CRANDON, WISC. — It’s a phenomenon that started nearly half a decade ago in the backwoods of northwest Wisconsin. It has evolved into a major stop in America’s off-road racing calendar.
As it has since 1970, this weekend Crandon International Raceway will be the epicenter of the short-course off-road racing world as it gets ready to host the 22nd annual Forest County Potawatomi Brush Run event. Held at the legendary facility’s purpose-built race track located in the heart of Wisconsin’s scenic Northwoods, the Brush Run schedule features nearly three full days of TORC PRO and Crandon Sportsman racing from Friday, June 26th through Sunday, June 28th.
The weekend’s on-track action will culminate late Sunday afternoon with the 22nd Annual Forest County Potawatomi Community Cup race. Pitting the TORC PRO 2WD and TORC PRO 4WD classes together on the same track with a staggered start, the intense annual race offers a total cash prize package of $24,000, with the winner picking up a healthy $15,000 pay day. In addition, the winner will receive valuable product bonuses from Lincoln Welders and MasterCraft Safety.
On Saturday and Sunday the stars of The Off-Road Championship (TORC) series presented by Amsoil will take to Crandon’s legendary high-speed dirt track including the ultra-competitive PRO 4WD, PRO 2WD and PRO LIGHT truck classes. Leading the field will be Wisconsin native CJ Greaves, who leads the PRO 2WD division while second in the PRO 4WD points battle behind father Johnny Greaves. Kyle Hart, whose father Marty is also a short-course racing legend, comes to the Brush Run weekend atop the TORC PRO LIGHTS points standings.
This weekend’s Crandon Forest County Potawatomi Brush Run represents Rounds 7 and 8 of a 16-race 2015 TORC season. As is tradition, TORC and Crandon Sportsman Off-Road Series racers will conclude their year at Crandon International Raceway’s huge World Championships event taking place Labor Day weekend (September 4-6, 2015).
Off-road racing begin in Crandon, Wisconsin in 1970 with the inaugural Brush Run 101 race through the forest land surrounding the small town. The event grew so large that in the 1980s track officials added a spring race — renamed the Brush Run — to augment the hugely popular fall World Championship Off-Road Races.
A backbone of off-road racing in the American Midwest, the Crandon Sportsman Off-Road Series will host 10 unique classes of unique short-course machinery during next weekend’s Brush Run event. Track officials will stage a special schedule of racing for these classes on Friday afternoon as a make-up for a rained-out Sunday at the Londerville Steel Enterprises Super Challenge several weeks ago. Friday’s racing will represent Round 2 of the 2015 Sportsman season, with Rounds 3 and 4 scheduled for Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28.
The Crandon Sportsman classes and their sponsors include Auto Gear 1600 Light Buggy, Parsons Chevrolet Classix, Londerville Steel Stock Truck, Lincoln Welders 1600 Buggy, Trigs Smoke House Super Buggy, Brew Pub Pizza Short Course Karts, Miller Lite Limited 4, MasterCraft Safety Formula 4×4, Mountain Dew Super Stock Truck and Country Hearth Super Truck.
Fans are expected to invade Crandon’s immense 400-acre facility from around the country. The on-site camping is part of the true “Crandon Experience,” with family and friends coming back year after year. While many camp sites are already reserved, fans can still enjoy Crandon camping on a first-come, first-served basis.
In keeping with Crandon tradition, Saturday night will feature a festival-style concert featuring The Cougars Band, a unique rock group fronted by three female vocalists. Highly popular all around the state of Wisconsin, the Cougars Band specializes in “belty, high-energy songs with lots of harmony.”
“After the success of the Londerville Steel Super Challenge weekend earlier this month, the staff at Crandon International Raceway is looking forward to hosting the biggest Brush Run event in our history,” said Crandon President Cliff Flannery. “Our schedule is packed from Friday afternoon through Sunday, and we know our fans will enjoy a great show.”
Crandon International will open its gates to the public all three days beginning at 8:00 AM. Weekend admission is $40 for adults, with children 12 and under and seniors 75 and older getting in free. One-day admission is $25 for adults, children under 12 and senior 75 or older admitted free. Crandon will also offer Saturday night-only admission to enjoy the Cougars Band concert for just $10.
All weekend, camping and concert tickets for the Crandon Brush Run races will be available when the gates open beginning at 12:00 noon Thursday, June 25th.