Crandon, WI. The Crandon International Off Road Raceway (CIORA) is pleased to officially announce the date for the spring Brush Run. The second largest event in short course off road racing in the country will be held at the world famous ‘Big House’ in Crandon, Wisconsin on June 23 &24, 2012. Only to be outdone by the (CIORA) Labor Day World Championship, this spectacular event is experienced by over 15,000 fans who witness the most exciting racing on the 1.75 mile punishing track known as the ‘Big House’ in off road racing circles.
“The Brush Run is a featured event in the TORC Series and one of the two Big House venues; we have a strong fan base, long term sponsors, a great driver line up and 42 years of continuous racing history” said CIORA President, Cliff Flannery.
The 43rd annual Brush Run promises to be the biggest ever attracting fans from all over the Midwest and featuring the professional drivers of the TORC Series and the Sportsman Drivers of Midwest Off Road Racing group (MORR).
The Brush Run is a major event in The Off Road Championship Series (TORC Series) and one of two venues hosted at the ‘Big House’, long considered the Cornerstone Track of short course racing. Drivers from North America will once again showcase their skills as they compete for the coveted Forest County Potawatomi Chairman’s Cup, the featured race of the Brush Run. A record crowd was on hand in 2011 as local favorite Jeff Kincaid (FORD/ BFG) claimed the 18th annual championship grabbing the hole shot racing green to checkers to repeat for the second year in a row.
Action at Crandon International Off Road Raceway is featured on the Velocity Channel and is Sanctioned by USAC. For more information visit us at Crandonoffroad.com

Adrian’s a veteran of short course racing in the Pro-4, and is always one of the fastest guys on the track. Racing in both the Lucas Oil Off-Road series and the TORC series, Adrian has collected a number of wins this year, including three straight wins at Crandon. Look for Adrian to finish the year strong as he aims for the podium at upcoming races in Las Vegas and Phoenix.

1. How did you get into off-road racing?

Was doing road course racing at the time at the club level and was wanting to turn pro in a race series. I saw off-road racing on TV and was fascinated by how the trucks absorbed the jumps. I called Walker Evans about helping me get involved, and he allowed me to fly out to LA and try his Pro-4. I went out to LA and tested his Pro-4 at Glen Helen on a super small test track. Was hooked on Pro-4 from then on.

2. Your nickname is ” The Wildman”, what earned you that nickname?

Got the nickname from Commentator Scott Rehn, who got it from a kid asking him when the Wildman was going to be racing next. The kid had seen a crash I had at Chicagoland in the Pro-4. My truck rolled and burst into flames. I had fully expected to die, so when I didn’t, I jumped out of the truck and ran to the audience and jumped over the catch fencing looking to hug some race fans because I was so happy to be alive. The race fans all stepped back scared like I was a crazed maniac. The Wildman was born.

3. You swept the weekend at Fall Crandon this year. Was that your best moment in racing to date?

It certainly was up there. Our team’s most dominating performance to date for sure. By the third win, it felt like a party that you didn’t want to end – You just want the party to keep going and going.

4. This is your first season as a member of the Maxxis team. How have the new tires been treating you?

Maxxis tires are impressive. They are a winning tire with excellent grip, sometimes almost too much grip – can you believe that – who ever said they have too much grip?

5. What’s your favorite track? Why?

Crandon is my favorite track. The Fans are excited and dedicated – they stayed through seven rain showers in one day. The speeds are high at that track, and you have to commit to turn one at top speed without knowing what is in front of you – nice pucker factor.

6. As a resident of New York City, do people look at you funny when you tell them you’re an off-road racer?

I am actually a resident of the Virgin Islands. I love the sun and would love to spend all my time there, but I spend a ton of time wearing a suit and tie in NYC. NYC is a town where most people don’t drive, so Off-Road Racing is very foreign to most people. If I walked around in my Neon Orange race suit, people would think it is Halloween or I am a fugitive from the law. Yeehaw!

The off-road community is putting together a special event to celebrate the life of racing superstar Rick Huseman and his brother Jeff who were killed in a plane crash on Oct. 16 near Barstow. The event will be held at Pole Position Raceway in Corona on October 27 beginning at 6:00PM and will raise money for his wife Michelle and two-year-old son Ricky.

The event will feature both silent and live auctions along with world-class indoor karting, food and drink. The nation’s best racers are expected to be in attendance including:

-Jeremy McGrath
-Kyle LeDuc
-Brian Deegan,
-Carl Renezeder
-Rob MacCachren
-Scott Douglas
-Johnny Greaves
-Mike Childress
-Ricky Johnson

-Ryan Vilopoto
-Kyle Loza
-Ryan Friedlinghaus
-Ken Block
-and more to be announced…

Donations and trust fund info to be posted soon
For directions or more information check out www.PolePositionRaceway.com

Silent & Live Auction product donations please send to:
Att: Rick Huseman Memorial Race & Fundraiser
1594 E. Bentley Dr. Corona, CA 92879

For more details please contact:
-Stephanie Johnson 949/230-3750

Industry and Celebrity Benefit Races

We are now accepting driver registrations for both the Industry and Celebrity races at the upcoming benefit at Pole Position in Corona, CA. Because there are only a limited amount of spaces available, we will be accepting entries on a first come first served basis. Please keep in mind that a $50 donation is required to enter either of these races and all donations will go directly to the Huseman Fund. The race categories are defined below:

Celebrity Race - This race is for well known professional drivers or very well known members of the off road industry only.

Industry Race - This is open to anyone who is an active member of the off road industry (mechanic, racer, fabricator, shop owner, web ,marketing, sales in the off road industry, etc).

Below is a schedule of how the races will run:

*6:00pm*

Public Racing – No coupons, credits or comps – $19.95 – Open to all

*7:30pm*

Industry Heat 1 time (top 4 to main event) – No coupons, credits or comps – $50

Industry Heat 2 time (top 4 to main event) – No coupons, credits or comps – $50

Industry Heat 3 time (top 4 to main event) – No coupons, credits or comps – $50

*8:00 pm*

Celebrity Heat 1 time (top 4 to main event) – No coupons, credits or comps – $50

Celebrity Heat 2 time (top 4 to main event) – No coupons, credits or comps – $50

Celebrity Heat 3 time (top 4 to main event) – No coupons, credits or comps – $50

*8:30pm*

Rick Huseman Memorial Video presented by Monster Energy produced by Mad Media

Silent Auction Ends

Live Auction

*9:30pm*

Industry Main (head to head racing scored by position)

Celebrity Main (head to head racing scored by position with trophies provided by Smithline)

Public Racing – No coupons, credits or comps – $19.95 – Open to all

If you are interested in participating in either of these events, please contact either myself or Sherry Vanillo (sherry@lucasoiloffroad.com) immediately to reserve your spot.

If anyone has any further questions, please contact Pole Position Raceway at 951-817-5032
Thank you for the support

Related Links:

Lucas Oil
Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series
Pole Position

Traxxas TORC Series drivers and officials mourn the death of TORC champion Rick Huseman

“A fierce competitor that always strived to be on top,” said TORC racer Scott Douglas of the great Rick Huseman

By Pat Schutte

INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 20, 2011) – Back in 1996, when professional stadium off-road truck racing was happening in some of the major markets around the country, a then 30-year-old Johnny Greaves (Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis) ran into an upstart racer competing in the 7s class trucks – a support race to the headline USHRA Monster Trucks.

The two would hit it off that first quarter of ’96, battling hard and quickly becoming stern adversaries on the track – but at the same time good friends in the pits. Then after an invitation to race the granddaddy of all short course off-road events – TORC’s Crandon International Raceway – Rick Huseman’s (Monster Energy/Toyota/BFG) interest in the sport piqued and he would build a truck for the new Championship Off-Road Racing (CORR) Series, which would start up a year or so later. And Greaves and his new buddy, Huseman, would meet up again.

“Rick was the only guy back then where I’d look down the line, see him, and knew for sure I had my hands full,” said Greaves, who tragically lost his friend in a plane crash this past weekend.

Wisconsin and California can be worlds away at times. Blaze orange deer hunters vs. black wetsuit surfers. But the sport of short course off-road racing, born on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, had a way of blurring those lines of difference and brought the off-road guys from the east and Midwest to the same unique playing field as the guys from California. TORC competitor from Wisconsin, Jeff Kincaid (Traxxas/AMSOIL/BFG), raced hard and often against Huseman in the early days of CORR, the two having an epic back-and-forth title shootout in 2001 at Crandon.

“I had more than one championship battle with Rick, dating back to our 7s class (subsequent called PRO Light) racing,” said Kincaid. “But yeah, 2001 on the CORR Series was memorable. Rick came into the final round at Crandon with a 19-point lead and ended up blowing a line on the first day, which put me within a point of him. Then we went into the first turn together on the second day and he wound up rolling, which gave me the championship. But yeah, he was great competitor, top notch and fast, along with being a great person. Didn’t take him long to move up the ladder.”

Michigan’s Chad Hord (BOSS Snowplows/Nissan/AMSOIL), who races TORC’s PRO 2 class, also went at it with Huseman on the track during the CORR era and considers Huseman one of the tougher competitors he’s ever faced.

“I had the privilege of competing against Rick Huseman in the Pro-Lite days of CORR,” said Hord. “Rick was a fierce competitor who always made you push yourself to do better and dig deeper. It was not surprising to see him excel in the PRO 4 class as well – he always strived to be the best. His presence at the track will be greatly missed, because any race involving Rick Huseman was an exciting race to either be in as a driver or watch as a spectator.”

In the mid-2000s Huseman, as Hord pointed out, moved up to the PRO 4 trucks, purchasing Greaves’ ‘slightly used’ (Haha) PRO 4 Toyota Tundra. Greaves was instrumental in delivering Huseman to Toyota, a sponsorship that would carry on through numerous championships for the Huseman Racing Team.

“Toyota was talking to me about adding another truck and I asked Rick if he’d be interested,” recalled Greaves. “So we got him hooked up and he brought along Fabtech and we worked together to get him into his first PR0 4 truck. Huseman would race that Greaves Toyota for a couple years before his brother, Danny Huseman, built Rick his own custom PRO 4.

“Danny is an extremely smart engineer,” said Greaves. “It took a season for them to get things sorted out, but in 2008 he (Rick Huseman) was the guy to beat again.” A major sponsor would again approach Greaves with interest in Huseman as Monster Energy was looking to add another PRO 4 driver to its ranks, which at the time, only included Greaves.

“So for two seasons we drove identical Toyota/Monster Energy trucks,” added Greaves. “Couldn’t tell us apart.”

Huseman would tie Carl Renezeder for the CORR championship that year (’08), after which CORR dissolved. The following season, TORC’s inaugural season, Huseman would capture that PRO 4 title and went on to add the LOORS title in 2010 – finishing second to Greaves for the prestigious overall 2010 TORC PRO 4 title.

Scott Douglas (AMSOIL/BFG/MasterCraft Safety), who lined up next to Huseman often, was most impressed with the California driver’s ability to focus on his racing – and not the ancillary goings on oft associated with motorsports.

