The 2019 Stadium Super Trucks season kicks off this weekend at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas with NTT IndyCar Series. Here is the weekend schedule:

Friday, March 22
12:20-12:50pm – Practice
4:50-5:20pm – Qualifying

For tickets, please visit www.circuitoftheamericas.com/indycar

Team SPEED 2019 Dakar Race Report

January 8, 2019

Stage 2 Pisco to San Juan de Marcona

Liaison: 553 km / 344 miles

Special: 324 km/ 201 miles

No. 316 SPEED Energy/ Toyo Tires SPEED Edition Textron XXR- Robby Gordon

Start Time: 06:18:00 AM/ET

WP1: +00:04:28

WP2: +00:05:46

WP3: +00:08:06

WP4: +00:12:21

WP5: +00:15:08

WP6: +00:18:07

WP7: +00:19:47

WP8: +00:26:57

Total Time: 04:09:30

Variation: +00:42:37

Stage Result: 25

Overall Position: 24

Overall Time: 05:19:39

Overall Variation: +00:46:54

Notes:

– Dakar Veteran Robby Gordon of Orange, California would start out Stage 2 at a

constant pace keeping the SPEED Energy/ Toyo Tires SPEED Edition Textron

XXR within reach of the lead cars, but as the special would move onto the gravel

roads and along the coast with long stretches of beach. Gordon and navigator Kellon

Walch would be restricted to a 130 km/h (80 mph) speed limitation based on the

rules their race vehicle falls under. With yesterday’s short special strictly taking

place in the dunes this rule was not much of an issue.

– Besides watching car after car drive by them, today’s stage went smoothly for

Gordon and Walch whom only ran into trouble when the race vehicle become

stuck, and would need to loop around to clear the waypoint.

– Gordon would finish Stage 2 with a time of 4 hours 9 minutes and 30 seconds. Just

42 minutes and 37 seconds behind stage winner Sebastien Loeb.

– After Stage 2, Gordon now sits in 24th position overall 46 minutes and 54 seconds

behind leader Giniel De Villiers of South Africa.

Quote:

“What the ASO told us in the drivers briefing last night was that today’s stage would be a dune race and today would be majority dunes. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case we just cut across dunes and got back into valleys, along the beach for miles and miles for what could have been wide-open throttle for us. With the rules limitation they have on our car we had to remain at half throttle and play the speed control game. It’s very disappointing they have this rule on us. It wasn’t so bad yesterday as it only hurt us a little bit, but I wasn’t prepared for this today. We got passed by some pretty slow cars doing 50 mph faster than we were, and there’s nothing we could do about it. Other than the speed limit, today’s stage was a pretty uneventful besides getting stuck once, and having to loop back around. The car ran really good the whole time. We were running at 130 km/h what is 80 mph and just sitting there the whole time obeying the speed limit and the other competitors were just cruising by us like we were sitting still.”

No. 346 ICP/ Security State Bank/ Toyo Tires SPEED Edition Textron XXR- Cole Potts

Start Time: 06:42:00 AM/ET

WP1: +00:07:03

WP2: +00:11:32

WP3: +00:22:49

WP4: +00:30:51

WP5: +00:42:00

WP6: +00:49:18

WP7: +00:52:45

WP8: +01:02:20

Total Time: 09:15:38

Variation: +05:48:45

Stage Result: 87

Overall Position: 81

Overall Time: 10:37:41

Overall Variation: +06:04:56

Notes:

– After getting off to a good start in Stage 2 of the 2019 Dakar Rally, things became a difficult one for Scottsdale, Arizona driver Cole Potts and navigator Max Eddy as they encountered a broken axle midway thru the stage limiting the power and speed of the vehicle. With no one else from Team SPEED or other support behind them Potts and Eddy limped the car thru the dunes and gravel roads for over 5 hours to the finish in San Juan de Marcona.

-Potts would finish Stage 2 with a total time of 9 hours 15 minutes and 38 seconds.

– After the completion of Stage 2, Potts now sits in 81st position overall 6 hours 4 minutes and 56 seconds behind leader Giniel De Villiers of South Africa.

– Team SPEED will be able to repair the broken part over night, and the ICP/Security State Bank/ Lakes Region Casino SPEED Edition Textron XXR will continue on in Stage 3.

