Thursday, April 18, 1 a.m. EDT

Track Layout:          1.8 mile, 14 turns

Defending Winner:    First event at St. Petersburg

Web Site:                www.stadiumsupertrucks.com

Twitter:                  @SSuperTrucks

Round 2 of the second season of SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday when nine identically prepared trucks participate in the first race of the 2014 season.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 28, 2014) – Robby Gordon won a rain-soaked and water-logged SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas race at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Saturday, calling it the worst weather conditions he has ever competed in over a more than 30-year career.

Jerett Brooks, a 16-year-old from Alpine, Calif. finished second and Justin Lofton of Westmorland, Calif. came home third.

The race was literally anyone’s to win from start to finish of the 10-lap event, with all the trucks experiencing issues with the standing water on the temporary circuit that makes up the 14-turn 1.8-mile course built for IndyCars. Gordon, Lofton and PJ Jones battled for the lead throughout the race, trading it among each other as the others spun out in the wet conditions.

Brooks, who raced with a conservative style, managing to stay in touch with the leaders and wait for the front runners to eliminate themselves in the wet. Lofton, who led with just more than one lap remaining, spun for the second time in the race at the 90-degree right hand Turn 1 which allowed Gordon to take the lead which he would not relinquish.

“That was a lot of fun, but it was probably the slipperiest conditions I have ever raced in,” said Gordon who is also the founder of Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas. “I have to thank IndyCar and the Green Savoree team (promoters of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg) for allowing us to race here in front of so many great race fans. It was a really good race despite the rain and we’re looking forward to putting on another good show tomorrow (Sunday).

The series will run its second round Sunday at 2 p.m., immediately preceding the IndyCar season opener.

Gavin Harlein, 16, of Mesa, Ariz., who sat in a Stadium Super Truck for the first time Friday, came home fourth with Mexico’s off-road racing specialist Apdaly Lopez rounding out the top five. Scotty Steele of Peoria, Ariz. survived multiple spins to finish sixth, with veterans Jones and former IndyCar star Davey Hamilton finishing just ahead of ninth-place finisher Sheldon Creed who retired with mechanical issues.

RACE #1 RESULTS:

1. Robby Gordon
2. Jerett Brooks
3. Justin Lofton
4. Gavin Harlien
5. Apdaly Lopez
6. Scotty Steele
7. PJ Jones
8. Davey Hamilton
9. Sheldon Creed

Round 2 of the second season of SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday when nine identically prepared trucks participate in the first race of the 2014 season.

Race: Round 2 of 13 of 2014 Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas

Track: Grand Prix of St. Petersburg circuit

Circuit Type: Downtown temporary street circuit

Event Schedule: Round Two – Saturday, March 30, 2:30 p.m.

TV Schedule: NBCSN, Thursday, April 18, 1 a.m. EDT

Track Layout: 1.8 mile, 10 turns

Defending Winner: First event at St. Petersburg Series

Contact: Chris Hecht, checht@teamgordon.com

Web Site: www.stadiumsupertrucks.com

Twitter: @SSuperTrucks

Entry List

Truck No. Driver Sponsor Hometown

5 Scotty Steele Steele Racing Peoria, Ariz.

6 Justin Lofton Cometic Gasket Westmorland, Calif.

7 Robby Gordon SPEED Energy Orange, Calif.

14 Davey Hamilton Traxxas Nampa, Idaho

18 Apdaly Lopez VisitMexico.com Tecate, B.C., Mexico

55 Gavin Harlien IronClad Mesa, Ariz.

59 Craig Potts Potts Racing Scottsdale, Ariz.

74 Sheldon Creed Traxxas Alpine, Calif.

77 Jerett Brooks Synergy Electric Alpine, Calif.

98 PJ Jones American Racing Wheels Scottsdale, Ariz.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 27, 2014) – Rounds 1 and 2 of the second season of SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas begins Saturday at 12:30 p.m. when 10 identically prepared trucks participate in the first race of the 2014 season.