“What impressed me the most about Rick was his ability to stay calm, cool and collected off the track and not be affected by the politics and unfortunate confrontation that’s involved with the sport,” said Douglas. “Rick was a stellar guy, never complained and always drove 150-percent. I’m proud to be connected with the same sport as him.”

From a SoCal standpoint 2011 TORC PRO 4 overall champion Rick Johnson (Red Bull/Mopar/Ram/KMC Wheels) was – and still is – a big fan of Huseman’s. A highly-anticipated Johnson/Huseman/Greaves PRO 4 matchup in TORC short course matchup at the sport’s premier tracks of Crandon or Bark River (Mich.) would have been epic had Huseman not been taken from us so early.

“Rick Huseman is one of my heroes and a huge reason why I wanted to race PRO 4,” said Johnson. “His style on and off the track was first class. His family approach to racing was so cool. I will miss him both on and off the track.”

And while Huseman’s rapport with the other drivers was outstanding, his relationship and professionalism with his sponsors formed an equally impressive union as told by BFGoodrich’s Nate Hunt.

“Rick’s talent and determination was obvious to anyone watching him on the race track,” said Hunt. “From a sponsor standpoint, the Huseman team was an absolute pleasure to have on board. Rick was never happy with a 2nd or 3rd. He wanted the top of the box and would drive the tires off the truck to get there. He never made excuses and always took any blame upon himself. If he didn’t win, he felt like he let his race team (family) down, as well as his sponsors. He always looked and spoke professionally, and represented his sponsors well at any given chance.”

Hunt continued: “On a personal note, the behind the scenes part of Rick, is what made him special to me and the BFGoodrich crew at the track. Most of the top drivers in racing have crew members that bring tires over to the truck to get mounted and grooved. On the Huseman team, Rick was that guy. He never failed to express his thanks for work, and for the tires that aided him in his championship runs. This past year was very special as his son Ricky was old enough to ride around on the cart with him and help roll tires. Seeing Rick as a father that loved, wanted to spend time, and involve his son in everything he did is something that I will remember every time I think of Rick Huseman.  To the off road racing community he was a great champion and competitor.  To those of us who had the honor of knowing him, he was a great father, son, husband, and friend.”

Fittingly, we’d like to give the final words from the TORC Series on Rick Huseman’s tragic passing to his friend and competitor, Johnny Greaves.

“I found out on Sunday night when I was packing to head back to Wisconsin,” said Greaves, chocking back the tears, on when he first got word of the plane crash that not only took Rick Huseman, but also Huseman’s brother Jeff and friend Daniel Hicks. “I decided to drive instead to California and see if there was anything I could do to help Rick’s family. During that drive it really started to sink in … many, many miles of thinking – and crying.”

Greaves did his best to gather himself. “I even called his phone just to hear his voice once more time … and obviously he wasn’t there.”

The TORC Series extends its heartfelt condolences to Rick Huseman Racing’s family and friends. A special event celebrating the life of Rick Huseman, and his brother Jeff, will be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 27th at Pole Position Raceway in Corona, Calif.

About TORC

The Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, is the fastest, most punishing short course racing series on the planet! TORC events are packed with flag-to-flag fender banging as drivers push the limits over whoops and jump-filled natural terrain race tracks. Off-road racing fans come from far and wide to experience the most challenging form of high-octane competition. And once they taste TORC for the first time they’re hooked for life!

For second year in a row  the “Bench Racing Hour”  at the  MORR Sportsman Banquet will be sponsored by Crandon International Off-Road Raceway and Bark River Off-Road Raceway.

“The Sportsman banquet is a great way to celebrate the season’s off-road racing in the Upper Midwest,” notes MORR president Dan Vanden Heuvel. “The Bench Racing Hour is a great way to get things started and thanks to Crandon and Bark River for their continued support of the MORR Sportsman banquet, as well as providing great places to race.”

In addition to the banquet pre-party sponsorship, Crandon and Bark River have once again added money to the TORC Sportsman Year End Championship fund.

Over two hundred fifty racers and supporters of Sportsman off-road racing will be on hand October 22 at the Paper Valley Radisson in Appleton, Wisconsin.

The honored Guests will include the top finishers in each TORC Sportsman class, World Championship presentations, as well as special year end award winners.

So if you have not sent in your reservation please go to:

http://www.midwest-offroadracing.com/2011banquetinvite.pdf  

to print out the form and send your money in asap.

Rockford, IL  (September 12, 2011) – The forty-second edition of the Crandon World Championship Off-Road Race Weekend saw Mitch Dorr in his Goodyear Tire ATD Ford Ranger get his best finishes of the season. The rookie PRO driver overcame some early adversity to get his first top ten finishes of the season.

The traditional Labor Day Weekend event had a few changes in 2011. One of which was the Friday afternoon of racing. The June weekend of racing held in Crandon saw torrential storms cancel Round 4, so race officials rescheduled the round as part of the Labor Weekend festivities.    Then as teams were preparing for Friday’s racing, once again the rain fell on the “Big House.” Somehow the rain was intermittent enough get the race program completed. In fact, rain fell off and on the entire weekend.

Mitch and his team were confident that they had corrected their season long suspension issues, and now were looking for greatly improved race results.   The three rounds of racing would be key for the development of the team as the 2012 season is already on their minds.

Friday’s round of racing had the Goodyear Ford running well within the top ten of the twenty truck field when the engine began to overheat.  In order to complete all ten laps, Mitch backed off of his race pace to finish thirteenth.

Overnight, the crew went work solving the overheating problem and by the next morning, the #17 Goodyear Ford was ready for the rest of the weekend.

The rest of the weekend continued to improve for Mitch. Saturday’s Round 9 had the Black #17 Goodyear Ford cross the finish in ninth place and he followed that finish with an eight place on Sunday.

“This weekend was a turning point for our team,” noted Mitch Dorr. “We still have some work to do with our shock set-up, but we made great strides this weekend. I believe we will really show our potential at Chicagoland and San Antonio.”

The next race on the 2011 TORC race schedule is September 14-15, 2011 at The Dirt Track @ Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, IL.

Don’t forget you can watch all the TORC race action from Chicagoland Speedway live on the Speed Channel  this Thursday evening beginning at 8pm EST.

Mitch would like to thank all Goodyear Tires and Auto Trans Design as lead marketing partners of Mitch Dorr Motorsports.
The team is has marketing opportunities available for the remainder of the 2011 TORC season. Interested parties can contact Mitch Dorr: mgdorr86@hotmail.com

-          www.mitchdorr.com

Race Report – Mike Reusche

• Rounds 11 and 12 set for Sept. 14–15 in Joliet, Ill.
• Bryce Menzies (PRO 2) and Andrew Caddell (PRO Light) chase fifth wins; Samuel Hübinette (PRO Light) and Rob MacCachren (PRO 2) seek fourth triumphs; Ricky Johnson (PRO 4) guns for third checkered flag
• Menzies leads points in PRO 2, Caddell holds top spot in PRO Light

Auburn Hills, Mich. — It’s getting down to crunch time for Mopar® Ram Truck drivers competing with the Traxxas TORC (The Off-Road Championship) Series, as just two events and four rounds of racing remain heading into the event at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., Sept. 14–15, with the finale on Thursday, Sept. 15 airing on SPEED beginning at 9 p.m. (ET).

Bryce Menzies and Andrew Caddell have each won four times for Mopar and Ram, while Samuel Hübinette and Rob MacCachren have scored three victories and Ricky Johnson has visited the winner’s circle twice to bring the brands’ win total to 16 in their inaugural TORC season.

Route 66 Raceway will host the TORC Series for the second consecutive year, though it will mark the first time the races have been run in conjunction with the NASCAR event at Chicagoland Speedway across the street.

“It’s always good to get to race in front of new fans,” said MacCachren, of visiting the Chicago area. “Earlier this year we went to Charlotte and that was the first time this type of racing had ever been there, and they had a lot of enthusiastic fans. We’ve been to Chicago before, but this year we are going the same week as NASCAR, so we are hoping to get a lot more motorsports enthusiasts there and introduce them to off-road racing.”

MacCachren is currently second in the standings in PRO 2, on the strength of three wins and five podium finishes. He ran third in the finale at Crandon (Wis.) International Off-Road Raceway in very muddy conditions on Sept. 4, which marked his best finish since breaking his collarbone last month. MacCachren is 26 points behind fellow Mopar Ram driver Bryce Menzies as they battle for the PRO 2 title.

“We’re going into Chicago on ‘kill mode,’” said MacCachren. “We have four more rounds and we’re going to go and try to win them all. We have nothing to lose and just have to go for it now. Our Mopar Ram Truck has been running great all year and my Jenkins Brothers Racing team has been working very hard, so we’ll see what we can do.”

Hübinette will be making his debut at Route 66 Raceway, as he continues his rookie TORC campaign in PRO Light. The two-time Formula DRIFT champion has won three times this season, opening the year with a pair of victories at RedBud MX in Buchanan, Mich. on Memorial Day weekend in his first two off-road starts. Hübinette is currently fourth in points, just nine markers out of the second position, having racked up five podium finishes thus far in 2011.

“It’s going to be a similar venue to Charlotte, which worked very well,” said Hübinette. “Chicago is a great location and I think we’ll have a good crowd there with NASCAR in town. It will be a very important event for me, after having trouble at Crandon. I have to really get the momentum going now and make it on the podium both days in my Mopar Ram Truck. I’m definitely focused to do well at Chicago.”

Menzies, the current championship leader in PRO 2 in his Red Bull Mopar Ram, was victorious in two of the three rounds at Crandon to score his third and fourth wins of the season. The native of Las Vegas has earned six podium finishes and has been among the top-five in all nine rounds of racing contested in PRO 2, as he continues his rookie season in the class.

Caddell also won twice at Crandon to bring his season tally in PRO Light to four, piloting a Mopar Ram for Jenkins Brothers Racing. The native of Graham, Wash. carries an impressive streak of nine straight podium finishes into the event at Joliet, as he looks to extend his 64-point lead in search of his first PRO Light title.

Ricky Johnson is second in the PRO 4 standings heading into battle this week, with a pair of wins to go along with a class-leading seven podium finishes. Johnson, one of the drivers who helped form the TORC Series in 2009, finished on the podium in two of the three rounds at Crandon over Labor Day weekend.

Also in action at Route 66 Raceway will be fellow Mopar Ram PRO Light drivers Luke Johnson and RJ Anderson. Johnson picked up his fourth top-five finish of the season in his Red Bull Mopar Ram in the opener at Crandon, as he continues his rookie season. Anderson, who drives for off-road legend Walker Evans, led the opening lap in the finale at Crandon en route to a fourth-place showing, which marked his fourth top-five finish of the season.

The event begins at Route 66 Raceway on Wednesday, Sept. 14, with a full racing program for PRO Light, PRO 2 and PRO 4, including practice, qualifying and feature races, and ends on Thursday, Sept. 15 with another full racing program. For more information on the Traxxas TORC Series, visitwww.torcseries.com.

