The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Annual Awards Ceremony was held on August 22^nd at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, NV.  Although Jack Flannery was unable to attend, nearly 40 Flannery family members were there to represent him.

Jack Flannery

“Those up on the Inductee Wall are the greats of our sport… People like Malcolm Smith, Parnelli Jones, Rod Hall, and Mickey Thompson. The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame is truly enriched by those 2009 inductees who will join them.” said Bob Bower, Executive Director of ORMHOF.  He continued, “We had people from all over; just under 100 of them. There were about 40 in the Flannery contingent, most from Wisconsin, but also other states. From Montana was the J.N. Roberts clan. And from California, Arizona, and Baja came the supporters of Harold Soen. It was the most emotion filled ceremony we have experienced. At the start of the program there were three groups in the room, one for each inductee. At the close of the evening there was but a single group. Each group reached out to the others. Each celebrated, each became transformed, and each embraced the joy and sorrows shared by all.”

The decision was made that Mr. Flannery was to be honored in person, so Bower and ORMHOF Trustee KJ Howe, made the trip to Crandon for the 40th Anniversary Borg Warner World Championship Off-Road Race®, a nationally televised event featuring the best of the best racers in the premiere Pro 4X4 class.  This event also was to be Rounds 9 and 10 in the TRAXXAS TORC Series.

Jack Flannery

On Sunday, September 6^th, with over 40,000 in attendance, Jack Flannery stepped up to the Podium along with 45 family members for a brief presentation.  The Jumbotron lit up with a video documentary* describing Jack as, “The first powerhouse privateer in short-course racing; an expert in all aspects of the sport from track and truck design to serving as an ambassador to sponsors and fans, Jack was a fierce competitor, but the hospitality shown to his West Coast rivals and rising off-road stars helped bridge the gap and unify the sport across the Country.”

More from the video:

“We’re all from the same community, we’re all good friends and we’re just out here trying to hammer first place…I guess it was my turn.” said Flannery in a post race interview.

“Jack Flannery was the King of Crandon.  He owned it…he owned the records, he owned the trophies.  And for a guy like that, a champion who’d invite someone like me out, who was going to try to take that away from him; that says a lot about the character of Jack Flannery.”   Curt LeDuc

“Jack set some pretty high standards and even though I had been doing it for quite a while, Jack was probably some of my most fierce competition that I ever dreamed of at Crandon.” Walker Evans

Flannery’s race resume is long and impressive.  In 1991, Jack secured a factory sponsorship from Chevrolet, quite effectively launching the Chevy Thunder Truck Team. Jack gave Chevrolet their money’s worth with 9 wins in 10 races that year, capturing the championship in the SODA Heavy Metal Class.  Add to that, 6 SODA/ESPN Championships, 2 wins and one second place finish at Pike’s Peak, a win at SCORE’s 1991 Inaugural short-course race in Phoenix, The Borg Warner Cup 1996, Governor’s Cup in 1997 and 1999, and CORR Pro 4 Championship in 1998.    He also traveled west to race the Mickey Thompson Series at Riverside and twice raced the MINT 400.

The House That Jack Built

Crandon "The Big House"

Crandon International Raceway is all about the Flannery Family.  More than 600 volunteers come out each year to help, many named Flannery.   General Manager, Cliff Flannery, (Jack’s brother), is the undisputed busiest man in off-road racing.  During events, Cliff will be seen driving a grader, front-end loader, water truck, track support vehicle (up righting the rollovers and towing the breakdowns), restocking the food and beverage booths and offering directions, help, advice and hospitality to the patrons, media and volunteers.

Jack Flannery

Race Director of 35 years Jake Flannery, (Jack’s Cousin), took us on a slow lap around the course in our rental car, “This thing ain’t made for off-road but this won’t hurt it”. Jake knows the track well, describing every turn, bank, whoop, the good lines, the bad lines and even the composition of the dirt / clay mixture (water retention is important).  We also toured the famous campground area that they call Jurassic Park.  “It gets a little crazy at night here, you’ll see things that you’ve never seen before for sure.” he said.

There was little talk of politics, money, sponsorships and the different promoters in the business.   Feeling as if I were forcing the issue, I finally asked about the sponsorship wars.  Jake brushed it off as “BS” and said, “What’s next year?  If you don’t have a yellow car you can’t race against red ones or what?”

They just want to race here at Crandon… it’s not about the money.   This was evident in an unsolicited comment made by Cliff Flannery regarding a recent offer they received from a group to buy the track.  “It’s not ours to sell; it belongs to the people of Crandon.  They started it; they volunteer every year to run it, it’s theirs, not ours.  It really has no value without them.”

Jack Flannery is in a race against cancer right now.  In a testimonial to his strength and courage, family members donned T-shirts bearing Jack’s name and car number on the back and the words “WHAT A RIDE” on the front in bold caps.  The emotion and support for Jack was evident everywhere at this event.  We wish Jack, his family and the wonderful people of Crandon, Wisconsin the very best and can’t thank them enough for making us a part this incredible, once in a lifetime experience.

