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RidderFab Offroad Racing has weekend help from Offroad Superfans.
Some days you are the windshield, some days you are the bug...high hopes for winning were splattered like a mosquito on a windshield in Bark River, MI.
Friday afternoon found the RidderFab Offroad Racing team in Bark River Michigan (www.upoffroad100.com) for the TORC series presented by Amsoil ( www.TORCseries.com) rounds Seven and Eight. Driver of the #413 Jim Ridderbush and his crew had the truck prepped and ready for Friday night practice with high hopes for a solid weekend.
The #413 completed a lap of practice looking great. The Bark River Lions track prep crew has made some major changes to the track which helped us go even faster than ever on the 1.5 mile track. The Bark River International Raceway is home to Upper Michigan's only professional Offroad Racing event. The 1.5 Mile track is one of the most challenging in the TORC series, allowing drivers to reach speeds in excess of 90 mph. Ridderbush completed one lap and then heard a bad knock from the 355 cubic inch small block Chevrolet engine. The truck was shut off never to run again with that power plant. Connecting rods in the lower end completely let go scattering wasted metal through out the oil system. Saturday racing was looking to be nearly impossible for the #413 and crew.
If it weren’t for the hard work, dedication and encouragement of the Offroad Superfans (www.offroadsuperfans.com) and the #413 crew the truck would have been on the trailer the rest of the weekend. After a few phone calls, Nitro, the ATF director for the Superfan Club located a 350 engine that was supposed to be a runner in near by Powers, MI. The engine was delivered and the crew went to work along side the Superfans to get the #413 on the track for Saturday. We received assistance in one way or another from several other teams. Our fellow Superfan sponsored Sportsman Stock team of Al “The Outlaw” Konitzer lent some product, Nick Byng and crew lent us an engine hoist and many teams stopped by to offer assistance and encouragement. Once the engine was in and mostly dressed the little details were left for morning. A nasty rain storm soaked the grounds and track very early Saturday morning. This gave the crew an additional hour to complete the swap. Once the details were covered, the engine was fired. The replacement motor turned out to be as bad. Several flat or almost flat cam lobes and other issues prevented the truck from running on all eight cylinders.
Once again hard work and perseverance didn’t pay off for Team RidderFab Offroad Racing. The team would like to thank all our sponsors and fans for assistance and encouragement through the tough weekend. A very special thank you goes out to our families that support us but don’t get to see us very much. With out all these people we would have no chance of competing in the TORC series.
Due to a low number of entries this past weekend the truck was able to claim third place on both days. This puts the team third place in points going in to the final weekend. With just seven points separating fellow competitor David Miah and the #413 the intensity will be at record levels. Crandon International Raceway’s 40th anniversary (www.crandonoffroad.com) week of festivities promises to be an awesome time. The team anticipates a full field of racers.
Ridder Fab Racing hits the track next on September 4th and 5th in Crandon, WI. The 4th is a Friday night race and Saturday is mid day. At stake Saturday is the coveted “race for the ring” where the winner is crowned World Champion of Formula 4x4. This is a prize that has eluded Jim so far. Come watch as Team RidderFab competes for the ring!
Look for future updates, pictures and video on www.ridderfaboffroad.com.
RidderFab Racing would like to thank all of our sponsors;
RidderFab
Jon’s Body Shop
J&H transmission
Prusik Livestock
Kerstners
IH8MUD.COM
Schaeffer’s Oil
Baumgart Tire and Wheel
We would also like to thank our newest sponsors the Offroad Superfans www.offroadsuperfans.com
Contingency sponsors this year are:
BF Goodrich
Parker Pumper
Leatt Brace
Amsoil
KC HiLites
Auto Meter
K&N Filters
MSD Ignition
Ridder Fab Racing still has sponsorship opportunities available for the 2009 racing season and beyond. Please contact Dan Bergin 920-948-8004 dsbllbkeb@yahoo.com for more information.
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Ridder Fab Off Road Racing survives the weekend with a third place podium finish and a hard rollover.