Quote:

“Lots of effort from Max (Eddy) and myself to get here to the finish today, unfortunately had some issues that were pretty terminal. Damn lucky to make it back in one piece. Congrats to Blade and Robby they had a pretty good pace going there. Our strategy was just to back off quite a bit. That was our insurance policy to have a legitimate shot at a top ten. The cars are really good, I think we just had a fluke issue out there that cost us a lot of time in today’s stage. Such a bummer for everyone who has worked so hard on this car to get it here.”

No. 367 King Shocks/ Toyo Tires SPEED Edition Textron XXR- Blade Hildebrand

Start Time: 06:33:30 AM/ET

WP1: +00:04:02

WP2: +00:06:57

WP3: +00:10:09

WP4: +00:16:18

WP5: +00:30:36

WP6: +00:34:37

WP7: +00:36:35

WP8: +00:42:04

Total Time: 04:31:41

Variation: +01:04:48

Stage Result: 33

Overall: 34

Overall Time: 05:47:52

Overall Variation: +01:15:07

Notes:

– Blade Hildebrand of Yucca Valley, California driving the King Shocks/ Toyo Tires

Speed Edition Textron XXR jumped out to a great start in Stage 2 of the Dakar

Rally setting a consistent pace for each waypoint.

– Similar to Team SPEED teammate Robby Gordon, Hildebrand would fall victim of

the 130 kmh (80 mph) rule for UTV’s. In sections where the car could run full

throttle Blade had to hold back. Ultimately, allowing cars he once passed to get back

by.

– The SPEED Edition Textron XXR would run the entire stage flawless until the very

end when the belt would overheat, and need to be replaced.

– Hildebrand would finish Stage 2 in a time of 4 hours 31 minutes and 41 seconds.

– At the completion of Stage 2, Hildebrand now sits in 34th position overall 1 hour 15 minutes and 7 seconds behind leader Giniel De Villiers of South Africa.

Quote:

“At the finish of Stage 2 the cars ran excellent. I have never been in a race before where we had to follow a speed limit, but that is what is killing us from not loosing time. I think we would be really have a good shot at the other cars in the class if we were not restricted with the speed limit these cars are absolutely insane in the dunes so light and so nimble. Other than that we had a clean run for the stage, only went thru one belt today. Was cautious thru the rocks took it nice and slow, didn’t want to get any flats. Was a consistent clean run similar to yesterday. Can’t be too upset.”

Continue to follow the quest for an American podium finish in the 2019 Dakar Rally for Team SPEED through live timing and scoring on Dakar.com, updates at SpeedEnergy.com, stadiumsupertrucks.com, and planetrobby.com.

Updates will also be available throughout the entire rally on Facebook.com/StadiumSuperTrucks, and Facebook.com/SPEEDSXS, Facebook.com/PlanetRobby.

Instagram pages of RobbyGordon, ColePotts60, BladeHildebrand, SSuperTrucks, and SpeedSXS will also be updated daily with content.

NBC Sports Network will produce daily television highlights, and interviews throughout the rally, shown at 7:00 PM ET each evening featuring Team SPEED drivers and navigators.

The 2019 Dakar Rally would not be possible without the support of the following great partners; Textron Off-Road, Toyo Tires, KING Off-Road Racing Shocks, SPEED Energy, KMC Wheels, SPEEDSXS.com, ARB, Cometic Gasket, Kobalt, Razorback, ARP, VP Racing Fuels, DeVilbiss, Hawk Performance, IMPACT, Mastercraft Safety, Ron Davis Racing Products, Lincoln Electric, Torchmate by Lincoln Electric, Techni Waterjet, Eibach Springs, Rugged Radios, Loctite, Race Case Design, and all the hard work from the staff at Team SPEED.

