The Off-Road Championship (TORC) series was at Crandon Off-Road International Raceway for rounds seven and eight for the annual Brush Run. The highlight of the the weekend pitted the Pro 2WD and Pro 4WD trucks together in one race.
Crandon raceway is one of the most popular and historic tracks in the United States for short course off-road racing. Racing began in Crandon, Wisconsin in 1970 with the inaugural Brush Run 101 race through the forest which surrounded the small town. Every year, the race brings fans and drivers from all over to duke it out on this historic tracks.
Racing at Crandon is a little different than any other short course around. At Crandon, the drivers do not start in lines; they start as a land rush. All the trucks line up side by side with every driver battling for the hole shot, similar to motocross.
Racing has been a family affair for many years for Johnny and CJ Greaves and that was put to the test at Crandon. CJ Greaves was looking to extend his Pro4 winstreak to four in a row but his father had other plans.
The race was a battle between the Greaves’ with Johnny leading every lap but had his son CJ on his tail the entire race. CJ made a move late and Johnny made a move at the finish line to finish side by side with his son. Johnny was able to pull out the win by .084 seconds.
CJ Greaves was also busy in the Pro 2WD division coming in as the defending class champion. Keegan Kincaid was able to keep Greaves seeing his tail lights as they crossed the finish line. Kincaid won for only his second-career Pro 2WD win.
Day 2, round 8 of racing the Pro 4WD race was just as close as the the prior day pushing the father and son duo to the front of the course. Johnny Graves ended up falling back and CJ was able to claim his fourth class win of the year, while maintaining his points lead.
It seemed like déjà vu again with Keegan Kincaid making the weekend sweep in Pro 2WD. Kincaid was once again able to keep CJ Greaves behind him. Arie Luyendyk Jr was involved in a wreck that totaled his truck and made him unable to compete in the Cup race later in the day.
The race everyone was waiting for came Sunday afternoon putting the Pro 2WD and Pro 4WD trucks up against each other to see who would be victorious. Like the previous races the Greaves’ and Kincaid where out front.
Kincaid took the hole shot from the two-wheel drive trucks taking a substantial lead over class veteran Marty Hart. With only three laps left Kincaid could not hold on any longer allowing both Greaves’ to pass, Johnny and then CJ.
Kincaid could have been having an issue with his truck because as soon as the pass happened he jumped out of his truck which began to catch on fire. Once again it was father and son battling for the win.
Dad’s know best and Johnny held off his son to win the Cup race and the check for $15,000. The Greaves’ took home plenty of hardware from Crandon and will be sure to be in the mix of things when they TORC series comes back to Crandon in September.
Crandon Off-Road International Raceway held true to the history of the track and provided plenty of action and carnage. Fans saw plenty of close racing and did not leave disappointed seeing 3 close battles between father and son, Johnny and CJ Greaves.