The trucks will race the same 14-turn 1.8-mile street circuit built for their much different counterparts from the IndyCar Series, however, unlike the IndyCars the trucks will negotiate four 30-inch-tall temporary ramps located in prime fan-viewing locations throughout the circuit. The crowd-pleasing ramps hurl the trucks and their drivers nearly 20 feet in the air and as much as 150 feet down course.

The starting lineup for Saturday’s race was determined from lap times in Friday’s only practice session. Following the practice session, a blind draw was held which determined that four rows of the five-row field would be inverted, meaning Peoria, Arizona’s Scotty Steele will start from pole alongside series rookie Gavin Harlien from Mesa, Ariz.

Row two will consist of IndyCar veteran Davey Hamilton from Nampa, Idaho and Robby Gordon from Orange, Calif., row three will feature Scottsdale, Arizona’s PJ Jones and Alpine, California’s Jerett Brooks, row four will be Justin Lofton of Westmorland, Calif., and Sheldon Creed of Alpine, Calif. The final row will be the single truck of Apdaly Lopez from Tecate, B.C., Mexico.

Quick time from Friday’s session was set by Creed, followed by Lofton, Brooks, Jones, Gordon, Hamilton, Harlien, Steele and Lopez.

Jones is the series’ most-recent winner, having led every lap at the Las Vegas season-ender in 2013. The series features identically prepared trucks which are made to resemble their scaled-down Traxxas radio- control-car counterparts. Like their Traxxas namesake the trucks are designed to take flight. However, unlike RC trucks, they produce 600 horsepower generating speeds upwards of 130 miles per hour.

The trucks will race on Toyo Tires A/T tires (All-Terrain), which are the same DOT approved tires available for passenger trucks.

Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas Fact Sheet

Race: Rounds 1 and 2 of 2014 Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas

Track: Grand Prix of St. Petersburg circuit

Circuit Type: Downtown temporary street circuit

Event Schedule: Round One – Saturday, March 29, 12 p.m.

Round Two – Saturday, March 30, 2:30 p.m.

TV Schedule: NBCSN, Thursday, April 18, 1 a.m. EDT

Track Layout: 1.8 mile, 10 turns

Defending Winner: First event at St. Petersburg Series

Contact: Chris Hecht, checht@teamgordon.com

Web Site: www.stadiumsupertrucks.com

Twitter: @SSuperTrucks

Entry List

Truck No. Driver Sponsor Hometown

5 Scotty Steele Steele Racing Peoria, Ariz.

6 Justin Lofton Cometic Gasket Westmorland, Calif.

7 Robby Gordon SPEED Energy Orange, Calif.

14 Davey Hamilton Traxxas Nampa, Idaho

18 Apdaly Lopez VisitMexico.com Tecate, B.C., Mexico

55 Gavin Harlien IronClad Mesa, Ariz.

59 Craig Potts Potts Racing Scottsdale, Ariz.

74 Sheldon Creed Traxxas Alpine, Calif.

77 Jerett Brooks Synergy Electric Alpine, Calif.

98 PJ Jones American Racing Wheels Scottsdale, Ariz.

ABOUT THE SERIES

The Race: The SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas races in conjunction with the Grand Prix at St. Petersburg begin the second season for the series founded by former NASCAR and IndyCar driver Robby Gordon.

Series Name: The series was rebranded as the SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas to reflect the unique ability of the Stadium Super Trucks to compete on any racing surface at virtually any venue. Founded at the Stadium Super Truck Series, “Formula” and “Off-Road” better reflect the unique abilities of the trucks and drivers. Traxxas, the Fastest Name in Radio Control and the No. 1-selling Ready-to-Race® (RTR) nitro and electric Radio Control (R/C) company with vehicles in the truck, car, boat and helicopter categories, became presenting sponsor at the beginning of 2014.

Correctly identifying SST: Stadium Super Trucks (SST) compete in the SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Series Presented by Traxxas, just as Silver Crown cars compete in USAC or Cup cars compete in NASCAR.