Team SPEED 2019 Dakar Race Report

January 7, 2019

Stage 1 Lima to Pisco

Liaison: 331 km / 206 miles

Special: 84 km/ 52 miles

No. 316 SPEED Energy/ Toyo Tires SPEED Edition XXR- Robby Gordon

Start Position: 16

WP1: -00:02:08

WP2: -00:04:10

Total Time: 01:10:09

Finish behind leader: -00:08:28

Stage Result: 21

Overall Position: 21

Notes:

– The 2019 Dakar Rally will mark Robby Gordon of Orange, California’s 13th start in the prestigious Off-Road Rally race.
– Gordon and veteran navigator Kellon Walch started 16th off the line for Stage 1 of the 2019 Dakar Rally.
– Thru way point 1 Gordon in the Toyo Tires SPEED Edition Textron XX was on pace with the lead cars. However, would miss the waypoint and need to turn around to clear it loosing a few valuable minutes in the process.
– Running a lower air pressure than normal to gain traction in the sand, Gordon would need to pace himself through the fast and rocky portions of the three wash sections to be careful to not puncture one of his 33” Toyo Tires Open Country M/T Tires.
– Similar to the first way point, remaining focused on passing the cars in front of him Gordon would miss the way point, and veteran navigator Walch would instruct him to turn around to clear. Resulting in finishing 8 minutes and 28 second behind leader Nasser Al-Attiyah with a total time of 1 hour 10 minutes and 9 seconds.

Quote:

“All three cars finish today, and really did not have any problems, a few small things that were self induced. I tried cutting the course a couple times, and Kellon made me loop back around to get the waypoints. I most likely lost around 3 minutes by missing way points, and having to turn around and go back to clear it. When you start so back in the field like sixteenth where we did, as a driver your not focused on the way points, your focused on the cars, and try to get to the car in front of you.”

“We are running a OEM production tire on the SPEED Edition Textron XXR this year, a 33” Toyo Tires Open Country M/T. With the Sand I felt the way the M/T is with the sidewall, I had to drop my tire pressures down to ten pounds, but I didn’t realize we were going to have three wash sections about 15 miles of rocky washes but I had to be very careful and slow down the pace to not get a rock thru the tire with low pressure. My strategy was great in the sand, but was defiantly a disadvantage with the high speed in the rocks.”

“Myself and Team SPEED made a lot of changes to these cars after the Baja 1000. Back in that race we lost a head gasket, so really focused on the cooling and oil cooling leading up to the Dakar. The water temp I never saw over 200 degrees, the oil temp the highest I saw was 220 degrees. It looks like we have our cooling temperatures stabilized. The most important thing was to survive this special. We did a 160 miles transfer liaison on the way here that was perfect for breaking the engines in, and getting everything bedded in properly. Having all three cars finish on day one is a good sign. We did enter a UTV against the Cars, we would of won the UTV class pretty easy but that wasn’t the name of the game here. We came to race the cars and to be honest when I saw the eight minutes down I saw a bit of sticker shock, but when I went back and evaluated all of the things we did wrong or we could of done better. I found that we could most likely find five of the eight minutes back. That would put us pretty much on pace with everyone. Biggest thing in Stage 2 I cannot over drive the car and be smart consistently having good runs. Stage 2 will give us dune, gravel roads and rocks at the end of the day we will see where we stack up against the competition.

No. 346 ICP/ Security State Bank/ Toyo Tires SPEED Edition XXR- Cole Potts

WP1: -5:26

WP2: -00:11:09

Total Time: 01:22:03

Finish behind leader: -00:20:22

Stage Result: 43

Overall Position: 43

Notes:

-Cole Potts of Scottsdale, Arizona made his first Dakar Rally start today in Stage 1 from Lima, Peru to Pisco, Peru.
-The short 84 km special offered Potts and navigator Max Eddy an opportunity to become familiar with the SPEED Edition Textron XXR racecar.
-Not pushing the Innovative Computer Professional/ Security State Bank/ Lakes Region Casino car too hard Potts cleared checkpoint one 5 minutes and 26 seconds behind the leader Nasser Al-Attiyah. The second half of the Stage was a little more difficult, and Potts lost time on the leader trying to navigate the dunes.
-Finishing the stage with a total time of 1 hour and 22 minutes and 3 seconds, Potts received a good learning experience of what to expect the rest of the rally.

