Matt Gerald Racing and LiveRC teamed up again for 2017 TORC Series

0 Aug. 2, 2017, 8:08 a.m.

Main Photo: Matt Gerald Racing and LiveRC teamed up again for 2017 TORC Series

By Mike Garrison
LiveRC.com

Matt Gerald Racing and LiveRC.com and LiveTime Race Media are taking on the TORC Series together again for 2017! After the 2016 season, MGR has completely re-vamped the #395 Single Buggy for the 2017 season. For those who don't know Matt from the full scale or R/C track, he is a paraplegic driver recovering from a spinal cord injury suffered during a race at Red Bud in 2012 (CLICK HERE to read the full story of Matt Gerald).

With Matt's limited leg mobility racing really takes a lot of him. The team decided to add power steering for 2017 to help from tiring him out, and MGR spent quite a bit of time with R&D on the engine program for the new year.

The #395 LiveRC.com Single Buggy hit the track at Bark River for the most recent rounds of the 2017 TORC Series, resulting in a 6th and 7th place finish on the weekend.

(Photo by Evil Smile Photography - Scott Behnke)

"We had a good weekend for our team at my favorite track in Bark River. The 395 didn't have the finishes we wanted but we took big steps forward with our engine program.

We rolled into Bark River with a fresh engine with only break in time on it. Friday's practice went well and suspension felt pretty good and our speed felt good. We had a slight bobble in the carb around the left hand corners. Friday night the team went to work and got the LiveRC.com buggy prepped and made a few suspension changes for Saturday morning's practice. After the practice, which was only 1/2 a lap was hard to tell if the carb issue was fixed. Luckily we where able to load the car up and take it to Klieman's shop and run a little bit and get the engine tuned just right.

Saturday's race started out horrible being shoved off the track and dropped us from 3rd to last of the 17 car field. I put my head down and my spotter Mikey Vanden Heuvel guided me through traffic. I was able to drive my way back up to 6th after some good battles with Dylan, JD and Mottinger. Our car felt good and had the speed. We ended the day in 6th place.

Sunday's race was a fun battle, I was able to pull off a good start and run in 2nd place most of the first half of the race. Bruce Fraley and I had a good battle for a few laps and he was able to get underneath me on the exit of the cemetery corner right before the caution. The car felt really good and the new engine was rocking. Once we went green after the caution I still maintained 3rd place till I made a bone head move and had a mis shift letting several cars by since I lost my momentum. It was a stupid move and we'll learn from it. I ended up finishing 7th. Not exactly where we wanted but we're getting faster every week and we're going to be able to start getting some better finishes soon.

Can't thank my whole team enough, These people all stick behind our goals. We couldn't do it with out all of our marketing partners either; LiveRC.com, LiveTime Race Media, Amsoil, Gerald Racing Engines, SSI Decals, VP Racing Fuel, FK Rod Ends, Hooker Harness, Stars of Neenah, R&T Salvage and Flying Dutchman Off-Road."

Next up for Matt Gerald Racing is Red Bud in Buchanan, Michigan on August 12-13. Keep up-to-date with Matt Gerald Racing on Facebook HERE and on Instagram @mattgerald395.

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