Mopar-First Features
Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including:

• Camper trailers: first to introduce off-road camper trailers
• Vehicle-information apps: first to introduce smartphone vehicle-information applications, a new channel of communication with consumers
• Electronic owner manuals: first to introduce traditional owner manuals in a DVD and brief user-guide format
• Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS): first to market with a new interactive vehicle tracking device that sends owner a text when vehicle is driven too fast or too far based on pre-set parameters
• 2011 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak: first to introduce a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag-race package car
• Wi-Fi: first to offer customers the ability to make their vehicle a wireless hot spot
• WiTECH: first to support vehicle diagnosis and software updates leveraging off-the-shelf personal computers and a dedicated wireless tool network

About the Mopar Brand
Mopar is Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand.

Mopar distributes approximately 280,000 parts and accessories in more than 90 countries and is the source for all original-equipment parts for Chrysler, Jeep_®, Dodge and Ram Truck vehicles. Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles—a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at http://www.mopar.com.

More than 70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It also was widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s—the muscle-car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “special parts” for super-stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.

CRANDON, WI—Winner of the 2010 AMSOIL Cup and three-time Cup champion Scott Douglas nearly scored a fourth when he finished a close second to PRO 2WD driver Chad Hord at Crandon International Raceway. After heavy rains and a hectic race schedule pushed teams to the limit, only two PRO 2WD drivers elected to race. The PRO 2WDs are not quite as quick as the PRO 4X4s, so they are given a head start. To win, a PRO 4×4 driver like Scott Douglas must not only beat all the other trucks in his class, but also catch and pass the PRO 2WDs.

Douglas rounded turn one in fifth place and quickly settled into a very fast pace. The AMSOIL Cup is an all-out sprint race. Scott battled through the PRO 4X4 field, passing Johnny Greaves for the lead on lap four. Unfortunately, Chad Hord was out in front alone and able to run perfect lines in clean air. Scott Douglas was turning lap times an average of 2-seconds faster than Hord, but with the PRO 2WD head start, there simply wasn’t time to run him down. Scott did catch and pass AMSOIL teammate Mike Oberg on lap six, but Hord simply didn’t make a mistake and crossed the finish line just in front of Douglas.

“For me, the AMSOIL Cup is a very special race. Without the pressure of season class points on the line, I get to go out there and run flat-out. It’s a total commitment in every corner and every jump,” stated Douglas after the race. “Special thanks to AMSOIL for continuing the Cup race tradition here at Crandon on Labor Day weekend. It’s something I look forward to all year. When you add in the huge crowd and all the great race fans, the AMSOIL Cup is the best race on the schedule.” Douglas’ recent record in Cup races is impressive. Last Spring he finished second in the Chairman’s Cup and last fall Douglas won the inaugural AMSOIL Cup at Crandon, then finished second at the 2011 AMSOIL Cup.

The TORC Series presented by AMSOIL ran a make up points race on Friday along with two regularly scheduled races on Saturday and Sunday. In Friday’s PRO 4X4 race, Douglas elected to run the manual transmission truck and finished fourth, just off the podium. Round 9 of PRO 4X4 racing on Saturday was a disappointment for the Douglas Motorsports team. Scott was charging hard up through the pack when the transmission shifting fork broke leaving him with only third gear. Even with just one gear, Douglas finished 8^th to salvage valuable season points.

The decision was made to switch to the identical automatic transmission AMSOIL PRO 4X4 for Round 10 on Sunday. A wise move considering the rapidly changing track conditions. Douglas diced through the field quickly and was running in second closing on Adrian Cenni with 1-1/2 laps to go. That’s when a fluke mechanical failure caused the AMSOIL F-150 to go up in flames. A relief valve blew the front seal out of the transmission and sprayed tranmission fluid on the headers. The fire was so big it melted most of the hoses and wiring. The crew had to hustle to get the truck ready to race in the AMSOIL Cup race later in the day.

Scott Douglas is in third place in PRO 4X4 points, with four rounds of racing to go. The TORC Series heads to Chicagoland Raceway on September 14^th and 15^th to kick-off the Chase for the Cup NASCAR week. In addition to the Discovery Channel HD Theater coverage, the Chicago race will air live on the Speed Channel September 15^th during primetime.

Be sure to catch all the 2011 TORC Series race action on Discovery HD Theater. Douglas Motorsports would like to thank all their great fans and sponsors, including; AMSOIL, BFGoodrich Tires, Baileigh Industrial, KC Hilites, MasterCraft Seats,  Fox Shox, Walker Evans Racing Wheels, Raceline Oil Pumps, Miller Electric, BorgWarner, VP Racing Fuels, Ringers Gloves, Hawk Performance, Howe Performance Power Steering, J&H Transmission, MSD, Peterson Fluid Systems, and Phil’s Inc.

Holland, MI (September 8, 2011) – The Labor Day Weekend event in Crandon was the first time the #21 Allstar Performance, Venom Energy sponsored Ford Ranger saw action on the track since the practice incident at Charlotte. In fact when Ross Hoek Motorsports arrived at the track early Friday morning, the #21 Ford Ranger would need several more hours of prep time before it was ready for competition. Realizing magnitude of work still needed, Ross and his team didn’t rush the situation and had the truck ready for Sunday’s Round 10 race action.

The race weekend was plagued with intermittent rain showers during all three days of competition. This caused track conditions to vary greatly depending on when your class was scheduled to run. When the PRO-Light group lined up for Sunday’s race, the group was fortunate enough to have blue skies and a fairly dry race track.

Round 10 had twenty PRO-Light trucks line up side by side in two rows deep for the Crandon land rush start. Due to missing the last four rounds of racing, Ross was at a disadvantage with a second row starting position.  The race was scheduled for ten green flag laps with a mandatory yellow / caution lap at the halfway point of the race to bunch up the field.

The start saw the #21 Allstar Performance, Venom Energy sponsored Ford Ranger quickly move into eighth place by the second lap. When the mandatory yellow came out Ross was in sixth place and was looking to challenge for a spot on the podium. After the field went back to green flag racing, the #21 Ford Ranger began to have carburetor issues, slowing the pace of the race truck. After ten hard fought laps, Ross Hoek crossed the finish line in ninth place.

“After Charlotte, our truck was a disaster,” recalled Ross Hoek. “We really took a hard hit and we tore the engine right loose in the chassis; I knew if we rushed the repairs it would come back to bite us. When we arrived at Crandon we still had to finish all the wiring and plumbing as well as mount the body and a brand new ISP containment seat. It took us until late Saturday afternoon to get our hot rod running and Sunday afternoon we barely made the call to the green flag.”

“As far as the racing, we had a great first half of the race considering we started in the second row. Then after the mandatory yellow we developed a miss in the carburetor and this really hurt the truck coming out of the corners. Other than carb issue, the truck is in really great shape and after a couple days back at the shop  the #21 Allstar Performance, Venom Energy sponsored Ford Ranger will be ready for Chicagoland.  I need to commend my crew for totally rebuilding this truck and having it ready to compete with no test time prior to the race.   We almost called it a year after that wreck but getting back on the track now will make us better prepared to run for the 2012 Championship!”

Ross Hoek Motorsports would like to thank its sponsors including:

Allstar Performance – Venom Energy Drink – Royal Purple Synthetic Oils BFGoodrich Tires  Herculiner -  ISP Seats

Optima Batteries – Invisible Glass

Turn One Power Steering – MSD Ignitions – Auto Trans Design

Royal Purple Synthetic Oil – Jeff’s Bronco Graveyard – T&D Machine Products AeroQuip – Lane Automotive – Rem Chemicals – Fox Racing Shox

Motor State Distributing – Auto Meter

photos – Mike Roth Photography

Crandon, WI 9/4/2011 – Aside from getting his first pro-light win, Brad Lovell could not have had a better weekend at the World Championships in Crandon, WI. Including a makeup round from the spring, the pro-light class faced 3 races that were wedged between dousing rainstorms.

Action started Friday afternoon on a near perfect track. Lovell got a good run at the start and held leader Andrew Caddell for the entire race. The two trucks separated from the pack but Lovell was unable to put the AMSOIL Nissan in passing position. The effort landed the team their second runner-up finish at Crandon. Brad adds, “We made some risky decisions in the shop this month about where to invest our time (rock racing or shot course) and it paid off. We’re running with the big dogs now!”

Saturday’s weather dampened spirits and cancelled qualifying. After studying the radar, TORC officials perfectly timed a lapse in rain and got the track in great shape for the pro-light race. Starting 4^th (based on points) in a field of 20 trucks, Lovell got a great run and passed Hubinette in turn #1. “I had such a strong run I could have taken the lead into turn 2 but got boxed out. I was again chasing Caddell, the truck felt perfect, and I knew I could catch him.” Lovell pushed hard but also faced a battle from a hard charging Brian Deegan who would eventually pass Lovell for 2^nd. The top 3 trucks had again pulled away from the field and the AMSOIL / Torchmate Nissan easily gained another podium finish.

With brimming confidence, the team made adjustments to ready the truck for what would be the wildest race of the weekend. Rain had annihilated the track which was now a slick blue groove with a harsh slimy shoulder. “We had two sets of BFG’s ready and didn’t make the call until just before the race,” comments Brad, “It paid off and I got a good start but was somehow smashed by another truck. It hit so hard it blew the air tube off my helmet. I collected the truck but was in the back of the pack. I was fighting traffic and got a little nudge in a turn which sent me completely off the track. I drove on the right two wheels for an eternity trying to save a roll and find the course. When I got back on I was way back and knew I faced a fight. I kept picking them off and a few guys spun. Before I knew it, I was looking at the leaders again!” Lovell made an amazing comeback and would again finish on the podium to round out the team’s best weekend yet.

To cap it all off, Lovell moved from 6^th to 2^nd in series points. “I can’t believe it,” added Brad, “I am fortunate to have an amazing group of volunteer friends and family that are behind me. Roger made it out for this event which added to an already stellar crew. To be sitting 2^nd at this point in my pro-light career is a big confidence booster because we are catching the big teams even though they are outspending us. I can’t wait for Chicago!” The team would also like to congratulate fellow AMSOIL / Nissan / BFGoodrich / Fox teammate Chad Hord for capturing the AMSOIL Cup.

The next round of TORC racing is only a week away at the Route 66 Raceway in Chicago, IL. The midweek race will open for the first NASCAR Sprint Cup chase race at the adjoining speedway. TORC trucks will race the evenings of 9/14 and 9/15. Racing will be live on the SPEED Channel Thursday 9/15 from 8 pm to 10 pm CST. Otherwise follow Lovell Racing on Facebook and watch AMSOILRacing.com for live coverage of the races. 

 

www.taylorsofforoadracing.com

The Monster Energy Off-Road team battled the field and weather to come away with a single podium. Weather is always a factor in Crandon and Sundays racing would not be immune to mother natures wrath.

Song Info: Be Careful What You Wish For [INSTRUMENTAL] By Memphis May Fire
Available on Bullet Tooth Records

Directed by The Martelli Brothers. Produced by Mad Media.