July 24th 2009 found Jim Ridderbush and team Ridder Fab’s # 413 Formula 4x4 from Appleton, WI (www.ridderfaboffroad.com) in Oshkosh, WI for rounds five and six of the TORC series (www.torcseries.com) off road championship. The Speedzone Raceway was converted from a clay circle track oval into a short course off road arena.
For Friday night’s race the truck was wearing two new rear BF Goodrich Mud Terrain T/A KM’s for the first time in over a year. The Sway Away 2.5” reservoir shocks had new adjustments in an attempt to conquer the jumps and moguls the Oshkosh short course presented.
Jim got off the start ok but it was immediately evident that the shock set up was not going to allow good handling on the track. Jim also lost four wheel drive around lap three. Thanks to Jim’s versatile driving style he was able to settle into third place and hang on even with two wheel drive and compromised handling. Jim actually got some good racing in with the Classix car of Justin Keener towards the end of the race.
Friday after the race the team pulled the Sway Away Racerunner’s back off and gave Jim a whole new setup. Saturday morning and afternoon some tuning was done on the engine by Jon Fintelman and a couple issues were resolved on the Holley carburetor. The BFG tired, Jon’s Body Shop, Ridder Fab Chevy Blazer took to the track for practice on Saturday, with a whole new attitude. The shocks were working great, the truck was running top notch and the track changes really helped the BF Goodrich tires hook up. Jim was ready to race.
Saturday’s start put Jim on the outside of the front row for the rolling start. Oshkosh is the only rolling start of the season for team Ridder Fab due to the stock car track not having space for a land rush. With the drop of the green flag Jim launched out to the front of the pack. The truck was gaining lead steadily. With the Sway Away shocks working the Ridder Fab Blazer was able to double two sets of moguls in the infield. Jim carried more speed than ever into the transition from infield back up on to turn two of the stock car track. The truck landed and never set for the turn and Jim ended up with a hard roll that bounced him hard on the driver’s side of the roof and landed the truck on the driver’s side. The race was over for Ridder Fab. The passenger side rear tire had hit during the roll and broken the axle shaft. “The set up on the truck tonight was really awesome. I was really moving out there. The roll was hard but if the wheel hadn’t left the truck I would have kept right on going. We will get the truck back together and be ready to get even better in Bark River.” Jim stated after the races Saturday.
Jim was able to walk away from this hard roll ever thanks to a sincere commitment to safety and truck preparation. A good helmet, Leatt Brace (www.leatt-brace.com) and properly installed and tightened belts kept Jim safe. After getting out of his race suit and looking at the truck, Jim said “I’ll be a spokesman for that Leatt Brace after that roll. I hit hard and other than bumps and bruises I feel fine.”
Ridder Fab Off Road Racing is back in Action in Bark River, MI August 8-9, 2009.
Look for future updates, pictures and video on www.ridderfaboffroad.com.
Ridder Fab Racing would like to thank all of our sponsors;
Ridder Fab
Jon’s Body Shop
J&H transmission
Prusik Livestock
Kerstners
IH8MUD.COM
Schaeffer’s Oil
Baumgart Tire and Wheel
We would also like to thank our newest sponsors the Offroad Superfans www.offroadsuperfans.com
Special thanks go to Mike Reusche of Phil’s Inc for hooking Ridder Fab up with an in car camera. The video will be up on www.ridderfaboffroad.com soon.
Contingency sponsors this year are:
BF Goodrich
Parker Pumper
Leatt Brace
Amsoil
KC HiLites
Auto Meter
K&N Filters
MSD Ignition
Ridder Fab Racing still has sponsorship opportunities available for the 2009 racing season. Please contact Dan Bergin 920-948-8004 dsbllbkeb@yahoo.com for more information.
Bark River, MI (July 12, 2009)-The Traxxas TORC Truck Series presented by AMSOIL took 12,000 of Michigan's off road fans for a wild ride this weekend. Bark River International Raceway was the proud host to rounds 7 and 8 of the national series. TRAXXAS TORC Series driver Jim Ridderbush, owner and driver of the #413 Formula 4x4 based out of Appleton gained two more podium finishes in Bark River, MI July 11th and 12th 2009.