Quote:

“Good Stage today for my first experience at a Rally. My main objective was to get a feel for the car, and its limitations with out pushing it too hard and breaking anything. The Dunes are similar to what I have been training on in the US. On behalf of Blade and Robby. I think we are all very comfortable out here in the sand, and the other terrain that’s going to get thrown at us so that’s a real bonus. Today was just a day to really figure out the car, and get it up to our liking for the remaining stages. We will make a few adjustments, and be back to give it a go tomorrow for Stage 2.”

No. 367 King Shocks/Toyo Tires SPEED Edition XXR- Blade Hildebrand

WP1: -00:03:32

WP2: -00:06:56

Stage Total Time: 01:16:11

Finish behind leader: -00:14:30

Stage Result: 34

Overall: 34

Notes:

-Blade Hildebrand of Yucca Valley, California made his first Dakar Rally start today in Stage 1 from Lima, Peru to Pisco, Peru.

-The short distance of the special would give Hildebrand and navigator Bill Conger an opportunity to become acquainted with the King Shocks/Toyo Tires SPEED Edition Textron XXR during race conditions.

-Hildebrand made it thru check point one with a time 3:32 behind the leader Nasser. The second half of the stage was consistent for the King Shocks/Toyo Tires SPEED Edition Textron XXR but was more challenging.

-Hildebrand and Conger would finish 6 minutes and 56 seconds behind the leader with a total time of 1 hour 16 minutes and 11 seconds.

Quote:

“Today was Stage 1 of the Dakar Rally, and I was able to move the King Shocks/ Toyo Tires SPEED Edition Textron XXR pass some cars through the stage, but I really tried to take it easy feeling out the car and working with Bill (Conger) to make each waypoint consistently without getting lost. The car had no problems as it ran flawlessly the entire stage. We are going to do a little bit of shock tuning over night to prepare for Stage 2. As they were a little soft today for the dunes, other than that the car ran great, and I am looking forward to Stage 2.

Robby Gordon is finally set to make his return to the Dakar Rally in the opening stage, after a frustrating delay in getting his car through scrutineering due to a late delivery of his newly built Team Speed Textron UTV and support equipment from the U.S.

“I didn’t get my car until yesterday in the morning, and then we didn’t get the truck until late last night. Problems with shipping because we don’t come on the ASO (organizer) boat,” Gordon told the official Dakar website. “The boat sat in the port for eight days and didn’t come to dock. That was a bummer.

“It’s good to be back in the Dakar. I’ve been busy building the manufacturer car, and that’s taken a lot of our time, and we didn’t really have the time to be able to do it. But now the car is out. we’ve released it to the general public, and we’re able to come here and bring a car and compete against the car category with our new car that is sold to the general public, which is very cool.

The American off-road, NASCAR and IndyCar veteran, back in the Dakar this year after a three-year absence, feels ready to take the fight to the favored Mini and Toyota runners despite the small build of his Textron.

“The crazy thing, if you look at [the car], it’s no smaller than the Mini,” Gordon noted. “It’s actually quite bigger than the Mini. It’s the future of motorsports, with the off-road industry… being able to purchase cars and go race them.

“We think we’re OK, but to be honest I won’t know until tomorrow. [Tomorrow] is only 50 miles, 88k, but it’ll at least give us an idea of how we stack up against the competition. Everything could be possible — we could be in really good shape.”

From Racer Magazine

Robby Gordon brings his spectacular Stadium Super Trucks to ROC Mexico

Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks will be raced by some of the world’s greatest drivers at next month’s Race Of Champions in Mexico City.

Stadium Super Trucks, which are among the most spectacular vehicles in motorsport, will be featured in the ROC main event and also have their own support race featuring aluminium jumps both days – with Gordon himself in action.

Gordon will bring his SPEED XX UTVs as well, to be raced by drivers from Formula 1, Le Mans, NASCAR, IndyCar and Rally X as part of a packed weekend of action with the winner decided by driver skill alone.

ROC Mexico will be held on January 19-20, 2019 at the Foro Sol, the iconic amphitheatre forming part of Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Formula 1 circuit, where race fans will have a perfect view from every seat

Ticket prices start at just $1,450 pesos for two days of non-stop action.

American motor sport superstar Robby Gordon will bring his stunning Stadium Super Trucks, and his versatile SPEED XX UTV’s to the Race Of Champions – on January 19-20, 2019 at the Foro Sol, the amphitheatre forming part of Mexico City’s AutódromoHermanos Rodríguez Formula 1 circuit.

