CONCORD, N.C. — Some sprint car drivers spend their off-season relaxing. Others fly to Australia or New Zealand for the southern hemisphere’s summer to continue racing.
One opted to jump behind the wheel of a Monster Truck.
Less than three weeks after Ashton Torgerson revealed his 2026 plans of a rookie season with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in the Shark Racing No. 1a, he climbed aboard one of the 12,000-pound behemoths for an event in Imperial, Calif.
The Torgerson name is intertwined with Monster Truck history. Ashton’s grandfather, Stanley Torgerson, was an instrumental figure in the industry’s development, hosting one of the first ever shows with a crowd.
That passion traveled through generations as Danny Torgerson, Ashton’s father, became heavily involved and still is today. It was only natural for Ashton to continue the family tradition.
“When I was a newborn baby, I was at the Monster Truck shows right away,” Torgerson said. “I’ve always been a part of it, either going to watch when I was little and have fun watching them or as I got older starting to help out a little bit more and driving a little bit more. It’s definitely unusual for a Sprint Car guy to drive a Monster Truck.”
Torgerson’s off-season action doesn’t end with Monster Trucks. The 19-year-old is fresh off competing in four divisions at the Tulsa Shootout. He’s on Tulsa time again this week as he chases a Golden Driller at the Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink. He’ll pilot a Keith Kunz Motorsports entry in Thursday’s prelim to set himself up for Saturday’s finale.
“I think it’s pretty good to run the Micro stuff,” Torgerson said. “I run all four classes and being able to run four classes I feel like it’s more seat time on the track. I know they’re not really like a Midget, and they’re not going to race like a Midget, but I still think it’s that track time I get before Chili Bowl helps to get used to the dirt, the track, and all that… I think it definitely helps to keep in the seat and stay sharp.”
Once the Chili Bowl wraps up, Torgerson’s full focus will be on his run at Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year. The World of Outlaws season is set to fire off with four nights of racing at Volusia Speedway Park, Feb. 4-7.
It’s a position Torgerson didn’t anticipate finding himself in so quickly. After all, he linked with Shark Racing only nine months ago when Bobby and Jacob Allen put the Glendale, Ariz., driver in the seat of the No. 1a to see how they’d gel.
The pairing immediately began to turn heads. Torgerson, who didn’t even have a full season of 410 sprint car racing under his belt before 2025, beat the Pennsylvania Posse at BAPS Motor Speedway in his second night in the car. That was the first of many impressive outings that included a top 10 at Eldora Speedway’s Kings Royal, runner-up results at both Lincoln Speedway and Port Royal Speedway, and a pair of top 10s during Ironman 55 weekend with the World of Outlaws. Most of these finishes came at tracks Torgerson was seeing for only the first or second time and against some of the country’s toughest competition.
Torgerson and Shark’s connection boasted so much promise that they announced their intentions to hit the road with the World of Outlaws this year during World Finals. From only a few laps in a 410 sprint car to national prominence to joining The Greatest Show on Dirt in less than a year.
“It’s crazy to even think about. It’s honestly just a dream come true,” Torgerson said. “When I first drove the car, it was kind of a weekend deal to see how I did and see how we bonded as a team. We were able to have success right away, and Jacob had me rolling right away. It was nice to be comfortable with the team and have some good speed. Like I said, it’s really just a dream come true to be able to run on the Outlaw tour. This is going to be my first year, so I think there’s a lot to learn.”
Sadly, the team will be missing the man behind the inspirational story of Shark Racing. Bobby Allen passed away last October, leaving a large gap in not only the Shark shop, but the entire sport. “Scruffy” was a racer in the truest sense, going to great lengths like sleeping in ticket booths to keep his dreams alive. And that tenacity led him to cementing himself as one of the sport’s greats.
Carrying on without their leader will undoubtedly be emotionally taxing, but the team knows it’s what Allen would want. They’re ready to usher his legacy into the future by going up and down the road from track to track powered by the no-quit attitude Allen embodied.
“Bobby, he’s a legend and made Shark Racing what it is today,” Torgerson said. “He did all of his own stuff, and he’s one of the best sprint car drivers ever. He had such a great career. It’s such an honor to even be able to drive the 1a. Now to put it back on the Outlaw tour is just crazy. I know Bobby was super excited when we won that race, and he was super excited to be at the track with me, so I know we’re going to make Bobby proud this year.”