After a Thursday night arrival and pit set up, Friday’s truck prep and practice session came quickly. After a couple good laps the Ridder Fab Formula 4x4 stopped dead in its tracks. The truck was towed back to the pits and the team quickly went to work. The truck was washed and the transmission pan was dropped to find yet another failed turbo 400 transmission. Sometimes failure is just a stepping stone to great success. Late Friday night a new partnership was formed. Thanks to help from the Offroad Superfan (http://www.offroadsuperfans.com/) group and Douglas Motorsports and Roger at J&H Transmission Ridder Fab Racing was given the opportunity to run a J&H built turbo 400 transmission. With only a few small changes the unit fit right into the Formula 4x4. The pit crew worked late in to the night to flush out the coolers and torque converter. It was decided that the team needed some rest so we hopped in the campers around two thirty A.M for a two hour nap. Most of the team couldn’t sleep, knowing full well that the truck needed to be at the staging area for practice at 9 A.M. and we had hours of work left to do.
Wake up call found the whole crew back to work already. Not only did the transmission get replaced, the timing got adjusted, the shocks got revalved, a blown radiator hose from Friday practice got replaced. The truck was up to practice in time to get a one half lap run on the track. The new J&H transmission absolutely impressed driver Jim Ridderbush and crew. The technology and build quality of the J&H transmission as well as the support behind the team from Roger is top notch.
On Saturday Jim pulled the hole shot and gained a commanding lead over the pack. After leading five and a half of the six race laps the right front axle shaft broke in Bark River’s famous “Cemetery Turn.” The axle breaking led to a spin which cost Jim the lead and put him in two wheel drive to catch up. With a quick recovery Jim finished the lap and gladly took a second place.
The truck got washed and the axle got replaced with in minutes of getting back to the pits. The shocks were again pulled to do some adjustments. We have made an alliance with Milan Mazanec to help us tune the ride of the truck to the best our classes limitations and stock style suspension will allow. After some adjustments to all four corners the team got some time to relax and enjoy the great weather that our hosts the Bark River Lions must have ordered for the weekend.
Sunday Morning put Ridder Fab Racing on the track again with the hole shot and a sizeable lead by turn five. Luck wasn’t with the truck and driver though. Another broken axle spun the truck in mid turn. Good spotting and careful driving by our competitors avoided what could have been a huge crash. Once Jim got the truck got back in motion, again in two wheel drive Jim drove it as hard as he could to catch the field. The Formula 4x4 class has been running with the Classix trucks this year. The combination makes for some great action on the track. Unfortunately one of the Classix racers got in to Jim in the “Cemetery Turn” where the truck spun on Saturday. This time one of our BFGoodrich tires got punctured further slowing the Ridder Fab truck. The Pit crew quickly changed the tire and got Jim back out on the track in time for a third place finish.
When asked about the weekend Jim responded: “If it weren’t for the great people that helped us this weekend would not have ended with two podium finishes.” Jim went on to thank Roger of J&H Transmissions, Scott Douglas of Douglas Motorsports, Amsoil, Milan Mazanec for the shock work, the Ridder Fab crew and the Offroad Superfans.
Ridder Fab takes the track in Oshkosh, WI July 24th and 25th. These are night races at the Oshkosh Speedzone (http://www.torcseries.com/) this is the closest to home that Ridder Fab Racing will ever compete in the TORC series. Jim is second in points for the series championship. Please come out and cheer him on in Oshkosh.
The team would like to thank the series sponsors Traxxas, Amsoil, Hansen Beverage, Oakley and all the associate sponsors.
Look for future updates, pictures and video on www.ridderfaboffroad.com.
Ridder Fab Racing would like to thank all of our sponsors;
Ridder Fab
Jon’s Body Shop
J&H Transmission
Prusik Livestock
Kerstners
IH8MUD.COM
Schaeffer’s Oil
Baumgart Tire and Wheel
We would also like to thank our newest sponsors the Offroad Superfans www.offroadsuperfans.com
Contingency sponsors this year are:
BF Goodrich
Parker Pumper
Leatt Brace
Amsoil
KC HiLites
Auto Meter
K&N Filters
MSD Ignition
Ridder Fab Racing still has sponsorship opportunities available for the 2009 racing season. Please contact Dan Bergin 920-948-8004 dsbllbkeb@yahoo.com for more information.