The Monster Energy Off-Road team battled the field and weather to come away with a single podium. Weather is always a factor in Crandon and Sundays racing would not be immune to mother natures wrath. Rain soaked the track overnight and into the first half of the day turning the Pro-2  race into a “Who can survive the mud?” race. Marty Hart got a good start slipping by (literally) the competition moving up to third place. But the combination of running a manual transmission and the unpredictable track conditions took him out of the race. Hart slid into a giant mud bank in the back section of the racecourse and was stuck until a support vehicle could pull him out of the three and a half foot bank of mud. “That was crazy! I was just trying to get around the track. I couldn’t control the truck at all. Racing in conditions like this sucks because we don’t really get to race, we just have to survive.” Stated Hart.

Johnny Greaves had a rough start in Pro-4 getting caught in traffic into turn one. Undeterred Greaves stayed focused and fought his way up to 2^nd through the traffic, rain and super muddy track conditions. As Greaves began to stalk down the race leader Adrian Cenni he got a right rear flat causing him to go into the hot pits for a spare. Greaves returned to the race to get the finish putting him in the points lead for the championship as the weekend concluded.

Casey Currie and CJ Greaves both went out swinging in Pro-lite and managed to get through turn one in the front pack. Currie fought his way up to 3rd before he succumbed to a wheel/tire failure due to the combination of giant holes and embedded rocks. After getting a spare Currie returned to the race to get a finish. CJ also had a tire failure late in the race and was unable to return to the race in time.

CJ also racked up a first place finish in Pro-buggies earlier in the day besting a stacked field of experienced competitors. At just 16 years old, he undoubtedly has a bright future in off-road racing.

The Cup race is a spectacle to behold! The race puts pro-2’s and pro-4’s against each other in war to see who can get to the finish first. The pro-2’s are started first in an effort to even out the competition between the two classes. The Pro-2’s rarely win. The Pro-4’s rocketed off the line as Johnny Greaves managed to get into the front pack. After some heated battling Greaves got in a tangle in the back section with a group of pro-4’s, but managed to get through by driving over Kyle Leduc’s front hood. Greaves managed to get to third place before the checkered flag. “We got tangled up behind Kyle and I knew after that it was going to be hard to catch Chad Hord. I will take the podium, but I want that cup. I will be back for it next year! I hope the fans enjoyed the racing. I am glad they stayed and braved the weather. The fans at Crandon are the best off-road fans in the world!” stated the war torn Greaves.

Photos by Vincent Knakal of Mad Media

[Show as slideshow]

Menzies Wins Second Straight for Mopar and Ram Truck at Crandon  

• Bryce Menzies scores fourth victory in PRO 2
• Rob MacCachren finishes on the podium in PRO 2
• Andrew Caddell notches runner-up finish in PRO Light

Crandon, Wis. (Sept. 4, 2011) —  Mopar® Ram Truck driver Bryce Menzies was victorious for the second consecutive day with the Traxxas TORC (The Off-Road Championship) Series in PRO 2 at Crandon International Off-Road Raceway in Crandon, Wis. on Sunday, scoring the win in the finale of the World Championship Off-Road races.

“It was another incredible weekend for Mopar and Ram at Crandon,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “Congratulations to Bryce Menzies on both of his victories this weekend, and to Andrew Caddell on his two wins for Mopar and Ram. The Mopar power and the durability of the Ram are second to none and continue to keep our brands at the front of the field in TORC.”

“Once again it was a great three days for Ram Truck and Mopar,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO – Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico. “To score four more this weekend and to now have 16 victories in 2011 is beyond our expectations in our inaugural season in TORC. We look forward to returning to the track at Chicago and contending for wins at that great venue.”

Menzies lined up in the sixth spot for the “Land Rush” standing start in his Red Bull Mopar Ram and powered his way into second as the field reached the first turn, on a very muddy track, as rain fell throughout the nine-lap event, with fellow Mopar Ram driver Rob MacCachren running third at the drop of the green.

Menzies was running second to Scott Taylor when the mandatory competition caution flew on the fifth lap, and restarted in that position, keeping pace with Taylor over the next two circuits. The Las Vegas native took the lead with two laps to go, coming off the final turn in nearly the exact spot he took the lead on Saturday on his way to a victory. Menzies would pace the final two circuits to pick up his fourth win of the season.

“That was one of the wildest races I’ve ever been in, with all the rain and mud,” said Menzies. “I definitely had to be patient and went through every single tearoff I had on my helmet. The Mopar powerplant under this Ram was awesome, and they are definitely giving us the power and the truck to win. It was just a great weekend for my entire team.”

Menzies currently has a 26-point lead on MacCachren in the standings, as he chases a title in his rookie season in PRO 2. Menzies has finished in the Top-Five in all nine rounds of racing contested thus far this season.

“We just have to keep doing what we are doing and I think we can bring home this championship,” said Menzies. “We’ve had a good truck all year and we just have to be smart and not make any mistakes. I can’t wait for the next race in Chicago.”

MacCachren recovered from an early spin to work his way back to the front and earned a podium finish in third in his Mopar Ram, which marked his best finish since breaking his collarbone last month.

Andrew Caddell, who won on Friday and Saturday in PRO Light in his Mopar Ram, finished second in the finale at Crandon on Sunday. The native of Graham, Wash. ran fourth in the early going, before making a charge to the front. Caddell has finished on the podium in nine consecutive races and extended his lead in the chase for the PRO Light title. Fellow Mopar Ram driver RJ Anderson led the opening lap and wound up finishing fourth, driving for off-road legend Walker Evans team. Samuel Hübinette had driveshaft problems on his truck, ending his race on the fifth lap.

Ricky Johnson had trouble while running second in his Red Bull Mopar Ram in the PRO 4 main event on the fourth lap, as smoke billowed out of the left side of his truck, forcing him to pull off the track. Johnson is currently second in the PRO 4 standings.

The Traxxas TORC Series returns to action, Sept. 14-15 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. for Rounds 11 and 12.

Mopar-First Features
Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including:

• Camper trailers: first to introduce off-road camper trailers
• Vehicle-information apps: first to introduce smartphone vehicle-information applications, a new channel of communication with consumers
• Electronic owner manuals: first to introduce traditional owner manuals in a DVD and brief user-guide format
• Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS): first to market with a new interactive vehicle tracking device that sends owner a text when vehicle is driven too fast or too far based on pre-set parameters
• 2011 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak: first to introduce a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag-race package car
• Wi-Fi: first to offer customers the ability to make their vehicle a wireless hot spot
• WiTECH: first to support vehicle diagnosis and software updates leveraging off-the-shelf personal computers and a dedicated wireless tool network

About the Mopar Brand
Mopar is Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand.

Mopar distributes approximately 280,000 parts and accessories in more than 90 countries and is the source for all original-equipment parts for Chrysler, Jeep_®, Dodge and Ram Truck vehicles. Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles—a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at http://www.mopar.com.

More than 70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It also was widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s—the muscle-car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “special parts” for super-stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.

Menzies & Caddell Score TORC Wins for Mopar and Ram Truck at Crandon  

• Bryce Menzies records third victory in PRO 2
• Andrew Caddell picks up fourth checkered flag in PRO Light
• Ricky Johnson finishes third in PRO 4 

Crandon, Wis. (Sept. 3, 2011) —  Mopar® Ram Truck drivers Bryce Menzies and Andrew Caddell, two of the youngest drivers in the Traxxas TORC (The Off-Road Champion) Series, were victorious for the brands at Crandon International Off-Road Raceway on Saturday, Sept. 3 during the World Championship Off-Road races, in front of a huge crowd at the famed race course.

“Everyone at Mopar is proud of Bryce Menzies and Andrew Caddell on their victories today,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “For Mopar and Ram to now have 15 total wins in our inaugural season of TORC is remarkable. Mopar-Ram drivers continue to set the pace in this series.”

“Ram Truck congratulates Bryce Menzies and Andrew Caddell for reaching Victory Lane at Crandon,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO – Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico. “The Ram Truck-Mopar power combination has proven to be reliable time and time again this year, and shows the brands’ commitment to excellence on the race track.

Menzies used a strong start in the PRO 2 event to jump into third, behind fellow Mopar Ram pilot Rob MacCachren. Menzies ran in that position for the first three laps before getting around MacCachren and moving into second. The Las Vegas native was running second when the mandatory competition caution flew on the fifth lap.

Menzies restarted behind leader Jeff Kincaid and worked on him for a couple of laps, before sliding under Kincaid just before reaching the start/finish line coming off the last turn. Menzies quickly opened a six truck length lead after taking the top spot, en route to his third victory of the season. The win helped him extend his lead in the PRO 2 standings over MacCachren, who suffered suspension damage that ended his race just past the halfway point. Menzies has finished in the top-five in all eight races this season.

“This win is for my entire team,” said Menzies. “They were up until 4:30 this morning working on the truck and came right back at six a.m. to finish it up and make sure it was ready. We had a pretty good start and I had to be a little patient early on and it paid off. The Red Bull Ram Truck felt great all race and we had plenty of Mopar power.”

Caddell won for the second straight day in PRO Light, taking the lead at the drop of the green following the famed “Land Rush” standing start. He quickly opened up an advantage early in the nine-lap contest, with fellow Mopar Ram Truck driver Samuel Hübinette running third and keeping pace with the leaders.

Caddell was out front when the competition caution flew and used a strong restart to quickly open an advantage as the laps wound down. The native of Graham, Wash., who started his 200^th career race on Friday, withstood a late charge from Brian Deegan to pick up his fourth overall win of the season and third at Crandon. Caddell also extended his lead in the PRO Light standings over Hübinette, who finished seventh, after contact with another truck while running third, dropped him to eighth.

“To win again here at Crandon is pretty amazing,” said Caddell. “I was able to get the holeshot at the start, which I didn’t think we would be able to get. My entire team has worked so hard this year and every win is special for them. I can’t wait to come back tomorrow and see if we can pick up another win in this Ram Truck with Mopar horsepower under the hood.”

Ricky Johnson finished third in PRO 4 in his Red Bull Mopar Ram to earn his seventh podium finish of the season. The native of El Cajon, Calif. jumped to second on the opening lap, before a torrid battle with Adrian Cenni for the third spot during the first half of the race. Johnson was running second to rival Johnny Greaves at the halfway point, before Cenni got back around him. Johnson is currently second in the PRO 4 points.

The Traxxas TORC Series wraps up the World Championship Off-Road Races at Crandon International Off-Road Raceway on Sunday, Sept. 4 with a full racing program for PRO Light, PRO 2 and PRO 4, along with the AMSOIL Cup Challenge which will pit PRO 2 and PRO 4 drivers against each other for 10 laps.

