FOX RACING SHOX
NEWS & EVENTS
JOHNNY GREAVES SWEEPS TRAXXAS TORC SERIES IN MICHIGAN
Bark River, Michigan (July 13, 2009) Johnny Greaves, the 6-time off road racing champion, was all smiles Sunday afternoon as he completed a weekend sweep of the 2009 TRAXXAS TORC Series Rounds 7 and 8. Dominating performances this weekend add important series points in his quest to reign as the TORC series champion.Bark River International Raceway welcomed the Traxxas TORC Truck Series to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula amid the 70-degree weather while some 6,000 fans packed the grandstands on both Saturday and Sunday.
Bark River International Raceway is located ten miles Southwest of Escanaba, Michigan along the shores of the beautiful Lake Michigan. The 1.5-mile race course features undulating terrain and boasts the highest elevation change of any race course in the 2009 TORC Series.
The #22 Monster Energy/Toyota/Potawatomi Pro 4X4 was the class of the field on both race days. On Saturday’s Round 7 race, Greaves started in the second row and after just three laps behind the pole sitter, the Wisconsin native jetted to the front of the pack and never looked back.
When the yellow midway caution lap came out, the field of Pro 4X4’s closed the gap on the Monster Energy off road racing superstar. However, as the field returned to green flag racing, the #22 charged out to a comfortable lead. Thousands of fans cheered as Johnny carved his line from the soft Michigan dirt enroute to yet another remarkable victory.
As he climbed from his Mastercraft race seat, the smiling Greaves said, “It’s great to be back in the winner’s circle! We’ve struggled a bit during the first half of the season, but the dedication from my Monster Energy/Toyota/Potawatomi team, along with our racing partners, have allowed us to get back into our winning forum. We had a testing session ten days ago and that help put us back on track. The season’s only halfway over and we’ve got the crosshairs dialed in on the championship. It’s a long way, but the #22 Monster Energy Pro 4 is charging hard.”
Johnny Greaves set the fastest practice time around the 1.5 mile race course in Saturday’s early morning practice and captured his first of two Oakley Bomb Awards that he earned in rounds 7 and 8.
Sunday’s Round 8 race action saw the #22 Pro 4WD begin his charge for victory from the second row side-by-side with the Amsoil #7 truck. As the green flag dropped, the Wisconsin native wicked up the pace early and by the second lap, he had weaved through the field of Pro4X4’s to take the lead.
Greaves pushed his #22 Monster Energy/Toyota/Potawatomi truck just to the edge as he opened up a two second lead on the 2nd place truck. Johnny’s dazzling driving performance was exactly what the thousands of excited fans had come to the Bark River Raceway for. At the mandatory midway yellow caution flag, the chasing field of race trucks all bunched up behind the wicked fast Toyota-powered machine. The green flag dropped and Greaves railed around the 180-degree turn, holding off all racers and immediately jumping out to the front of the field. After one lap, Greaves had already established a one second lead, while running away from the field enroute to a dominating victory at Bark River Raceway.
On the podium, the smiling winner held up an ice cold can of Monster Energy Drink high into the sky celebrating a weekend sweep.
As Greaves signed hundreds of autographs in the Monster Energy/Toyota/Potawatomi Pit Zone, he commented, “Our team has really worked hard to get back into the winner’s circle and the hard work has certainly paid off. We worked closely with our team engineers in getting this #22 Pro 4 back on track and winning certainly demonstrates the capabilities of the truck and our team. Bark River Raceway has always been a track that I enjoy racing at and I’m glad we could have our best performance of the season so far at Bark River.”
Greaves winning ways has catapulted him into the second position in the race for the season championship. This past weekend of racing marks the halfway point of the season and with eight races to go the twenty points that separate the point’s leader and Johnny Greaves is well within reach.
What has proved to be a test of horsepower, driver skill and nerves of steel, 7-time Supercross Champion, Jeremy McGrath, arrived to his #2 Monster Energy Pro2WD primed and ready to rock Michigan’s Bark River Raceway. This would be McGrath’s first visit to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula gem of a track, although he demonstrated early on that Bark River Raceway was much to his liking. The Southern California native, who has often been referred to as “MC”, “Showtime” or “The King” meaning, the King of Supercross, was all business as he climbed from the #2 Monster Energy/Toyota/Potawatomi sponsored truck after practice.
McGrath’s racing teammate, Johnny Greaves, has raced at Bark River Raceway for many years and he and Jeremy made their way around the track several times together. This year the Bark River Raceway racecourse was slightly enhanced by track designers.
With thousands of fans packed into a beautiful amphitheater style area, McGrath started Saturday’s Round 7 of the 2009 TORC series on the front row. McGrath blasted off the start line and got through the 180 degree starting turn unscathed before a battle brewed between him and the chasers, but it was short lived, as the #2 Monster Energy Pro 2 suffered a broken ignition wire after only one lap, which sidelined the 38-year old racing icon.
McGrath had demonstrated over the past two days that he was very fast in the Monster Energy/Toyota/Potawatomi Pro 2WD with a fast practice time of 1:24:099. He was a mere couple hundredths off Rob MacCachren.
McGrath was upbeat while he signed autographs beneath the Monster Energy/Toyota/Potawatomi pit zone after the race. “I’m not happy about the outcome of the race, but these gremlins sometimes appear and take the wind out of your sails early in the race. The crew really gave me a great truck and we experienced a broken ignition wire that is bound to happen when you’re racing as hard and as fast as we are. We’ll be fine and Sunday will be another race day, I’m looking forward to churning up some Michigan dirt. Bark River Raceway is a great track and we’ll be charging hard tomorrow. “
Sunday’s Round 8 was indeed another day for the California racing professional. Once again, Jeremy started on the front row with Dan Vandenhuevel and in the first turn, they were locked in a battle for the top spot. McGrath slid his #2 Toyota powered truck into the second turn and when they emerged from the dust and flying fiberglass he was side-by-side with two other competitors. McGrath rallied through the big bumps and ran a strategic race to the mandatory midway yellow caution flag. As the green flag dropped, McGrath nosed his Pro 2WD into the turn and flat footed the pedal, churning up the Michigan dirt while his BFGoodrich Tires hooked up and provided excellent traction.
With four laps to go, McGrath railed a left hand turn on the inside of Todd LeDuc who went wide, allowing McGrath’s Toyota power to launch him into lead. Jeremy flew high over the top of the massive jump as he continued to lead. McGrath was forced to battle door-to-door and bumper-to-bumper with MacCachren for the final three laps. McGrath held off the short course racing veteran in what many have described as the best Pro2WD race action of the season. McGrath and MacCachren battled in close quarters all the way down to the final turn where Jeremy McGrath finished just off the bumper of MacCachren.
After 8 rounds of the 2009 TORC Series, Jeremy McGrath maintains a top five position in the overall championship point’s race with a total of 133 points.
Monster Energy/Toyota/Potawatomi sponsored Johnny Greaves
Motorsports returns to racing action in the 2009 TRAXXAS TORC Series on August 8-9 for Rounds 9 & 10 in Bark River, Michigan.
The 2009 TRAXXAS TORC Series Rounds 7 & 8 will be broadcasted on ESPN2 on Sunday, July 19, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. Check your local listings for broadcast times near you and visit www.torcseries.com for additional information.
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