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Ridder Fab Off Road Racing takes the podium on opening weekend!
Crandon, WI June 20-21,2009- TRAXXAS TORC Series driver Jim Ridderbush, owner and driver of the #413 Formula 4x4 based out of Appleton, WI took a solid second place on Sunday in the TORC series (www.torcseries.com) off road races at the “Big House” of off road racing (www.crandonoffroad.com ). This is the first race weekend of 2009 and Jim’s first podium running the TORC series in 2009.
Pre-season testing has been a compilation of rough luck for the team. Some changes made over the winter were tweaked and tuned for better performance. ATS has built some solid transmissions for Jim. Jim never had anything but great performance last year from our ATS Turbo 400. This year we haven’t been so fortunate. We have been battling transmission problems often so far this summer. We appreciate our sponsors and will continue to work to get those issues resolved. After one last visit to ATS on Wednesday the truck was loaded and deemed ready to race.
Saturday the weather was absolutely perfect for some hard core door to door racing in front of 24,000 of the Off Road Nation’s best fans in Crandon, WI. Ridder Fab started with a three lap practice at 9am. The team made a few adjustments to the truck and was race ready. Team Ridder Fab and Jim were confident we were ready for a good showing in front of packed Crandon International Raceway.
Saturday the Ridder Fab Formula 4x4 came off the start through turn one in the middle of the pack. Jim Ridderbush moved the truck up through the pack during the first couple laps. Jim radioed to the spotter’s tower that the transmission was not shifting properly and the fluid temperature was getting high. Within a couple turns the truck burst into flames. Jim drove the truck to a track safety crew and got out safely.
A burned up transmission is not going to stop the hardest working team in off road racing. The crew cleaned up the truck back at our pit and proceeded to remove the bad transmission and assess the truck for any other damage. A new transmission was prepped and in the truck within an hour and a half. With a few other minor adjustments the truck was race prepped for Sunday before dinner was served Saturday night.
At Sunday’s 8 a.m. driver meeting Ridder Fab found out that we would not be able to run the standard three laps for practice at 9am. We wanted to break in the new transmission and test our other adjustments. We ran a couple straight line blasts down Crandon’s famous “Land Rush Start” area to test out. The truck was race ready. The transmission felt good.
Jim brought the truck into the first turn at nearly 80 mph sounding great and in good running position. With in two laps Jim had a sizeable lead on the third place competitor and was chasing down 2008 Class Champion Dave Demaegd. Getting through traffic had cost precious time and Jim wasn’t able to run down Dave for the win but he put the truck on the podium with a clean solid second place effort. After the race Jim said “We really have the truck dialed in. Our handling is great; our BFG Tires were working perfectly. We didn’t run down the leader but our lap times were great. We are looking forward to racing in Bark River. Major thanks go out to all our sponsors and fans and families.”
Ridder Fab Racing hits the track next on July 11-12 in Bark River Michigan. www.upoffroad100.com
Look for future updates, pictures and video on www.ridderfaboffroad.com.
Ridder Fab Racing would like to thank all of our sponsors;
Ridder Fab
Jon’s Body Shop
Automatic Transmission Specialists
Prusik Livestock
Kerstners
IH8MUD.COM
Schaeffer’s Oil
Baumgart Tire and Wheel
We would also like to thank our newest sponsors the Offroad Superfans www.offroadsuperfans.com
Contingency sponsors this year are:
BF Goodrich
Parker Pumper
Leatt Brace
Amsoil
KC HiLites
Auto Meter
K&N Filters
MSD Ignition
Ridder Fab Racing still has sponsorship opportunities available for the 2009 racing season. Please contact Dan Bergin 920-948-8004 dsbllbkeb@yahoo.com for more information.