Craig Paitl

The TORC Light Buggy class is a limited, 4-wheel car using Volkswagen "Type 1" stock components. They have 1585 cc air-cooled engines. No parts can be replaced or modified unless the class rules allow. There is only one person allowed in the car during a race.

 

Craig drives the car on Saturday's race and Bryan drives on Sundays.

Chassis
Wheel Base: 95"
Track Width: 50"
Weight: 1550 lbs.

Drivetrain
Engine type: Volkswagen"Type 1" 1585 cc, air-cooled
Transmission: Volkswagen"Type 1", AT
Fuel Capacity: 3 gallons

Suspension
Shocks: Fox Shox (Front 2.0 / Rear 2.0)
Front: Volkswagen"Type 1" stock beam with ball joints
Rear: Volkswagen"Type 1" independent rear suspension

Tires & Wheels
Wheels: Custom 15" steel wheels
Tires: Goodyear

Miscellaneous
Graphic Design: Victory Sign

Battery: Optima
Fuel: Sunoco
Filters: K&N
Exhaust: Tri-Mil
Seat: Beard
Driver Harness: RCI

More Craig Paitl Photos
 

Biography
I was born on August 7, 1979 in Green Bay, WI, son to Tom & Sharon. I have three sisters and one brother, and we grew up in Lena, WI. After high school, I attended tech college in the Automotive Maintenance Technician program. I now work at Holtger Brothers Inc., where I am a crew foreman. I manage crews & jobsites, working with underground utilities such as telephone, power, cable tv, gas and water. My job requires travel, but I have been lucky to jobs close to home lately.

In October of 2003 I married Steph, whom I had met in Crandon several years ago through mutual friends. She started racing a few years ago and it's a fun activity that we can enjoy together. I am her chief mechanic and I'm very proud of what she's accomplished so far. Now that we compete in the same class, we have even more fun together.

In the little spare time that I have, my other hobbies include hunting, ice fishing, snowmobiling and racing. With my busy work schedule, I don't get to enjoy them as much as I'd like. When I do find the time, you can usually find me catching fish or tearing up the trails on my snowmobile. The summer months are all about racing since that takes up most of our free time. I do enjoy spending that time with my wife, family & friends in the shop and at the track.

How I got started racing
I started attending off-road races with some friends of mine back when I was in high school. We would pack up for the weekends and head to Crandon & Bark River. We were only spectators at the time, but would dream about having a chance to get behind the wheel someday. I met Steph a few years ago through mutual friends, and we later started dating. After awhile, I then became her dad's crew chief on his Pro-4x4 truck. He "retired" from racing in 2001, but Steph & I continued to attend the races and camp with our pit crew & friends. In 2004, Steph had a chance to race in a women's class in Bark River, and we ended up buying a buggy of her own to race with that same weekend. Since then I have been helping her with the buggy and supporting her racing career. In the summer of 2005, just weeks before the last race of the season, my brother-in-law Bryan and I threw around the idea of racing an old buggy that had belonged to his cousin. This car hadn't been raced in over 10 years but we were determined to have it ready to race Crandon on Labor Day weekend. After several very late nights in the shop, the car was ready to go. We used a few of Steph's extra parts, including her spare motor and we were finally ready to see if our hard work would pay off. I drove the car on Saturday and Bryan drove on Sunday, we both finished the race, but had mechanical problems. Not bad for that old buggy!

2008 was a great season for us in that car, Bryan & I had a ton of fun last year! For 2009 we are making more improvements to the car and will continue to take turns driving each weekend. It's been a great experience so far and I’m looking forward to many more seasons in the TORC Series.