From the documentary video, another post-race comment by Jack:

“Even when you can’t go anymore, you got to pick yourself up and keep going, even if you only make a lap.  This time I made it all the way, I got the checkered flag and I’m tellin’ ya’, I feel great.”

*Video produced by Crandon Raceway and Steve Weiss Clubhouse Productions

Robby Gordon Returns to “The Big House” for the First Time in Two Decades

Making an appearance at Crandon International Raceway for the first time in 20 years, Robby Gordon has set his sights on repeating his last performance at the venue dubbed “The Big House.” Gordon, who has been known to pull “double-duty” after lengthy Baja races, will once again show his grit and determination in the motorsports arena by competing at both Crandon International Raceway and Atlantic Motor Speedway in two completely diverse styles of racing. Shuttling back and forth between Crandon for practice, and qualifying in the Sprint Cup at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Robby is certain to have a full Labor Day weekend schedule.

Recent Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee and Crandon native, Jack Flannery, reflected on Gordon’s first appearance at the raceway by commenting, “Walker Evans and Robby Gordon both came out to Crandon in 1989 to run for World Championships and be on ESPN. Robby had a fearless, aggressive driving style that he still has today. He just dominated the weekend, took all our Wisconsin purse money and went back to California. Robby is still the youngest racer to ever win a World Championship title at Crandon. He was fast back in 1989 and he will be fast this year. What a treat for TORC and Crandon off-road race fans. I can’t wait to watch him in action.”

Taking to the track for the 2009 BorgWarner World Championship Off-Road Races, Robby Gordon will pilot his No. 007 Polaris-branded Chevrolet Pro 2WD against other big-name and formidable competitors such as Rob MacCachren, Todd LeDuc, Ricky Johnson, and Jeremy McGrath. With a $10,000 first place prize purse and a historic commemorative anniversary ring on the line, the Pro 2 action during Saturday’s TORC Series Round 11 is sure to be a fierce competition.

Robby Gordon’s return to the Big House isn’t the only big major happening of the week! In honor of the 40th Year Anniversary, Crandon International Raceway has a full schedule of activities planned to celebrate four decades of legendary short-course racing at this historic venue.

Doug Davis, Crandon Off-Road Race Promoter, remarked, “The stage is set for the biggest short course off-road racing event in history, hands down. Thousands of fans are making the trek to Crandon right now. Racers are converging on Crandon from all over the U.S. The biggest names in the sport will be going head-to-head, fender to fender in a brutal display of horsepower and the will to win World Championship titles in 11 race classes. A record number of sponsors are attending. We want to thank TORC, Forest County Potawatomi Community, Traxxas, AMSOIL, BorgWarner, Miller Lite, Ford Trucks, Mole Lake Casino, MasterCraft Safety, Monster Energy,– every single sponsor — for making this kind of major league show possible. On September 4, 5 and 6, off-road racing’s Big House will become Yankee Stadium, Lambeau Field, the Indy 500 all rolled into one. The weekend is going to be a special moment in motorsports history.”

As part of the celebration, the folks at Crandon are offering up a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to ride the original Brush Run 101 race course, coined the “Baja of the Northwoods.” Starting at the original Start/Finish line at the Forest County Fairgrounds in downtown Crandon, the chance to navigate the 25 1/4 mile original race course takes place Wednesday, September 2nd at 10am sharp and is free of charge! Once the green flag drops and the final street-legal vehicle enters the trail, the gates will be locked and no other vehicles will be allowed the enter for who knows how long!

While Thursday September 3rd is sure to bring a “party atmosphere,” Friday will officially kick-off the 40th Year Anniversary celebration with a huge Main Street parade in downtown Crandon. The parade begins at noon however, Main Street closes at 9am to allow fans the opportunity to get up-close and personal with the racecars and also watch the teams participate in crew competitions.

After the downtown festivities, “The Friday Night of Thunder” will get underway as Jeff Kincaid looks to defend his title in the 3rd Annual Forest County Potawatomi ProLight “Decision at Sundown” Challenge Cup. Winning the Challenge Cup in both 2007 and 2008, Kincaid is looking to once again claim the checkered flag and take home the “three-peat” in the ProLight class.

Saturday and Sunday’s racing will also bring the fans undeniable action as the winner of the Pro 4×4 Class competitions has the potential of winning a record-breaking over $40,000 in combined cash prizes. In addition to the purse money, competitors are also vying for the prestigious BorgWarner Sterling Silver Cup and 18k Gold Crandon Cup.

After the final checkered flag drops, the celebrating is far from over! Directly after the last race, the pits open up to fans for autograph signings while the Vic Ferrari Band prepares for a live performance. Following the concert, the weekend’s festivities conclude with an impressive fireworks show as the partying in the campgrounds and pits is sure to continue on into the wee hours of the next morning. The area dubbed as “Jurassic Park” (for its WILD and somewhat unmentionable activities) will be host to anyone who dares enter, but be sure to bring your “A“ game as these guys know how to party!

Not able to make it to Crandon to witness the 40th Year Anniversary celebration for yourself? Tune in or set your DVRs to record ABC’s LIVE coverage of the TORC Series’ BorgWarner Cup Race on Sunday, September 6th at 4pm Eastern Standard Time.