One of the most multitalented drivers in the world, Gordon has competed in a range of series including NASCAR, CART, IndyCar, Trans-Am, IMSA and the Dakar Rally. The American raced for over 20 years in the NASCAR Cup Series, taking three wins and 39 top-tens. He has also had three top-five finishes in the Indianapolis 500, and taken four Baja 500 victories, three Baja 1000 wins and seven SCORE International off-road championships. The American is a regular stage winner on the brutal Dakar Rally, where he will again be competing early in 2019.

In addition, Gordon has twice won the championship in the SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks series. These trucks need to be seen to be believed – which is fortunate for the crowds heading to Mexico City’s ForoSol as they will now be among the vehicles in action at the Race Of Champions, along with his fun-packed SPEED XX UTV

The Stadium Super Trucks will also have their own standalone support race featuring aluminium jumps after both days of competition at ROC Mexico. This will be head-to-head racing just like the main Race Of Champions, and Gordon himself will compete.

Gordon said: “It’s cool to be coming back to the Race Of Champions next month, and to have the opportunity to introduce our Stadium Super Trucks and our SPEED XX UTVs to all the race fans in Mexico City’s Foro Sol. We know they will be mighty additions to the line-up of machinery to be raced at this special event.

“We’re especially thrilled that the Stadium Super Trucks will have their own separate support race once the main racing action has finished on both Saturday and Sunday. I know the trucks will be a first for many of the competing drivers – not to mention the spectators – but these 650 hp trucks have the capability to jump 20 or 30 feet off the ground for the length of a football field so either way it will be exciting…”

The Race Of Champions is an annual contest which has a history dating back over 30 years. It brings together many of the world’s greatest drivers from motorsport’s major disciplines – including Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Le Mans and RallyX – and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery.

The Foro Sol will join a list of prestigious venues to have hosted ROC since 1988 – including Beijing’s Bird’s Nest and London’s Olympic stadiums, Stade de France in Paris, Wembley Stadium in London, Miami’s Marlins Park plus a wide range of exotic locations all over the world from Bangkok to Barbados to Riyadh.

Now the greats of Mexican motorsport have the chance to race some of the world’s best drivers – all in ROC’s identical machinery. The ROC Mexico field features F1 legends Sebastian Vettel and David Coulthard, ‘Mr Le Mans’ Tom Kristensen, triple Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves, reigning FIA World Rally X Champion Johan Kristoffersson, Formula E Champion Lucas di Grassi plus FIA Formula 3 European Champion Mick Schumacher and Mexican racers Memo Rojas, Daniel Suárez, Benito Guerra and Patricio O’Ward.

The competitors will race in a stunning range of supercars that have been specially prepared for ROC to push them to the absolute limit. To prevail, they will have to master this mix of machines, forcing them to adapt their driving style as they make regular switches between cars. It makes for a thrilling spectacle, with head-to-head races often decided by fractions of a second – as the screams of the crowd compete for supremacy with the screams of the engines…

The Race Of Champions is run over two days: first comes the ROC Nations Cup (on Saturday January 19) when drivers pair up in teams based on nationality – including the hosts Mexico – to bid for the title of ‘World’s Fastest Nation’. Then on Sunday January 20 it’s time for the Race Of Champions itself, when teamwork goes out of the window and it’s a flat-out battle for individual glory.

But that’s not all. The Race Of Champions is a non-stop show from start to finish and also features stunt shows on four wheels and two plus DJs, cheerleaders and plenty of other entertainment to keep the race fans on the edge of their seats.

ROC President Fredrik Johnsson said: “Robby is one of the most colourful figures in world motor sport. At his first Race Of Champions appearance in 2001 he rolled one car, pulled off another spectacular save and set a lap record round our Gran Canaria circuit that still stands… talk about giving the fans value for money!

“But if that sounds good just wait till you see his SPEED XX’s and his Stadium Super Trucks, which are sure to put a smile on the faces of all the drivers – and everyone watching. We have greats racing from Formula 1, Le Mans, IndyCar, NASCAR and RallyX but I bet you will never have had the chance to watch them drive anything like this before. If you’ve never seen a truck fly, now’s your chance…”

Ticket prices start at just $1,450 pesos for two days of non-stop action. Further details about the field of drivers will be announced in the run-up to January’s event.

