For Immediate Release
BIGGEST OFF-ROAD EVENT OF ALL TIME LOOMS AT THE “BIG HOUSE”
CRANDON, Wisc., (August 26, 2008) – A “perfect storm” of racing is
zeroing in on the world capital of offroad, Crandon International
Off-Road Raceway, as the little Wisconsin town with the big track
prepares for what will certainly be the biggest weekend in off-road
racing this season. The non-stop Labor Day race weekend, August 29-31,
includes a total purse of $175,000, two “shootout-style” cup races,
World Championship rings handed out in 11 different classes, and
season championships still to be determined in all classes of the
Lucas Oil World Series of Off-Road Racing (WSORR). The 39th
Anniversary BorgWarner World Championship Racesand the final two
rounds of the WSORR season provide the perfect setting for another
thrilling chapter in the off-road racing record books.
Race action begins in earnest on Friday at 6 PM with the $20,000
Forest County Potawatomi “Decision at Sundown” Challenge Cup race
featuring top PRO Light Pickup class drivers. Last year’s inaugural
event was won by current WSORR points leader Jeff Kincaid of Argonne,
Wisc., in his Potawatomi Traxxas BFG Toyota. Kincaid has positioned
himself to accomplish an unprecedented “triple” as he attempts to win
the prestigious cup race, a World Championship title and clinch a
WSORR season championship all within a 48 hour span. Kincaid will be
challenged by Invisible Glass P F Changs Sticker Dude Hankook Toyota
teammates, Steve Federico and Lee O’Donnell, who rank second and third
in the points and have a combined 12 podium finishes during WSORR Tour
2008.
PRO 2WD racer Dan Vanden Heuvel, Appleton, Wisc., has also been a
frequent visitor to WSORR winner’s circle in his 900 HP Maxxis Chevy
with three wins and podium finishes in nine of the ten rounds this
year. Vanden Heuvel, with a 32 point lead, looks to clinch the
season-long points title over another off-road veteran, Kevin Probst,
in the E3 Spark Plugs Team Lucas Oil Toyo Chevrolet, who is coming off
two dominating wins in a row. Evan Evans, in his Potawatomi BFG Chevy
is another ten points behind Probst in
third.
Kent Brascho, of Pell City, Ala., is the only WSORR driver who has a
lock on his points championship run and will do so simply by taking
the green flag in the PRO 4x4 Round XI race. Brascho’s Lucas Oil
Goodyear Chevy has a commanding points lead over Jerry Daugherty in
the Racin’ Dirty Goodyear Chevrolet. Brascho, winner of the big dollar
2008 FCP Chairman’s Cup race earlier in the season, faces an all-star
studded field assembling in Crandon for the 14th annual BorgWarner
Shootout and off-road’s top prize, the $125,000 BorgWarner Cup.
Former BorgWarner champions Johnny Greaves in the Potawatomi Monster
Energy BFG Toyota, Carl Renezeder in the Lucas Oil Skyjacker BFG Ford,
Scott Douglas in the Amsoil Kumho Ford, Curt LeDuc in the Rock Star
Makita Toyo Ford and Scott Taylor in his PRO 2WD Skyjacker BFG Ford
will all rumble to Crandon’s Traxxas® land rush starting line with
hopes of having their names inscribed again on the prestigious
sterling silver cup. Greaves is the defending BorgWarner champion and
LeDuc is the defending
WSORR and Crandon PRO 4x4 “World Champion” in the class.
However it unfolds, new WSORR champions will be crowned in all three
PRO truck classes.
In the PRO Super Buggy class, points leader John Mason, Plymouth, Wisc.,
has a comfortable 37 point lead over last year’s champion Gary Nierop,
and so must decide how much to risk in Saturday’s Round XI World
Championship race. Mason’s Mendeola Goodyear Honda has four wins on
the season and he seeks to compliment his stellar 2008 season with a
coveted World Championship ring. Nierop and Tim Lemons, both
in Goodyear Toyota’s, lead the rest of the talented PRO Super Buggy
field.
The most competitive World Series points battles are in the SRT
(Sportsman) Division, highlighted by the 1600 Buggy race where Mark
Steinhardt, of Rhinelander, Wisc., leads Mike Seefeldt by a single
point. The two longtime rivals look to determine the 2008 WSORR title
on the high-speed Crandon track while also trying to hold off Brad
Erickson who is only 10 points off the pace.
Eric Ruppel, of Chetek, Wisc., has used a late season surge to push
his Phil’s Inc BFG Ford to the top of the Stock Truck class. He has a
narrow 11 point margin heading into the final weekend of racing over
defending class champion Scott Beauchamp in a Goodyear Chevy.
Mathematically, seven of the class drivers are still in the running
for the points championship so it’s safe to say the World Championship
ring is also up for
grabs in this class.
Keith Steele has won six of the ten rounds of Super Stock Truck races
in 2008 and now looks to put his Monster Energy Goodyear Chevy in the
winner’s circle once more to cap off his consistent, season-long
performance and clinch the title. Defending champion Ben Wandahsega,
in his Potawatomi Toyo Chevrolet, Dan Baudoux in the Mole Lake Casino
BFG Ford and Ross Hoek in the Skyjacker Goodyear Ford all remain
within striking distance if Steele should falter.
Mike Vanden Heuvel, of Appleton, Wisc., is the leading overall winner
in the World Series with eight wins to his credit in 2008. Six have
come in his Toyo 1600 Light Buggy and two as a substitute driver in
the 1600 Buggy class. Vanden Heuvel enjoys a commanding 36 point lead
in the 1600 Light Buggy points battle with only Matt Gerald, in the
Potawatomi Goodyear buggy, still mathematically eligible to knock him
off the
top spot.
Dave DeMaegd is zeroing in on back-to-back Formula 4x4 World Series
titles in his Goodyear Jeep. The Mishawaka, Ind., driver has been on
the podium in every single 2008 race and has a 33 point lead over Jim
Ridderbush in a BFG Chevy. However, Daugherty and the ageless Jerry
Bundy, Tolland, Conn., in his Goodyear Jeep join the fray to compete
in the class for a World Championship ring.
In Enduro Trucks, Jim Van Rixel leads Marc Rogaczewski in a Goodyear
Ford by a single point with Matt Wierzba’s Chevy in third. Rob
Weiland’s Goodyear Chevy hopes to clinch his second consecutive
Classix title at Crandon with Dale Chestnut in a Goodyear Ford and
Kurt Schuch providing the chase.
The BorgWarner Off-Road World Championships officially kick off on
Friday, August 29 in downtown Crandon with morning driver’s meetings
and an annual World Championship Labor Day parade at Noon.
More information about Crandon Raceway is available at
crandonoffroad.com, while information about the World Series is found
at WSORR.com.
|