All about SPEED: SPEED Energy Drink was created by and is owned by Robby Gordon. The vitamin energy drink which is a healthy choice in the category, is available in four flavors – Fuel, Unleaded, Octane and Ethanol – at select retail locations across the country. Visit www.speedenergy.com for a retail locator or to purchase SPEED Energy on the internet.

Competition Caution: Both races will be 12 laps or 20 minutes – whichever comes first. A full course competition caution will occur approximately half-way in each race to allow the field to tighten up for a sprint to the finish. Should a full-course caution be necessary prior to halfway, it will serve as the completion caution. The initial start of the race will be a standing start with five rows of two, and any restarts during the race will be double-file rolling restarts.

What Debris?: Unlike most other racing series, debris, and even the occasional rolled-over truck, doesn’t normally bring out a full-course caution. If determined by USAC all competitors and spectators are outside of harm’s way, racing will continue and a local caution will be displayed to identify the issue.

We don’t need no stink’n spotters!: No spotters allowed. USAC and race control can communicate with all drivers over one frequency and no spotters are permitted. Therefore, if one driver receives a message from USAC, all drivers receive the same message. Drivers are unable to radio back to race control and are expected to comply with all directives without the benefit of debate.

The Toughest Tires: Toyo Tires is the official tire of the series and all competitors race on the same size and specification of DOT approved tires and no modifications have been made or are permitted. The same Toyo Tires are available at local retail tire stores.

Last Time Out in Las Vegas: No. 98 PJ Jones, driving the American Racing Wheels truck, started on pole after an inversion from qualifying and heat races and never bobbled leading every lap at the tight and short temporary circuit at Caesars Palace in November 2013. Despite Jones’ domination, plenty of action took place behind, as Rob MacCachren and Robby Gordon fought hard for bragging rights as the series’ inaugural champion. Despite Gordon doing a complete 360 barrel-roll over one of the ramps, he never came to a complete stop finishing second to Jones in the race and topping MacCachren who had the title sewn up before a suspension issue.

The Series Schedule: After the Grand Prix at St. Petersburg, the series heads to the Long Beach Grand Prix before making other stops in Indianapolis, Detroit, Austin, Texas (X Games Austin), Toronto, Orange County, Calif., San Diego and the season-finale in Las Vegas.

Television and Tickets: All SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxis races are televised. ESPN will broadcast X Games Austin live on June 8, while all other races will be shown on NBCSN at dates and times available by visiting www.stadiumsupertrucks.com. Ticket information for all events is also available on the series’ web site.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 18, 2014) – A racing event the likes of which has never been seen anywhere near the Bay area will take place in conjunction with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 28-30.

Once synonymous with the open-wheel cars that will headline activities that weekend, former IndyCar and NASCAR star Robby Gordon is bringing the exciting world of off-road racing to street circuits such as St. Petersburg with his SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas series.

The Stadium Super Trucks that race in the series will hit huge man-made ramps at more than 100 mph at multiple locations throughout the picturesque street circuit hurling drivers nearly 20 feet in the air and 150 feet down course. Gordon created the series to bring the excitement of Baja-style desert racing to large crowds of race fans. The St. Petersburg Grand Prix begins the series’ second season.

Following street circuit races at Long Beach and Toronto in 2013, the Formula Off-Road Series and promoters from the St. Petersburg Grand Prix knew the SST trucks needed to be added in St. Petersburg after receiving fan reviews such as:
“The new Stadium Super Trucks put on an awesome show at the Long Beach Grand Prix. Watching the trucks brake into and fly around the corners on three wheels with the smell of burning rubber was really something…” and “That was freaking epic!!!! Best racing and the most fun I have had in a long time!!! So freakin’ cool. This stuff will be big and I’m not just drinking the kool-aid, trust me this was awesome.”