Mopar-First Features
Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including:

• Camper trailers: first to introduce off-road camper trailers
• Vehicle-information apps: first to introduce smartphone vehicle-information applications, a new channel of communication with consumers
• Electronic owner manuals: first to introduce traditional owner manuals in a DVD and brief user-guide format
• Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS): first to market with a new interactive vehicle tracking device that sends owner a text when vehicle is driven too fast or too far based on pre-set parameters
• 2011 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak: first to introduce a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag-race package car
• Wi-Fi: first to offer customers the ability to make their vehicle a wireless hot spot
• WiTECH: first to support vehicle diagnosis and software updates leveraging off-the-shelf personal computers and a dedicated wireless tool network

About the Mopar Brand
Mopar is Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand.

Mopar distributes approximately 280,000 parts and accessories in more than 90 countries and is the source for all original-equipment parts for Chrysler, Jeep_®, Dodge and Ram Truck vehicles. Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles—a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at http://www.mopar.com.

More than 70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It also was widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s—the muscle-car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “special parts” for super-stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.

Adrian Cenni wins his second-straight at Crandon
Bryce Menzies tops out in the PRO 2 class and Andrew Caddell remains perfect on the weekend in PRO Lights. Brian Deegan finds success with podium and Traxxas Maxx Cash!

By Pat Schutte   CRANDON, Wisc., (Sept. 3, 2011) – As heavy skies began to open up on the Crandon International Raceway faithful at round, the only thing brighter that the fast-approaching glowing red and yellow blobs on the Doppler was Adrian Cenni’s (Atrium Payroll/Maxxis/Mastercraft Safety) hunters orange Ford, which wrapped missile-like laps around the Crandon track, topping local favorite Johnny Greaves (Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis) and Ricky Johnson (Red Bull/KMC Wheels/Mopar/Ram) in a mad dash for the checkers before the storm hit.   With Greaves leading the race and running strong, the competition yellow flew and regrouped Cenni (2nd) and Johnson, along with Kyle Leduc (Rockstar/Makita/Toyo). The four off-road greats left the rest of the pack in a competition train, only to have Cenni bring the massive crowd to their feet when he returned from the far reaches of the expansive Crandon track – out front of Greaves and putting time on the Wisconsin native.   “I some weird way I liked chasing him (Cenni),” said Greaves. “And I’m kinda proud of him.”   Cenni, who scored his first career TORC PRO 4 win at Crandon on Friday, was again pumped with his team’s effort on Saturday at the legendary short course off-road track: “We had some contact and I did my best to get around (Greaves) clean … my team did such a great job today. I’m really, really proud of them.”   Racing back to the checkers Johnson was right on Greaves, but not in a position to pass – so he held onto 3rd. Fourth place went to Leduc while Mark Jenkins (Traxxas/BFG/AMSOIL) and Steve Barlow (Maxxis/Ebay Motors/Metal Mulisha) came together right at the finish line, bringing a thundering close to TORC’s Saturday at Crandon.   PRO 4     1 11 ADRIAN CENNI 9 0 01:23.7 01:20.2 7 2 22 JOHNNY GREAVES 9 0 01:23.2 01:20.9 7 3 48 RICKY JOHNSON 9 0 01:22.5 01:21.3 3 4 99 KYLE LEDUC 9 0 01:26.3 01:21.4 3 5 83 STEVE BARLOW 9 0 01:27.0 01:23.6 2 6 25 MARK JENKINS 9 0 01:25.8 01:22.9 8 7 47 MIKE JENKINS 9 0 01:30.2 01:23.5 2 8 7 SCOTT DOUGLAS 9 0 01:30.3 01:23.2 1 9 69 MILAN MAZANEC 9 0 01:38.2 01:31.7 5 10 6 CASE GUNDERSON 1 0 01:24.9 01:24.9 1 11 4 TODD LEDUC 7 0 01:33.6 01:24.5 2 12 43 CURT LEDUC 8 0 01:31.2 01:23.6 6     PRO 2 Having already taken the overall Traxxas TORC Series PRO 2 class season points lead from his mentor, Rob MacCachren (Traxxas/Mopar/AMSOIL) on Friday at Crandon, Bryce Menzies (Red Bull/KMC Wheels/Mopar/Ram) took advantage of an apparent Jeff Kincaid (Traxxas/Ford/BFG) mechanical malfunction late in the race and to record his 3rd win of the season with a hard-charging effort at the track where he holds the class fastest lap record.   “I can’t thank my team enough for setting this truck up – it ran as good today as it did earlier in the year at Crandon when we set the track record,” said Menzies. “Was hoping Jeff (Kincaid) and I could give the fans a great show with run to the end, but he ran into some trouble and that pretty much wrapped things up for us.”   For a time it looked like a rematch of the Menzies vs. Chad Hord (BOSS Snowplows/AMSOIL/Nissan) battle for 2nd place at Crandon on Friday was going to rematerialize, but Hord just didn’t have enough for the PRO 2 points leader as Menzies maintained a consistent 1.5 to 2-second lead on the Michigan local.   Benefitting the most from the mandatory restart was Marty Hart (Monster Energy/Maxxis/Toyota), who jumped up two spots to 4th. And just about as soon as Hart moved into 3rd, MacCachren, whose truck was limping to begin with, had a rear shock come flying off his truck which ended his day – and seriously dashed his 2011 TORC PRO 2 title hopes.   Kincaid, who had locked down the Oakley Bomb Award for the fastest PRO 2 lap, pulled off the track on the top of the right hand sweeper, obviously bummed that what looked to be in the bag in terms of a second-straight Crandon win was now done.   So with Menzies, Hord and Hart on the podium, the top five would be rounded out by Mike Oberg (AMSOIL/BFG/King Shocks) and Mikey Vanden Heuvel (Maxxis/ATD Trans/Boatec), who beat Scott Taylor (Miller Electric Welders) to the line for 5th in a great battle between those two that lasted the whole race.   PRO 2     Place No. Name 1 7 BRYCE MENZIES 2 9 CHAD HORD 3 15 MARTY HART 4 80 MIKE OBERG 5 77 MIKEY VANDEN HEUVEL 6 8 SCOTT TAYLOR 7 33 DOW WOERNER 8 4 JEFF KINCAID 9 21 ROB MACCACHREN 10 29 KEITH STEEL   PRO Light   For the second straight day Andrew Caddell (Traxxas/Mopar/AMSOIL/BFG) took charge of the TORC PRO Light class, pulling the holeshot, leading the race from green to checkers – and   But while the fans had one eye on Caddell, the other was trained intently (as was Caddell’s spotters’ eyes) on Brian Deegan (Rockstar/Metal Mulisha/Traxxas). The former supercross racers, X Games freestyle motocross star and, more recently, rally racer was on fire, getting past Samuel Hubinette (Traxxas/Mopar/AMSOIL/BFG) and Brad Lovell (AMSOIL/BFG/Torchmate) in his pursuit of the podium. Deegan would clock the Traxxas Maxx lap for the fastest PRO Light spin around the 1.5 mile Crandon track with a 1:27.113 in his pursuit of Caddell, but ran out of time. Lovell rounded out TORC PRO Light podium in 3rd.   Said Caddell: “I knew Deegan would be coming. Heard over the radio ‘He’s third and moving up,’ and I was like ‘OK, here we go.’   Added Deegan: “It’s cool to race in front of so many people.”   Noteworthy: Deegan was driving Caddell’s 2010 truck that holds the TORC PRO Light track record at Crandon.   Rounding out the top five in the PRO Light class on Saturday were Shawn Morris (Maxxis/Chevy) and defending TORC Series PRO Light champ Casey Currie (Monster Energy/General Tire/Nissan) in 4thand 5th, respectively.   PRO Light     Place No. Name 1 43 ANDREW CADDELL 2 38 BRIAN DEEGAN 3 44 BRAD LOVELL 4 27 SHAUN MORRIS 5 1 CASEY CURRIE 6 11 RANDY ELLER 7 77 SAM HUBINETTE 8 37 RJ ANDERSON 9 17 MITCH DORR 10 73 ERIC RUPPEL 11 4 JASON JANUSZ 12 8 MIKE PORTER 13 7 KEEGAN KINCAID 14 76 ANDY ZIPPERER 15 14 LUKE JOHNSON 16 33 CJ GREAVES 17 30 MARK OBERG 18 5 TODD CUNNINGHAM     Unofficial TORC season overall points   PRO 4   1 22 GREAVES JOHNNY TOYOTA/MAXXIS 181 3 2 48 JOHNSON RICKY RAM/BFG 175 2 3 7 DOUGLAS SCOTT FORD/BFG 154 1 4 25 JENKINS MARK FORD/BFG 130 0 5 83 BARLOW STEVE FORD/MAXXIS 128 0 6 47 JENKINS MIKE FORD/BFG 118 0 7 11 CENNI ADRIAN FORD/MAXXIS 94 2 8 69 MAZANEC MILAN 66 0 9 32 DREWS AL FORD/BFG 38 0 10 99 LEDUC KYLE FORD/TOYO 30 0 11 6 GUNDERSON CASE 6 0 12 4 LEDUC TODD FORD/TOYO 5 0 13 43 LEDUC CURT FORD/TOYO 4   PRO 2   1 7 MENZIES BRYCE RAM/BFG 176 3 2 21 MACCACHREN ROB RAM/BFG 156 2 3 9 HORD CHAD NISSAN MOTORSPORTS/BFG 149 1 4 4 KINCAID JEFF FORD/BFG 139 2 5 8 TAYLOR SCOTT FORD/BFG 122 0 6 80 OBERG MIKE CHEVY/BFG 116 0 7 15 HART MARTY TOYOTA/MAXXIS 112 0 8 77 VANDEN HEUVEL MIKEY CHEVY/MAXXIS 110 0 9 29 STEELE KEITH CHEVY/KUMHO 30 0 10 10 ADLER GREG FORD/BFG 28 0 11 30 PIERCE ROBBY FORD/BFG 18 0 11 33 WOERNER DOW CHEVY/BFG 18 0 13 218 BAKER MICHAEL 0 0 14 217 BADOUX DAN FORD/BFG 0   PRO Light   1 43 CADDELL ANDREW RAM/BFG 2 1 CURRIE CASEY NISSAN/GENERAL 3 77 HUBINETTE SAM RAM/BFG 4 44 LOVELL BRAD NISSAN MTRSPT/BFG 5 27 MORRIS SHAWN CHEVY/MAXXIS 6 5 CUNNINGHAM TODD CHEVY/MCK TMP 7 11 ELLER RANDY FORD/MAXXIS 8 37 ANDERSON RJ RAM/GOODYEAR 9 14 JOHNSON LUKE RAM/BFG 10 33 GREAVES CJ TOYOTA/MAXXIS 11 73 RUPPEL ERIC FORD/BFG 11 4 ELLENSON/JANUSZBRETT/JASONTOYOTA 13 17 DORR MITCH FORD/GDYR 14 76 ZIPPERER ANDY FORD/BFG 15 21 HOEK ROSS FORD/BFG 16 38 DEEGAN BRIAN FORD/BFG 17 8 PORTER MIKE FORD/BFG 18 7 KINCAID KEEGAN FORD/BFG 19 18 BAKER MICHAEL FORD 20 30 OBERG MARK 21 29 RAYFORD CHAD  NISSAN 22 26 PETERSON DERRY   Saturday Sportsman class results from Crandon   1600 Light     1 73 STEVE OMAN 5 0 01:49.3 01:49.3 5 2 28 MATT SOLKA 5 0 01:50.2 01:50.2 4 3 72 GREG STINGLE 5 0 01:47.6 01:47.6 5 4 95 MATT GERALD 5 0 01:45.2 01:45.2 5 5 14 BILL KORTENS 5 0 01:50.3 01:50.3 5 6 17 BARRY WHALEN 5 0 01:50.8 01:50.8 5 7 0 CRAIG PAITL 5 0 01:49.9 01:49.9 5 8 77 MATT ASHER 5 0 01:55.5 01:50.7 2 9 151 BILLY BUTH 5 0 01:52.3 01:52.3 5 10 81 MICHAEL CAREY 5 0 01:53.1 01:53.0 3 11 188 BEAU AMBOS 5 0 01:51.6 01:51.6 5 12 187 JUSTIN FOLKMAN 13 120 TRACI FLEISCHMAN 5 0 01:53.0 01:53.0 5 14 44 STEPH PAITL 5 0 01:54.7 01:54.7 5 15 111 JOSH FRANKLIN 5 0 01:52.2 01:52.2 5 16 169 ERIC LEAR 5 0 02:00.0 01:58.3 4 17 26 CRAIG RABE 5 0 02:00.2 02:00.2 5 18 170 WENDY LEAR 5 0 02:11.1 02:03.3 1 19 125 JAMIE KLEIKAMP 3 0 01:52.1 01:52.1 2 20 119 MAGGIE ZIPPERER 2 0 01:57.6 01:57.6 2 21 104 SPENCER FEDDER 2 0 03:30.1 02:27.9 1 22 9 TODD LEMKE 1 0 01:53.2 01:53.2 1     Stock Truck   Place No. Name Laps Adjust Last Time Fast Time Fast Lap Misc 1 587 MATT IVES 5 0 02:01.4 02:00.7 3 2 526 BOB BIRKHOLTZ 5 0 02:00.9 02:00.9 5 3 517 BEN WIERZBA 5 0 02:00.3 02:00.3 5 4 599 BOB REINHARDT 5 0 02:00.9 02:00.9 5 5 555 NICK BAUMGARTNER 5 0 01:59.4 01:53.9 4 6 521 TROY PETERSON 7 512 MARC ROGACZEWSKI 5 0 02:08.5 02:08.5 5 8 538 ROBERT CLEMO 5 0 02:06.9 02:03.6 3 9 577 MATT DALE 5 0 02:16.7 02:15.3 4   Classix     Place No. Name Laps Adjust Last Time Fast Time Fast Lap Misc 1 631 SCOTT MUELLER        5 0 02:18.9 02:06.5 2 2 612 JAKE VANDERVOORT 5 0 02:17.0 02:17.0 5 3 699 PETE DELOREY 5 0 02:20.1 02:20.1 5 4 682 KURT SCHUCH 5 0 02:15.6 02:15.6 5 5 687 MIKE MISCHLER 5 0 02:22.9 02:22.9 5 6 621 ROB WEILAND 5 0 02:41.7 02:16.8 4 7 640 AARON KONITZER 5 0 02:30.3 02:18.3 4 8 606 WILLIAM GROBOWSKI 5 0 02:19.0 02:19.0 5 9 646 JEREMY FORBES 5 0 02:28.0 02:28.0 5 10 696 JEREMY DRAKE 3 0 02:32.1 02:29.6 1 11 604 SHANE THEIL 12 613 DALE CHESTNUT 1 0 02:12.1 02:12.1 1 13 601 BILL WILSON 1 0 02:28.4 02:28.4 1