For access to rights-free high-resolution imagery and to keep up with all the latest news ahead of ROC Mexico please visit www.raceofchampions.com, Race Of Champions on Facebook plus @raceofchampions & #ROCMexico on Twitter.

Charlotte, NC (December 11, 2018) – Robby Gordon and Team SPEED will return to the 2019 Dakar Rally with three SPEED Edition Textron Off-Road XX’s and competing in the car category. The vehicles will have sponsorship from Toyo Tires, King Off-Road Racing Shocks & SPEED Energy Drink.

Gordon will drive his familiar bright orange and black SPEED Energy/Toyo Tires/ SPEED Edition Textron XX entry. Joining Team SPEED for their first Dakar Rally attempt, young Stadium SUPER Truck racers Blade Hildebrand and Cole Potts will field their own separate SPEED Edition Textron XX race vehicles.

Xavier Gavory, Director of the Dakar Rally, commented the following after learning of Gordon and Team SPEED’s return in 2019.

“The Dakar Rally is excited to welcome back Robby Gordon the most famous American competitor in it’s history. An absolute legend of the Dakar for his aggressive driving style and showmanship, Gordon and Team SPEED will be one of the teams to keep an eye on in the 2019 edition, 100% Peru, 100% Dakar.”

All three race vehicles will race on Toyo Open Country M/T tires, which will deliver the maximum Off-Road performance and durability needed to tackle the 10-Stage challenge; 3,107-miles (5,000 KM) through the extreme sands of Peru.

Gordon, a Dakar fan favorite, is no stranger to the event and will make his 13th start in the historic rally. Since his first Dakar Rally in 2005, Gordon’s vehicles have captured 17 stage wins & five top 15 overall finishes. Gordon became the first American in the history of the Dakar to capture a stage win and overall podium finish, even as a manufacture.

Joining Gordon in the cockpit of the SPEED Energy/Toyo Tires / SPEED Edition Textron XX will be his previous 4-time Dakar navigator and Dakar special winner, Kellon Walch.

“Kellon has been my navigator for three out of my last four Dakar’s. I fully intend to come to Peru to compete for the overall, and there is no better person to have in the right seat than Kellon. The in-car communication and mechanical skills between the both of us over the years allows me to have the trust to concentrate on driving,” stated Gordon.

For the first time since 2010, Team SPEED will enter two additional racecars in the Rally with Stadium SUPER Trucks racers Blade Hildebrand and Cole Potts driving their own SPEED Edition Textron XX’s.

Hildebrand, whom spent 2018 in his first season behind the wheel of his Empire Destructive Stadium SUPER Truck, claimed eight top 5 finishes, while reaching the podium twice.

“DAKAR, Yeah it’s that real! This is a race I’ve followed all my life, and to represent Team SPEED and the USA at the international level, competing against the worlds best off-road racers in the most grueling race known to man. What an absolute honor! To partner with King Shocks, Toyo Tires, and my mentor Robby Gordon, I have the right people on my side, and I am ready for the ultimate challenge.” Commented Hildebrand on the Dakar experience.

Jonah Street, a motorcycle veteran whom has competed in six prior editions of the Dakar (2006-2012), will navigate for his second Dakar, sitting along side of Hildebrand.

“I think Blade is super talented, so getting to work with him in his first trip to Dakar is going to be awesome. Having navigated for Sheldon (Creed) back in 2016 gives me the prior experience to help get him up to SPEED quickly!” Street commented in regards to competing with Blade.

Cole Potts, who also competes in the Stadium SUPER Trucks Series, is a talented young racer who claimed victory in just his second SST race of the season, driving the HallmarkTrust.com SST entry.

An excited Potts commented on the Dakar Rally.

“Having this unique opportunity to participate in the 2019 Dakar Rally, with Team SPEED and Robby Gordon in a SPEED Edition Textron XX is an absolute honor. Having raced North America’s toughest off road races already, I’m very interested to see how Dakar compares to them. With the opportunity to compete in the Dakar in the country of Peru is an exciting opportunity. As we are going to be able to tackle some of the world’s toughest sand dunes and witness some beautiful terrain.”