The series features identically prepared trucks which are made to resemble their scaled-down Traxxas radio-control-car counterparts. Like their Traxxas namesake the trucks are designed to take flight. However, unlike RC trucks, they produce 600 horsepower generating speeds upwards of 130 miles per hour.
“Fan reaction has been tremendous,” Gordon said. “Jimmie Johnson (six-time NASCAR champion), Casey Mears (NASCAR) and I all got our start driving trucks like these and we’ve reinvented the series and are bringing their former popularity back to the fans.”

Gordon himself is a seven-time SCORE International Off-Road Champion, a three-time winner of the Baja 1000 and a four-time winner of the Baja 500. For the last 10 years he has tackled the world’s most challenging off-road endurance race – the Dakar Rally – so he is an authority when it comes to off-road trucks.
“The goal is to provide equal equipment to all the drivers and let driver skill and not engineering budgets determine the winner,” Gordon continued. “This is what racing should be. The trucks are amazing but it’s about skill and not money that puts on a great show for the fans.

“When I was still racing in NASCAR people always asked me why I still drove off-road, and they were surprised when I told them that I raced in NASCAR so that I could race off-road. Off-road racing gets in your blood and it’s where I started. It has always been my first love and it’s the most unbelievable form of motorsport in the world and we’re trying to do our part to make it mainstream.”

As part of that objective Gordon founded the SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas series in late 2012, and ran its first race in March 2013 in Phoenix, Ariz. The series has built more than 20 identically prepared Stadium Super Trucks that have all the characteristics of an off-road “Baja-style” truck capable of racing on dirt, asphalt or even snow.

While the concept of building and maintaining an affordable racing series with an even playing field can be credited completely to Gordon, the theory behind the series is not entirely original. From the early 1980s through 1996 the Mickey Thompson Stadium Truck Series featured races in football and baseball stadiums primarily in the western United States.

“Not only is it one of the most awesome forms a racing in the world, for drivers and teams it’s about the most affordable professional racing series you can be involved with,” Gordon said. “In 2014 we will race in front of something like 750,000 people, have eight hours of exposure on NBC Sports Network and will race live on ESPN at X Games Austin.”

The franchise format created for the Stadium Super Trucks makes business sense for drivers and marketers knowing that they don’t have to outspend other teams to be competitive. Each week the series builds, maintains and delivers race-ready trucks to competitors which eliminates start-up costs and day-to-day overhead of running a team. A driver’s focus is on winning races and delivering for their sponsors.

“I loved my time in IndyCar and NASCAR but it costs a lot of money to be competitive in either one of those series which means a lot of capable drivers have some fairly difficult barriers to entry,” Gordon said. “Those series will continue to thrive based on many years of success and a proven business plan and incredible fan support. What we have created is an opportunity for drivers to race in front of hundreds of thousands of fans and a tremendous platform for sponsors.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Robby Gordon and one of his two-seat Stadium Super Trucks will be available on the Grand Prix circuit for media rides and demonstrations Thursday, March 27 from 4-4:30 p.m. Accredited media only are invited to attend and expressions of interest should be directed to Chris Hecht of Formula Off-Road (checht@teamgordon.com) or Kathleen Stelmach (kathleen@torchiacom.com) of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Due to time constraints, ride availability is limited and will be filled on a first-come first-served basis. Interview opportunities with Gordon are not confined to this schedule.

Media Contact: Chris Hecht, Formula Off-Road

704-949-1255 checht@stadiumsupertrucks.com

ABOUT SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas

Influenced by the former Mickey Thompson Stadium Off-Road Racing Series, where driver’s such as Gordon, Casey Mears and six-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson got their start, Gordon created Stadium SUPER Trucks to capitalize on the public’s overwhelming interest in trucks and SUVs as well as the fact that the majority of automotive aftermarket parts are marketed for trucks. Keep up with all the latest news of SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas and Stadium SUPER Trucks by liking us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/StadiumSuperTrucks as well as following on Twitter at http://twitter.com/SSuperTrucks. For more information visit https://stadiumsupertrucks.com.