The Monster Energy Off-Road Team charged Day 2 of Crandon taking two podiums! Marty Hart managed to put it together in Pro-2 and come up with a third place finish after a hard fought battle. “It feels good to be on the podium! Now I just want to move up a couple spots. The truck feels good. It’s on for Sunday!” stated the confident Hart.

Crandon favorite Johnny Greaves dominated the Pro-4 class leading every lap until the last couple where Adrian Cenni got around him. Greaves still held on to 2nd. ” I made a mistake in the back section and allowed Cenni to get around me. It felt good to get the hole shot. I am ready to let it all hang out Sunday!” stated the champ.

In Pro-lite Casey fought back in forth through the field and finished a solid 5th place.

More action today including the notorious “Cup Race” that pits Pro-2′s and Pro-4′s against each other in an all out battle for off-road supremacy!

Photos by Vincent Knakal of Mad Media

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Crandon laid under a thick cloud of rain this morning and rumors of a cancellation where floating around, but mother nature seems to be a race fan and let the sun out throughout most of the day.

PROLITE

Today’s Prolite race started out similar to yesterday’s. Andrew Caddell right away stole the lead and never gave it away for the remainder of the race. Then the usual suspects lined up for battle.  Brad Lovell, Sam Hubinette, Brian Deegan, Schaun Morris, CJ Greaves and Casey Currie.

Not much changed in the positions until right after the mandatory yellow flag when Deegan inched himself from 5th to 4th, 3rd and then 2^nd place. The last 2 laps then had every fan on their feet watching Deegan chipping away on Caddell for the win, but all he could get was fast lap while trying.

Top 5:

1. Andrew Caddell
2. Brian Deegan
3. Brad Lovell
4. Sam Hubinette
5. Casey Currie

PRO2

Pro2  made for an interesting race until the checkered flag dropped.  Jeff Kincaid had the hole-shot out of the infamous Crandon turn 1 and he then defended it all the way until his truck let him down with some mechanical problems late in the race.

After Kincaid we had Bryce Menzies running up front followed by Rob McCachren then Chad Hord and Marty Hart. They where running hard with their Rev limiter kicking in on the straights yet maintaining huge gaps in between each other.

Right before the yellow flag Rob McCachren pulled over just to get passed by the entire field due to a failing drive shaft.

At the end it was Bryce Menzies, Chad Hord and Marty Hart on the podium

Top 5:

1. Bryce Menzies
2. Chad Hord
3. Marty Hart
4. Mike Oberg
5. Mikey Vanden Heuvel

PRO4

The Pro4 race was again the most exciting one of the three races we are reporting on. Johnny Greaves ran away with a strong lead early on and it looked like it was his to keep, but yesterday’s winner Adrian Cenni was drilling on Ricky Johnson for 2^nd place and ultimately for the win. The crowd was on their feet and when he ultimately passed Johnson and Greaves everyone went crazy rooting for the racer from New York.

The weather took a turn for the worse half way through the race with massive downpours just moments after the checkered flag.

Even long after the race in the local restaurants in town, everyone relived their favorite moment of that Pro4 race.

Top5:

1. Adrian Cenni
2. Johnny Greaves
3. Ricky Johnson
4. Kyle LeDuc
5. Steve Barlow

Words by Klaus Rasch.

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography.

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Follow the Monster Energy Off-Road team as they storm the biggest, most dangerous short course race of the year! Climb in the trucks of Pro-4 Champion Johnny Greaves, Pro-Lite Champion Casey Currie, Pro-2 charger Marty Hart, and rising star in Pro-lite and Pro-Buggy CJ Greaves. We will have new videos posted daily so you won’t miss any of the action!

CRANDON, Wisc., (Sept. 2, 2011) – If Friday’s makeup date for last June’s Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, Crandon International Raceway Brush Run rainout is any indication of how America’s biggest off-road short course race of the season is going to transpire the next two days – well circle the sea of motorhomes because we’re in for an all-out war!

With a full schedule of racing on Friday, from the Sportsman classes to some bang up racing in the PRO Light, PRO 4 and PRO 2 races, Crandon lit up with excitement on Friday as the hillsides were packed with the hooky-playing off-road faithful that make this place so special in world of motorsports in general.

AMSOIL PRO 2 Potawatomi Chairman’s Cup Race Friday results

Five thousand dollars of  extra cash purse money was on hand courtesy of Forest County Potawatomi Enterprises – long time backers of off-road racing in the region – local ace Jeff Kincaid (Ford/BFG) grabbed the holeshot and ran away from fellow northerner Chad Hord (BOSS Snowplows/AMSOIL/Nissan) the PRO 2 victory, including the Potawatomi Governor’s Cup.

“I had the Potawatomis for sponsors for 15 years and we’d never had a better sponsor,” said Kincaid who’s from nearby Argonne, Wisc. “It was a really fun race … just a blast. Chad (Hord) had to make a move to pass me – and the track was getting slippery. So here we are on the podium.”

With Hord coming in with a 2^nd place finish, he had to fight off a feverous charge from Bryce Menzies (Red Bull/KMC Wheels/Mopar/Ram) – who set the Crandon PRO 2 fastest lap record at the Brush Run. Menzies moved into 3^rd place with a pass on Scott Taylor (Miller Electric Welders) right after the competition yellow. Rounding out the top five were Taylor and Marty Hart (Monster Energy/Maxxis/Toyota) in 4^th and 5^th, respectively. Noteworthy: Kincaid would win the Oakley Bomb Award. PRO 2 points leader Rob MacCachren (Traxxas/Mopar/AMSOIL), still nursing an injured shoulder, placed 6^th and lost his PRO 2 lead to Menzies.

AMSOIL PRO 2 Potawatomi Chairman’s Cup

PRO 4

Fan favorite Adrian Cenni (Atrium Payroll/Maxxis/Mastercraft Safety), running the hunter’s orange Ford, recorded his first win ever at Crandon with a holeshot-to-checkers run in Friday’s PRO 4 main. The New Yorker ran a near perfect race, although his truck broke apart in dramatic fashion late in the race – orange pieces flying everywhere as Cenni took the checkers showing off the skeletal workings of his Ford.

“Finally … to win at Crandon is the start of a great weekend,” said an elated Cenni from the Crandon podium. “The team worked extremely hard to get us ready and we were able to come through. Now the show’s going to just keep on getting better and better from here on in.”

Clocking the fastest lap time to back up his victory, Cenni was awarded the prestigious Oakley Bomb Award.

The racing behind Cenni was fast and furious as well with Johnny Greaves (Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis) and Ricky Johnson (Red Bull/KMC Wheels/Mopar/Ram) coming home in 2^nd and 3^rd, respectively, with Scott Douglas (AMSOIL/BFG/MasterCraft Safety) pressuring Johnson for 3^rd and Steve Barlow (Maxxis/Ebay Motors/Metal Mulisha) rounding out the opening night’s PRO 4 top five at Crandon.

PRO 4 Friday results

PRO Light

Andrew Caddell (Traxxas/Mopar/AMSOIL/BFG) opened the Crandon PRO class action on Friday with a wire-to-wire win in the PRO Light class. Pulling the holeshot and leading Brad Lovell (AMSOIL/BFG/Torchmate) and Shawn Morris (Maxxis/Chevy) early, the three would separate from the lead pack after defending TORC Series PRO Light champ Casey Currie (Monster Energy/General Tire/Nissan) went off the track after the finish line jump. Bark River (Mich.) Sunday PRO Light winner Samuel Hubinette (Traxxas/Mopar/AMSOIL/BFG) was also in contention, but a radically shredded tire would put him back a lap.

