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GREAVES / MCGRATH DREAMS DASHED AT 40TH CRANDON
Greaves Motorsports drivers, Johnny Greaves and Jeremy McGrath took to the dirt track at Crandon International Raceway with hopes of multiple victories for the high profile off road race team. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the famed 1.65-mile track, the off road racing icons, Johnny and Jeremy demonstrated they were fast during Crandon’s Friday practice and qualifying sessions.The dynamic duo arrived to the nation’s most sacred off road racetrack and were greeted by hordes of Monster Energy fans. Track officials reported over 50,000 fans in attendance on each of the two race days sandwiched in between the 4-day Labor Day holiday festival.
Led by team owner, Johnny Greaves, the Greaves Motorsports race team was spit shined and polished for Friday’s Crandon Parade celebrating the 40th anniversary of Crandon International Raceway. Fans surrounded the two Monster Energy/Potawatomi/Toyota/BFGoodrich sponsored race trucks as Johnny and Jeremy signed autograph hero cards and posters throughout the event.
The two off road racers were all business when it came to qualifying and the final practice before Saturday’s Crandon World Championship Race, which also doubled as round 11 of the 2009 TORC Traxxas Series.
Saturday Crandon World Championship Race and TORC Round 11.
Johnny Greaves took to the track on Saturday with hopes to repeat as the Crandon World Champion, which he has accomplished on three other occasions in his career, but this year it was destined to be different.
The #22 Monster Energy/Toyota/Potawatomi Pro 4x4 started from the land rush start and was up front early in the race. Greaves barreled into turn one at nearly 100 miles-per hour perched in a premier line. Johnny opened up the throttle on his Toyota Tundra shod with FOX Racing Shox and BFGoodrich Tires in front of the 50,000 fans all standing on their feet watching the epic race action. However, after only unfortunate fate struck early as Greaves made an inside pass on veteran racer, Curt LeDuc, who slid towards the outside and careened off the outside wall back into the #22 Pro 4X4 race truck at speed. Greaves suffered significant damage to the entire passenger side of the race truck including have both front and rear shocks ripped from the truck.
Johnny’s day ended as he was forced to retire from the race pulling off to the inside of the race track ending the chance for the Wisconsin racing hero to captured another Crandon World Championship trophy.
Johnny recapped, “Well, today we had a good run, but just as I just started to get pass LeDuc he came into me off the wall and the truck sustained damage that forced me to pull off the track. The Monster Energy/Potawatomi/BFGoodrich/Toyota truck ran strong and I felt we had a good chance to run up front until we got tangled up with LeDuc. The crew has some work ahead of them but they’ve done it before and they’re already on it in preparation for Sunday’s round 12 and combined Borg-Warner race.”
Jeremy McGrath was poised as he started Saturday’s World Championship Pro 2 WD race, but was cognizant of the importance of maintaining a top spot among the TORC Series point’s race which he is embattled in.
McGrath rallied his race truck early and ran up front with the pack of leaders and made several charges towards the leaders throughout the race. However, after the mandatory mid-way competition yellow flag, McGrath was unable to move up in position and was force to settle for a 5th place overall position.
“Crandon is a special place and racing today in front of this big crowd was pretty exciting, but it was not my day,” said the 7-time Supercross Champion.
Sunday Crandon Borg-Warner Championship Race and TORC Round 12.
Sunday’s combined race took center stage as the Pro 4X4 teams prepared for the afternoon live television broadcast on ABC Sports. As the crew readied for the Borg-Warner televised race, Jeremy McGrath took to Crandon’s one-of-a-kind racetrack in mid-morning for the PRO 2WD race.
The #2 Monster Energy/Potawatomi/Toyota/BFGoodrich backed race truck launched from the land rush start and was rocket fast, but before the first lap was over McGrath, aka “Showtime,” pulled off the track with a destroyed left front A-Arm that rendered the racing professional out of the race. Incidental contact with another truck created the carnage on the Greaves Motorsports PRO 2WD truck.
McGrath commented, “I am really bummed. Curt and the crew put a great prep on the #2 PRO2WD and I had real good start I was looking forward to racing in front of this huge Sunday crowd and against the top drivers in this sport, unfortunately my race came to an end rather quickly. Were not down though. We still have four big races over the next two race weekends.”
At precisely 3:00 p.m. central standard time the combined ‘TORC Round 12 and Crandon Borg-Warner race kicked off on live television broadcasted on ABC Sports. Fourteen PRO 4WD race trucks raced down the straightaway from the famous Crandon land rush start and in the first two a harrowing crash involving six race trucks drew red flag and a restart for the world’s top off road racers.
Johnny Greaves jumped to the front of the pack prior to the crash and was able to hold his near perfect line through Crandon’s turn one. “We had a great start for the Monster Energy/Potawatomi/BFGoodrich/Toyota backed Pro 4. It felt like I was on rails through the first turn and everything was good until I heard my crew chief, Curt, on the radio telling me it was a red flag with a restart,” mentioned the Wisconsin racer.
The restart set in motion the #22 PRO 4X4 charging to the front of the pack. With the crowd of 50,000 fans on their feet cheering, Johnny Greaves made several incredible passes that he is well-known for. Once again, Greaves had to work hard to get around other veteran racers, but once he got by he set his sights on the leader, Kyle LeDuc.
Most of the race, Johnny charged hard from the second position chasing down competitor, Kyle LeDuc.
Lap after lap the #22 Monster Energy/Potawatomi/BFGoodrich/Toyota truck was closing in on the lead truck. “Our BFGoodrich Tires came to us at the right time and they were hooking up well on the Crandon dirt. Toyota TRD has been working very hard at perfecting the motor package and we had awesome power throughout the race. All that combined with our FOX Racing Shox package and we were making a move,” said Greaves.
However, in lap six of the ten lap race, the unthinkable occurred when Greaves railed fast around the outside of the 180 degree hairpin turn near the land rush starting area, but suffered a miscue resulting in a roll over. Johnny’s run for the 2009 Crandon Borg-Warner Championship had ended.
“I can’t believe what happened,” said the dejected racer. “The truck was working so good and we were making up time on Kyle. I was right on the edge and that’s how I had to run in order to continue to make up time on Kyle. Unfortunately this time it didn’t work out. We’ve got four races before this season is over and we are certainly not out of the running for the season championship as of yet. We are headed to Perris Speedway in a few weeks as the 2009 TORC Series shifts back to California and we are coming full steam ahead.”
After 12 rounds of the 2009 TORC Series, Johnny Greaves has earned 223 total points in his quest for the 2009 TRAXXAS TORC Series Season Championship. Johnny is 21 points behind Kyle LeDuc at 244 points and fellow Monster Energy/Toyota sponsored racer, Rick Huseman, leads with 265 points.
Among the competitive PRO 2WD class, Jeremy McGrath has a total of 189 season points and is in fifth position behind leader, Ricky Johnson who has a racked up 244 points.
Monster Energy/Toyota/Potawatomi/Toyota/BFGoodrich sponsored Johnny Greaves Motorsports returns to racing action in the 2009 TRAXXAS TORC Series on September 25-26, 2009 for Rounds 13 and 14 at Perris Speedway in Perris, California.
Please visit HYPERLINK "http://www.johnnygreaves.com" www.johnnygreaves.com for photos and videos of all the Crandon race action. Check your local listings for television broadcast times in your area and visit HYPERLINK "http://www.torcseries.com" www.torcseries.com for additional information.
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