Max Eddy, a veteran motorcycle racer, has claimed victory in the Baja 1000 and Vegas to Reno, will navigate for Potts, providing the driver with extensive course detail and direction.

“Cole has proved to be an excellent competitor this year in the Stadium SUPER Trucks series as well as in the desert with the Trophy Truck. I am confident Cole will be able to adjust to the XX, and course conditions easily to get a respectable finish in each Stage.” Stated Eddy.

Beginning on January 6th in Lima, Peru, competitors will gather in front of more than a hundred thousand fans on the worlds stage for the traditional Dakar opening ceremonies. Each team in the rally is recognized prior to the start. Stage 1 will feature a short 84 km special with a 247 km liaison bringing the competitors from Lima to the Southeast along the Pacific coast to the port city of Pisco.

Follow the quest for an American podium finish in the 2019 Dakar Rally for Team SPEED through live timing and scoring on Dakar.com, updates at http://www.SpeedEnergy.com, https://stadiumsupertrucks.com, and http://www.planetrobby.com.

Updates will also be available throughout the entire rally on https://www.facebook.com/StadiumSuperTrucks, and https://www.facebook.com/SPEEDSXS, https://www.facebook.com/PlanetRobby.

Instagram pages of RobbyGordon, SSuperTrucks, and SpeedSXS will also be updated daily with content.

NBC Sports Network will produce daily television highlights, and interviews throughout the rally, starting January 7 at 7:00 PM ET featuring Team SPEED drivers and navigators.

The 2019 Dakar Rally would not be possible without the support of the following great partners; Textron Off-Road, Toyo Tires, KING Off-Road Racing Shocks, SPEED Energy, KMC Wheels, SPEEDSXS.com VP Racing Fuels, DeVilbiss, Hawk Performance, IMPACT, Mastercraft Safety, Ron Davis Racing Products, Lincoln Electric, Torchmate by Lincoln Electric, Techni Waterjet, Eibach Springs, Rugged Radios, Loctite, Race Case Design, and all the hard work from the staff at Team SPEED.

FORT WORTH, Texas (December 5, 2018) – The 2019 O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 NASCAR tripleheader spring weekend at Texas Motor Speedway will be further bolstered by the addition of Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks Series, speedway president Eddie Gossage announced today.

The Stadium Super Trucks Series will showcase its action-packed, high-flying show by having three points-paying races over the course of the March 28-31 weekend featuring the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Gander Outdoors Truck Series.

The first SST race is scheduled for Saturday, March 30, following the conclusion of the My Bariatric Solutions 300 Xfinity Series race. The Stadium Super Trucks will follow with a doubleheader on Sunday, March 31, with a race prior to the marquee O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event and another 30 minutes following the checkered flag for that event.

The Stadium Super Trucks will be returning to Texas Motor Speedway for a third consecutive year, but first during an all-NASCAR weekend. The previous two visits have been paired with the speedway’s annual June race weekend with the Verizon IndyCar Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

“To be back racing at Texas for our third straight year is wonderful and I would really like to thank the entire team at Texas Motor Speedway for the ongoing belief in Stadium Super Trucks as a series,” said Gordon, the series founder and owner. “The past two years we have been at the track with INDYCAR and now to have the organizers believe that we can add real value to the NASCAR weekend I’m extremely excited about it. Most of all, I’m extremely confident that the NASCAR fans will love what we bring to motorsport. Who knows? We might even bring some of my old fans from Texas back to the track that I haven’t seen since my Cup days.”

The Stadium Super Trucks use just a short portion of the frontstretch of the 1.5-mile oval, with the majority taking place in the South infield paddock and along pit road. The course features multiple jumps, including the massive, signature dirt one in the paddock that is the centerpiece of the layout.

The Stadium Super Trucks feature such drivers as reigning series champion Matt Brabham, Paul Morris, Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Gavin Harlien, among others.

In addition to the MENCS O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 and NXS My Bariatric Solutions 300, the weekend also will be highlighted by the Vankor 350 NASCAR Gander OutdoorsTruck Series race on Friday, March 28. For more information on the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 weekend, please visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com.