Currie would charge back hard and, by the competition yellow, was in 4^th place behind Caddell (1^st), Lovell (2^nd) and Morris (2^nd).

On the single file restart the results stayed the same until Morris checked up in the high speed VIP turn and wound up dropping back with a flat rear tire. Currie was all over the back of Morris when he dropped out and easily took over 3^rd. The three would finish the final three laps in that exact order.

“I wasn’t expecting the holeshot,” said Caddell, who also won the Traxxas Maxx Lap Award for the fastest PRO Light lap. “Brad (Lovell) came out strong and stayed right with us the whole way – so hat’s off to him.”

Caddell added that the handling on his PRO Light truck was off a bit, saying: “The handling got a little funky on us, but we took what the track gave us and are happy with the result.”

Rounding out the top five were Todd Cunningham (C&C Racefab/Mickey Thompson Tires) and Luke Johnson (Red Bull/KMC Wheels/Ram/Mopar) in 4^th and 5^th, respectively. Noteworthy: X Games rally racer Brian Deegan (Rockstar/Metal Mulisha/Traxxas) placed 6^th.

PRO Light Friday results

Unofficial TORC season overall points

PRO 4

1 22 GREAVES JOHNNY TOYOTA/MAXXIS 156 3

2 48 JOHNSON RICKY RAM/BFG 154 2

3 7 DOUGLAS SCOTT FORD/BFG 144 1

4 25 JENKINS MARK FORD/BFG 116 0

5 83 BARLOW STEVE FORD/MAXXIS 112 0

6 47 JENKINS MIKE FORD/BFG 106 0

7 11 CENNI ADRIAN FORD/MAXXIS 67 1

8 69 MAZANEC MILAN 58 0

9 32 DREWS AL FORD/BFG 38 0

10 43 LEDUC CURT FORD/TOYO 12 0

11 99 LEDUC KYLE FORD/TOYO 0 0

12 3 LEDUC TODD FORD/TOYO 0 0

PRO 2

2 7 MENZIES BRYCE RAM/BFG 152 3

1 21 MACCACHREN/STEELE ROB/KEITHRAM/BFG 148 2

4 4 KINCAID JEFF FORD/BFG 127 1

3 9 HORD CHAD NISSAN MOTORSPORTS/BFG 125 1

5 8 TAYLOR SCOTT FORD/BFG 108 0

7 80 OBERG MIKE CHEVY/BFG 98 0

6 77 VANDEN HEUVEL MIKEY CHEVY/MAXXIS 94 0

8 15 HART MARTY TOYOTA/MAXXIS 92 0

9 10 ADLER GREG FORD/BFG 28 0

11 29 STEELE KEITH CHEVY/KUMHO 24 0

10 30 PIERCE ROBBY FORD/BFG 18 0

11 33 WOERNER DOW CHEVY/BFG 6 0

12 218 BAKER MICHAEL 0 0

13 217 BADOUX DAN FORD/BFG 0

PRO Light

1 43 CADDELL ANDREW RAM/BFG 163 5

2 1 CURRIE CASEY NISSAN MTRSPT/GNRL 131 0

3 77 HUBINETTE SAM RAM/BFG 127 1

4 44 LOVELL BRAD NISSAN MTRSPT/BFG 108 0

5 5 CUNNINGHAM TODD CHEVY/MCK TMP 96 0

6 27 MORRIS SHAWN CHEVY/MAXXIS 93 0

7 14 JOHNSON LUKE RAM/BFG 91 0

8 33 GREAVES CJ TOYOTA/MAXXIS 89 1

9 37 ANDERSON RJ RAM/GOODYEAR 83 0

10 11 ELLER RANDY FORD/MAXXIS 80 0

11 4 ELLENSON/JANUSZBRETT/JASONTOYOTA/TOYO 45 0

12 76 ZIPPERER ANDY FORD/BFG 44 0

12 73 RUPPEL ERIC FORD/BFG 44 0

14 21 HOEK ROSS FORD/BFG 41 0

15 17 DORR MITCH FORD/GDYR 39 0

16 8 PORTER MIKE FORD/BFG 28 0

17 7 KINCAID KEEGAN FORD/BFG  20 0

18 38 DEEGAN BRIAN FORD/BFG 14 0

19 18 BAKER MICHAEL FORD  7

Friday Sportsman class results from Crandon

Stock Truck

Super Buggy

About TORC

The Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, is the fastest, most punishing short course racing series on the planet! TORC events are packed with flag-to-flag fender banging as drivers push the limits over whoops and jump-filled natural terrain race tracks. Off-road racing fans come from far and wide to experience the most challenging form of high-octane competition. And once they taste TORC for the first time they’re hooked for life!

The Monster Energy Off-Road team storms Day 1 of TORC at Crandon to come away with three podiums! In Pro-Lite Casey Currie managed to battle his way up through the traffic for a solid third place finish. ” I am happy to be on podium. The goal for today was to be on podium without damaging the truck. We have two more days of racing. So from here on out it’s on!” Stated Currie.

In Pro-4 Johnny Greaves also fought his way to a second place finish just on the tails of Adrian Cenni who got his first win at Crandon. “I am glad Adrian got one, but that’s all he is going to get! The next two days of racing that spot on the podium is going to be mine!” stated Greaves.

In Pro-2 Marty Hart charged the stacked field finishing 5th. “I had a few mechanical issues that came up. I will be ready for the next couple days of racing.” stated the confident Hart.

In Pro-Buggy CJ Greaves put on a full court press battling off-road race veteran Larry Job all the way tot the finish where it appeared CJ overtook the lead. After review by officials it was determined Larry held on to first place putting CJ in second. Not bad for a 16 year kid who has only had his drivers license for two months!

Photos by Vincent Knakal of Mad Media

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Crandon Labor Day started out like every day with the usual Downtown exhibition and parade to the nearby race track facilities. The weather was the unpredictable Wisconsin type that brought in plenty of rain in the morning but cleared up into a partially overcast afternoon.

Todays event was unique since Friday was a makeup round from the June/Sprint Crandon race that was rained out while Saturday and Sunday will be the regular scheduled rounds.

ProLite

Caddell lead the entire race, CJ Greaves looked good until he blew up before the yellow flag and Brad Lovell finished 2^nd while Casey Currie took 3 place.

Top3:

1. Andrew Caddell
2. Brad Lovell
3. Casey Currie

Pro4

This was the more exciting race of the day despite the low entry of 9 competitors. Early on into the race Adrian ran away with the lead to never give it up again. The battle was between Greaves, Johnson and Douglas for 2^nd and 3^rd place. Jenkins got into each other a little bit sending Jenkins off track past the finish line.

Top3:

1. Adrian Cenni
2. Johnny Greaves
3. Ricky Johnson

Pro2

Very soon after the green flag dropped a single file formed that didn’t change order much until the end. In fact the Jeff Kincaid the won the race with multiple car lengths behind him.

Top3:

1. Jeff Kincaid
2. Chad Hord
3. Bryce Menzies

If you are the blood thirsty type of fan that hopes for spectacular crashes then your meets where not met at todays racing in Crandon.

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PRO4

Today’s Pro4 race was almost a carbon copy of Saturday and Friday’s races with the addition of rain half-way through the race.  Adrian Cenni killed it again and by lap 2 he was unstoppable; running so far in front of the pack that you would think he is in another faster class.  He wound up winning the race without a challenge.

The two rivals, Ricky Johnson and Johnny Greaves both ran into engine problems, Johnson’s transmission began to smoke early in the race, while Greaves got tangled up and was forced to limp around the track collecting points for the TORC championship.

Half-way through the race the rain kicked in, turning the track into a slippery slope.  Speeds went noticeably down as everyone tried not to slide off track while defending their position.

At the end it was Mark Jenkins in 2nd place followed by Steve Barlow.

Top5:

1. Adrian Cenni
2. Mark Jenkins
3. Steve Barlow
4. Todd LeDuc
5. Mike Jenkins

PRO2

The Pro2 race was a straight up mess.  Heavy rain delayed the start by over one hour over the scheduled time while track officials tried to push the heavy mud away.  Eventually they went green and Scott Taylor held the lead throughout most of the race until he spun-out and lost his podium position. Due to the mud and rain, speeds were a lot lower than what we’re used to for this class, plus they were covered in mud, making it impossible to identify the trucks. When it was all said and done, Bryce Menzies repeated his previous day’s win followed by Mike Oberg and Rob MacCachren.

Top4:

1. Bryce Menzies
2. Mike Oberg
3. Rob MacCachren
4. Chad Hord

PROLITE

Brian Deegan continued where he left off on Saturday.  Up front.  First RJ Anderson had the hole-shot out of turn one, but couldn’t hold on and wound up with a 4^th place finish.  CJ Greaves ran in the front of the pack but after he went too wide in the gravel pit turn he fell from 3^rd towards the back.  Andrew Caddell was fast but only fast enough for 2^nd place.  Brad Lovell finished again on the podium with a solid 3^rd place.  In his only second year of racing short course, the rock crawler by heart made it to the podium all three days.  Deegan took the win in his new V8 making his return to Crandon triumphant.

Top5:

1. Brian Deegan
2. Andrew Caddell
3. Brad Lovell
4. RJ Anderson
5. Randy Eller

AMSOIL CUP

The weekend’s highlight was the Amsoil Cup where the Pro2’s had a 20-second head-start over the Pro4’s for no less than $27,500 in prize money, the traveling trophy, and bragging rights to be the baddest driver of them all.

All bets where set on Adrian Cenni to conclude the weekend with 4 of 4 wins, but after lap 2 his early lead within the Pro4 pack changed when his front wheel drive failed and more things broke after a gnarly landing.

Since the Pro2’s started ahead for a Pro4′s to win they had to get around the Pro2’s entered. Chad Hord in his Pro2 gave them hell and no one came even close to passing him for a solid win in the Amsoil Cup.  It was only the third time in history that a Pro2 has won the cup.

Kyle LeDuc ran up front for a long time but after some fuel pickup issues he fell back all the way to the back but managed to finish 4^th.

Scott Douglas and Johnny Greaves ran at a steady pace the entire time without any major position changes. Good enough for 2^nd and 3^rd place.

Top5:

1. Chad Hord (PRO2)
2. Scott Douglas (PRO4)
3. Johnny Greaves (PRO4)
4. Kyle LeDuc (PRO4)
5. Todd LeDuc (PRO4)

In closing, this was a very exciting Crandon weekend but it’s unfortunate that politics between the two race series prevents a full house of racing. The race fan loses when all of the top competitors are not on hand to race.

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The 2011 TORC Fall Crandon is here! Three days of racing on the fastest, most unforgiving track in all of off-road. Who will win the war between Ricky Johnson and Johnny Greaves? Will Bryce Menzies continue to dominate Pro-2? How will Rob Mac fair with his injury? Who will come out on top in Pro-lite? Here is a little taste of what’s to come. Stay tuned to Race-Dezert.com for live coverage of the “Daytona 500 of off-road racing”.

