|
Flying Dutchman Off-Road Race Team |
 |
|
The Flying Dutchman Gets a Handle on New Truck
Appleton WI (May 19, 2009) – Dan Vanden Heuvel Sr. and his Flying Dutchman Off-Road Race Team brought his brand new #77 Maxxis Tire AMSOIL ATD Chevy PRO-2WD truck to Texas to compete against the best short course racers in the country. The 2008 Champion knew he had his work cut out for him as his new ride, has had minimal test time, before heading for the opening weekend of the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL. The results didn’t land the Flying Dutchman on the podium, but the outcome was very favorable to the development of the truck. The Friday afternoon practice sessions saw Dan and his team working on the truck’s chassis setup. One of the changes in the new truck was the forward location of the fuel cell. The placement will minimize weight transfer as the fuel is used during a typical fifteen minute event. This will also demand a different chassis setup. The more practice, the races, the better the understanding of the chassis dynamics of the ‘09 Vanden Heuvel Chassis. “This weekend of racing will be more like a test session for our team,” remarked Vanden Huevel Sr. “I know we have more to learn about the new truck, but the season has begun and we need to get our there to see where we stand.” Round One of the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL saw the Flying Dutchman avoid any serious contact bringing the red #77 Maxxis Tire AMSOIL ATD Chevy home in tenth place. “The information learned from the first race is extremely valuable,” noted Vanden Huevel Sr. “Now we have more data to work with allowing us to dial in this chassis.” The information gained from Friday’s race proved to be very valuable. In Round Two, Dan was able to push his Maxxis Chevy much harder, really dicing it up with the competition. It also showed in the strong sixth place finish when the checkered flag fell. “We are still learning how this truck works,” commented Vanden Heuvel Sr. “If this weekend is any indication of our learning curve, the competition better look out. We are really happy with this weekend’s outcome. I can’t thank everyone enough that’s involved with our team. First, my family, Dan Jr. and Mike, R.J., Charlie, Ken, and Casey all came out to help. Getting past this weekend was a huge step in our program.” A special thanks goes out to the PDG and AMSOIL for the travel fund that helped the Flying Dutchman Off-Road Race Team get to Texas. You can watch the Flying Dutchman this Sunday, May 24, at 11:00am, as ESPN2 broadcasts the first weekend of Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL racing. Dan Vanden Heuvel Sr. and his team also thank the continued support
from the following companies: Dan Vanden Heuvel Sr. and the Flying Dutchman Off-Road Race Team
still have marketing opportunities available for the rest of the
2009 TORC season. |
