CRANDON, WI – After a record year in 2016, this season off-road racing’s “Big House” is getting even bigger.

Thanks to a new two-year partnership with Vision Wheel, Crandon International Off-Road Raceway is proud to announce the construction of a greatly enhanced grandstand, food kitchen, bars and merchandise store now known as the “Vision Wheel Hospitality Complex.” In addition, Vision Wheel has also been named “Official Wheel” of both Crandon International and the 2017 Crandon World Cup, part of the Red Bull Signature Series.

In the planning stages since late 2015, the new Vision Wheel Hospitality Complex features a massive new grandstand originally purchased from the Milwaukee Mile race track, home to open-wheel Indycar competition for decades. Built on the site of the old Crandon food kitchen and sound tower building, the new grandstand nearly doubles the capacity for spectator seating with a commanding view of the track from inside Crandon’s world famous Forest County Potawatomi Turn 1.

Crandon’s faithful and enthusiastic crowds can also expect an enhanced race weekend experience thanks to the construction of an all new food kitchen, separate margarita and alcohol/beer bars and an integrated stored filled with the latest in official Crandon clothing and merchandise.

The renovated complex will also feature a brand new announcing/media booth located high above Turn 1 as well as an official hospitality suite created especially for Vision Wheel. All official track and staff vehicles will carry the latest product offerings from the innovative and rapidly growing aftermarket division of Vision, whose parent company also supplies many of the OEM wheels to powersports manufacturers such a Polaris — also a Crandon partner.

“We have worked with several different off-road sanctioning bodies and series in the past few seasons but aligning our brand with such an iconic facility and the largest short-course event in the world is the perfect next step in our evolution,” explained Vision Wheel Director of Marketing Rhett Sander. “We are proud of this new relationship with Crandon International Raceway, the Crandon World Cup, Crandon’s top-tier brand partners as well as helping make the overall event experience better for tens of thousands of race fans.”

“After hosting our huge 2016 World Championship and World Cup weekend the board of directors knew the time had come for us to invest in the future.” explained Crandon President Cliff Flannery. “Our discussions with Vision Wheel over the winter were always long-term and positive in nature. Both of us are looking for growth, and, I tell you what, these next two years should be one hell of a ride.”

In its 47th year of operation, in 2016 Crandon International drew the largest crowds ever to the facility, as well as record support of a host of top-level corporate partners and the richest single day of competition in the sport’s history.

With two huge race weekends coming to Wisconsin’s scenic Northwoods in 2017, Crandon International Raceway’s world famous 400-acre facility is getting set to thaw out from a long winter. Loyal race fans can begin their preparations to visit two annual weekend gatherings — the Forest County Potawatomi Brush Run on June 23rd – 25th and the Crandon World Championship Off-Road Races ® held over Labor Day weekend August 31st – September 3rd.

Labor Day weekend will host the biggest off-road short course race on earth, the annual Crandon World Championship Off-Road Race. Last year more than 49,000 fans from all over the America and Canada filled every corner of Crandon International. Many of the Crandon faithful have made this annual pilgrimage an annual family tradition with camping, fireworks and tons of bratwurst creating an unforgettable weekend better known as the “Crandon Experience.”

For the second consecutive year, the weekend will feature the Crandon World Cup, part of the Red Bull Signature Series. Hosted and sanctioned by Crandon International Raceway on Sunday, September 3rd, the special day has been created to attract the world’s best off-road racers and teams to compete for Crandon PRO World Championships in a variety of PRO-level classes. For the second time in the sport’s nearly 50-year history, short course competitors from all sanctioning bodies around the country can race on a completely level playing field with the biggest single day payout and best television coverage in the sport. The event will be brought to a mainstream audience via the Red Bull Signature Series as a highlight program on NBC.

The weekend will not only crown individual Crandon “World Champions” in each category of Short Course PRO and Sportsman racing, but it will all culminate with PRO-2 and PRO-4 classes let loose on the 1.75-mile track at the same time after receiving staggered starts for the AMSOIL Cup Challenge. This year the AMSOIL Challenge Cup will offer winners over $48,000 in cash and prizes — the richest single race in the sport.