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

Photos by Vincent Knakal of Mad Media

TORC Crandon live coverage

It’s that time again for the biggest short course race of the year.  Crandon is like the superbowl of short course racing and race-dezert.com is there to bring you the action.

Click here Friday through Sunday for all the race action.

• Race results
• Live video
• Produced videos
• Interviews
• Photos
• Live chat

• Rounds 9 and 10 set for Sept. 2–4 in Crandon, Wis.
• Samuel Hübinette (PRO Light) and Rob MacCachren (PRO 2) chase fourth victories;
Ricky Johnson (PRO 4), Bryce Menzies (PRO 2) and Andrew Caddell (PRO Light)
look for third checkered flags
• MacCachren leads points in PRO 2, Caddell out front in PRO Light, Johnson tied for
top spot in PRO 4

Auburn Hills, Mich. — Mopar® Ram Truck drivers continue to show the way with the Traxxas TORC (The Off-Road Championship) Series, having racked up 12 wins while either leading or sharing the lead in the standings in all three professional classes as they head to Crandon (Wis.) International Off-Road Raceway for the World Championship Off-Road Races, Sept. 2–4.

Samuel Hübinette and Rob MacCachren have each won three times for Mopar and Ram, while Ricky Johnson, Bryce Menzies and Andrew Caddell each have scored a pair of victories for the brands.

“Crandon is a fantastic track, and I’m really looking forward to heading back there in my Mopar Ram,” said Hubinette. “It’s one of the fastest tracks. I haven’t had a whole lot of seat time there, because we had some trouble there back in June. I’m going to have to really learn the corners fast so that I’m ready for Friday’s race. It’s going to be a very busy weekend with races Friday through Sunday.”

Hübinette, who opened the season with a pair of wins in his first-ever two TORC starts, piloting a Mopar-powered Ram, won the most recent PRO Light round at Bark River (Mich.) Raceway on Aug. 14. The two-time Formula DRIFT champion has racked up five podium finishes in seven starts and is currently second in points, just 11 markers out of the top spot.

“I’m out for a championship for my Mopar Ram team and that’s my mission,” said Hübinette. “Every day, every race and every event, it takes focus to bring it home. Crandon is the home of off-road racing and it would mean a lot to make it on the podium there and do well for the fans.”

MacCachren climbs back behind the wheel of the No. 21 Mopar Ram at Crandon in PRO 2, after sitting out the finale at Bark River, as he continues to recover from a broken collarbone suffered earlier this month.

“Everything is coming along pretty well,” said MacCachren, of the healing process. “It’s been over three weeks since I broke my collarbone. I sure wish it was healing faster, but with the collarbone there is no magic that you can throw at it. We are doing everything we can and I’m being extra cautious with it and not pushing the limits anymore than my orthopedic doctors are asking me to. Hopefully everything we are doing is good for it.”

The Las Vegas native won at Crandon earlier this season in the opener of the two-day event in PRO 2, with the finale being postponed by rain. That round will be made up on Friday, Sept. 2.

“I can’t wait to get to Crandon,” said MacCachren. “I have always enjoyed going to Crandon and it’s one of my favorite tracks. That’s the biggest event of the year and has the largest crowd. Our Mopar Ram has been good all year. Everyone on the Jenkins Brothers team has been putting in a lot of effort this year and hopefully we can pick up a few wins at Crandon.”

Johnson, who is tied for the top spot in the PRO 4 standings in his Red Bull Mopar-powered Ram, finished second at Crandon in June. A multiple AMA Supercross/Motocross champion, Johnson won his second race of the season at Bark River on Aug. 14 and has finished first or second in five of the six rounds contested thus far in 2011.

Menzies, a two-time winner in 2011, is currently second in PRO 2 points, and earned a runner-up finish at Crandon in June. The native of Las Vegas scored his second win of the season at in the opener at Bark River on Aug. 13 and has been among the top-five at the checkered flag in all six races this season, piloting a Red Bull Mopar Ram.

Caddell, the current points leader in PRO Light, was victorious at Crandon in June, which was his first triumph of the season in his Mopar Ram. He picked up his second win of the year in the opener at Bark River and has finished on the podium in six consecutive starts.

Also in action at Crandon in PRO Light Mopar Ram Trucks will be Luke Johnson and RJ Anderson. Johnson finished a career-best third in the opener at Bark River and has three top-five finishes this season. Anderson, who drives for off-road legend Walker Evans, has three top-five finishes this year, including a third-place showing in the season opener at RedBud MX in Buchanan, Mich.

The weekend begins at Crandon International Off-Road Raceway on Friday, Sept. 2, with a makeup round for the race that was rained out in June for Pro Light, PRO 2 and PRO 4. Full racing programs for PRO Light, PRO 2 and PRO 4 are set for Saturday, Sept. 3, including practice and qualifying. The weekend wraps up on Sunday, Sept. 4. with main events for each of the three professional classes, along with the AMSOIL Cup Challenge which will pit PRO 2 and PRO 4 drivers against each other for 10 laps. For more information on the Traxxas TORC Series, visit www.torcseries.com.

Mopar-First Features
Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including:

• Camper trailers: first to introduce off-road camper trailers

• Vehicle-information apps: first to introduce smartphone vehicle-information applications, a new channel of communication with consumers

• Electronic owner manuals: first to introduce traditional owner manuals in a DVD and brief user-guide format

• Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS): first to market with a new interactive vehicle tracking device that sends owner a text when vehicle is driven too fast or too far based on pre-set parameters

• 2011 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak: first to introduce a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag-race package car

• Wi-Fi: first to offer customers the ability to make their vehicle a wireless hot spot

• WiTECH: first to support vehicle diagnosis and software updates leveraging off-the-shelf personal computers and a dedicated wireless tool network

About the Mopar Brand
Mopar is Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand.

Mopar distributes approximately 280,000 parts and accessories in more than 90 countries and is the source for all original-equipment parts for Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge and Ram vehicles. Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles — a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at http://www.mopar.com.

More than 70 Years of Mopar

When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It also was widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s — the muscle-car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “special parts” for super-stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.

Rockford, IL (August 29, 2011) – Mitch Dorr is finding the move up to the PRO-Light ranks can be a steep learning curve. The majority of the class has a legitimate shot at the podium. Before Mitch and his #17 Goodyear Tire ATD Ford Ranger can be included in that fraternity, the Northern Illinois native is hard at work fine tuning his race truck to meet the demands of the different tracks on the TORC series trail.

Brad Lovell has won enough races in his storied career to be considered one of the best overall off road racers in history.  His 95% podium rate in everything from rock crawling to rock racing proves the Colorado native knows how to get the job done.  With that level of success, moving into short course racing should have been as easy as building a truck and lining up, right?

Lovell’s rookie season in the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL in 2010 was a mixture of bad luck, rookie mistakes and a huge learning curve.  That curve started to level off towards the end of the year, when Lovell finished as high as fourth in Bark River.  Overall, his lack of podium success left him unfulfilled and he committed himself to being on top in the 2011 Pro Light class.

At the opening round in Red Bud, Lovell showed his hard work in the off-season had paid off.  From the opening lap, Lovell not only led, but pulled away from a very talented field of drivers.  A fuel issue after the mandatory caution dropped Lovell back to 12th, but by leading the opening race gave the AMSOIL driver a much needed boost of confidence.

In Crandon, Wis. this past weekend for the second weekend of TORC racing, that new-found confidence was once again on display.  Lovell grabbed the holeshot at the Crandon’s infamous Turn One, but a major crash behind on the first lap brought out the red flag and a restart.  On the restart, Lovell came out in third, but quickly pushed his way into second behind Traxxas/AMSOIL driver Andrew Caddell.  Lovell continued to push Caddell to the end, coming in second and landing himself his first career podium in off road racing.

“Last year was one of the hardest years of racing I have ever had,” said Lovell. “But we stuck with it, and after Red Bud, we knew we could get on the box in Crandon.”

On Sunday, heavy rains once again curtailed racing at a TORC event this year.  Racing was cancelled for the day and is likely to be made up as part of the Labor Day Weekend schedule at the Big House.

Glenview, IL  ( June 23, 2011) -The second stop of the 2011 Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL once again clashed with Mother Nature. Ninety-seven Sportsman drivers arrived at Crandon looking to get Rounds 3 & 4 of the season under their belts. Saturday’s Round 3 action offered near perfect track conditions all day long. Unfortunately heavy rains later that night cancelled all race activity on Sunday.

Formula 4×4 – 7 competitors

Dave Miah and Round 1 winner Brad LeMarche ran bumper to bumper the entire race with Miah taking the win, LeMarche a close second and reigning class champion Mila Mazanac rounding out the podium.

Classix – 12 competitors

Much of the race saw door to door action between Dave Weiland and Dale Chestnut, with Weiland taking the win. Reigning class champion Chestnut was second, and while Crandon’s own Fay Statenzy closed in on the leaders, finished third.

Stock Truck – 12 competitors

X-Games Snowboarder Nick Baumgartner led flag to flag, as Matt Ives gave it all he had but had to settle for second. Bob Birkholz made a last race move to finish in third.

Super Truck – 6 competitors

Leading flag to flag was Dan Baudoux. Zane Roberts and Bob Gremler battled for the second spot as Gremler took the runner -up spot as Roberts took the final spot on the podium.

Light Buggy – 17 competitors

Matt Gerald got the holeshot never looked back, and took the win. Reigning champion Greg Stingle stayed right with Gerald to take second, and Todd Lemke made a late race pass for third.

1600 Buggy – 12 competitors

Immediately it was a battle between Mark Steinhardt and John Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald took the win with Steinhardt in second. Third place went to Brad Erickson.

Super Stock Truck – 15 competitors

Scott Beauchamp took the lead by lap two and held it all the way to the checkered flag. It took a few laps for Don Demeny to commandeer second place, as the final podium spot nabbed by Larry Maciosek on the final lap.

Super Buggy – 10 competitors

With entries from all across North America, Las Vegas’ Larry Job led flag to flag. Meanwhile Wisconsin’s CJ Greaves kept Job honest finishing a close second, as New Jersey’s Bob Klaus came across the finish in third.

An announcement from TORC will be forthcoming stating when and where Round 4 racing will be hosted.

Sunday morning, John Fitzgerald of Vista, Nebraska was the recipient of the Round 3 FSD Designs $250 Winners Bonus. Then Crandon Team and Sponsor Relations Manager, Javier Sanchez raffled off two Impact helmets from Mastercraft Safety and three sets of Oakley Sunglasses to the Sportsman competitors. Crandon International Off-Road Raceway also announced they were adding $5,000 to the TORC/MORR Sportsman Championship Points Fund.

Even with the threat of rain looming all day Saturday, it was announced that spectator count was the largest Saturday crowd in Brush Run history.

The next race on the TORC Sportsman Race Calendar is July 9-10 at the Langlade County Fairgrounds in Antigo,Wisconsin.