CRANDON, Wisconsin – Providing the dynamic motorsport of short-course off-road racing the most impactful news in years, legendary Crandon International Raceway has announced a new, long-term association with Red Bull Media House. The partnership will create an independent motorsports event that will be part of the internationally renowned Red Bull Signature Series, a collection of the most progressive and innovative events in action sports. Set for Sun., September 4 at Crandon’s legendary “Big House,” the new Crandon World Cup® will be part of a 47th annual Labor Day race weekend that attracts more than 45,000 fans to the 400-acre facility over four days of racing.

Hosted and sanctioned by Crandon International Raceway, the event has been created to attract the world’s best off-road racers and teams to compete for coveted Crandon World Championships® in a variety of PRO-level classes. For the first time in the sport’s nearly 50-year history, short course competitors from all sanctioning bodies around the country can race at Crandon on a completely level playing field with no concerns about points, season championships or other hindrances out of their control. The event will be brought to an international audience via the Red Bull Signature Series live on Red Bull TV and as a highlight program on NBC.

The intense, door-to-door combat of short-course off-road racing expected at the new Crandon World Cup® will be broadcast to millions of households as part of the Red Bull Signature Series – both via a live broadcast  on Red Bull TV and as a special 90-minute highlight program scheduled for airing on Sat., Oct. 8 at 2pm EST on NBC. Produced by MSI Live, a division of MSI, the show promises viewers a captivating mix of high-energy motorsports and the downhome American narrative only an organically unique place like Crandon can provide.

Today’s news is the culmination of nearly a year of negotiation, cooperation and goodwill between Crandon track officials, Red Bull Media House, Mountain Sports International (MSI), various corporate partners and the Rennsport Group. MSI is a Utah-based corporation that recently purchased The Off-Road Championship (TORC) short-course series that has two race weekends at Crandon International Raceway in 2016 including the recently concluded Brush Run weekend and the Labor Day weekend Crandon International Off-Road World Championships®.

The Crandon World Cup® is an event our sport has needed for decades,” explained Crandon President Cliff Flannery. “Every form of racing – and every major sport — has its form of a ‘Super Bowl’ that decides who is the best in the world. After 46 years of our small Wisconsin town building-up the Labor Day weekend races, we have hosted the biggest short-course races anywhere. Now our fans and enthusiasts around the world can watch the ultimate competition with all the best drivers and teams, on the same track on the same day.”

While exact event format details and schedules are still being finalized, current plans call for “World Cup Sunday” to include Crandon World Championship® races in the PRO-4WD, PRO-2WD, PRO-Light, PRO Buggy and PRO Modified Kart divisions. The weekend will culminate in the 7th Annual AMSOIL Cup, a spectacular competition that pits the fastest 24 unlimited PRO-4WD and PRO-2WD trucks together on the track at the same time after a staggered start. This year’s intense annual race offers a first place cash payout of $47,000, plus a specially engraved gold plated “Crandon Top Gun” Henry rifle and valuable prize packages from Lincoln Electric and Impact Safety.

For the first time in the track’s history, all PRO division racers will have the opportunity for substantial open track testing on Thursday, September 1st. Racing will kick-off Friday night after the traditional Labor Day parade in downtown Crandon at the Forest County Potawatomi Community “Night of Thunder.” The 2016 TORC champions–including PRO 4WD, PRO 2WD and Atturo Tire PRO-Light classes–will be decided on Sat., Sept. 3, as well as season championships and Crandon World Champions® crowned in the MORR (Midwest Off-Road Racing) TORC Sportsman divisions.

Fans from around the country are expected to invade Crandon’s immense facility, which is set to grow by 100 acres (for a total of 500) and another 500 camping sites (for a total of 2,500) in 2017. The on-site camping is part of the true “Crandon Experience,” with family and friends coming back year after year. While many campsites are already reserved, fans can still enjoy Crandon camping on a first-come, first-served basis or by reserving sites and tickets via www.crandonoffroad.com.

“The opportunity to finally create a wide-open, top level event like this for the first time in off-road history is exciting and gratifying,” concluded Flannery. “Crandon International is a very special place and is the only appropriate venue to showcase a true off-road  World Cup. We thank everyone at the Red Bull Signature Series for making this event a reality, and those who helped bring all of the pieces together. Everyone shared a high level of cooperation and a passion to elevate this dynamic form of motorsports via our new Crandon World Cup.”