Crandon International Sees Historic Records Reset At Off-Road World Championships

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Crandon International Rewrites Short Course Off Road Racing History at 2017 World Championship Weekend


Crandon International Sees Historic Records Reset At Off-Road World Championships
-- Two-Day Attendance of 54,408 Largest in 48-Year Crandon History --
-- Bryce Menzies First To Sweep PRO 2, PRO 4 and AMSOIL Cup Challenge Titles --
-- Nearly $220,000 Purse Awarded to PRO and Sportsman Racers --
-- Red Bull Signature Series To Air Crandon World Cup on Saturday October 14th --
CRANDON, Wisc. (September 28, 2017): While last Friday may have marked the official start of autumn, for off-road racing fans the biggest race of the year -- the 48th annual "fall" World Championships at Crandon International Raceway is already in the record books. Held August 31st through September 3rd, the legendary facility today announced that many of its existing records "fell" in 2017 -- pun intended.

Dubbed "The Big House" by legions of loyal fans, this year Crandon reset its own attendance record, with the oldest and most prestigious short course off-road races in the world attracting an official crowd of 54,408 over the final two days of competition. That number eclipses 2016's record of 49,600 by almost 5,000 guests, an impressive increase of nearly ten percent.

That milestone was also reflected in the first pre-race sellout of Crandon's legendary grass campgrounds in 2017. Even with an increase of more than 100 sites from 2016 all 2,100 sites that make up Camp Crandon were sold before a field of nearly 200 racers hit the track for the first of 29 weekend races on Friday afternoon.
WORLD CUP UNIFICATION: The PRO 2 East truck of Andrew Carlson (left) leads the PRO 2 West truck of Eric Fitch (center) and the PRO 4 of Kyle LeDuc wage battle at the Crandon World Cup's finale -- the 8th annual AMSOIL Cup Challenge. LeDuc eventually came home second to race winner Bryce Menzies, while Carlson claimed the third and final podium spot. (Brian Nevins Image)
With great racing guaranteed in a variety of The Off Road Championship (TORC) PRO and Sportsman classes on Friday and Saturday promising an entertaining time for all, a great deal of excitement for 2017's Crandon World Championship Off-Road Race(R) weekend was generated by the second annual Crandon World Cup, part of the Red Bull Signature Series. An independent, non-denominational short-course race open to all PRO-class racers from around the country, the Crandon World Cup attracted the sport's top names from both the TORC and Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series in a dynamic East versus West showdown.

Much to the delight of Crandon fans, Midwest favorites Johhny and CJ Greaves, along with Keegan Kincaid, Scott Douglas, Luke Johnson, Brad Lovell and Andrew Carlson took on the "best of the west," a drivers line-up that included Bryce Menzies, Carl Renezeder, Kyle LeDuc, Doug Mittag, Patrick Clark, Eric Fitch, Ryan Beat, Casey Currie and many others.

The total purse for the Crandon World Championship/World Cup weekend also set a new milestone for the sport, with Crandon International paying out $160,700 in total cash payout, including an additional $10,000 for the TORC/MORR Sportsman racers. Additional purse support came from Fox Racing Shox for the PRO Light division, Walker Evans Racing in PRO Stock UTV and Vision Wheel for PRO Mod UTVs. Even the highly popular PRO Mod Kart class picked up additional purse support from Rugged Radios, who provided $6,200 in total cash and product support for the youngest PRO category at Crandon.


HISTORIC MENZIES SWEEP: The 2017 Crandon World Cup was one for the record books as Bryce Menzies became the first driver in event history to earn PRO 2, PRO 4 and AMSOIL Cup Crandon World Championships on the same day. The Red Bull/BFGoodrich-backed racer from Las Vegas took home the largest cash and purse prize in the sport's history -- $109,000 in total prizes including $63,000 in cash and two 2018 Polaris RZR 1000s. (HighRev and Polaris Images)
Las Vegas racer Bryce Menzies made up for last year's last-minute Crandon World Cup cancellation due to injury by making some Labor Day weekend history of his own. Armed with a solid game plan and two perfectly prepared Red Bull/BFGoodrich/Pennzoil/KMC Wheels/Discount Tire-supported Ford trucks, the veteran short course driver became the first racer ever to earn Crandon World Champion rings in both the PRO 2 and PRO 4 categories -- in addition to winning $48,000 plus a custom engraved Henry Rifle, Lincoln Electric welder and Impact Racing safety equipment for the 8th annual AMSOIL Cup Challenge.

Menzies' total take for the weekend came to $109,000 in prizes including $63,000 in cash and two new 2018 Polaris RZR 1000s.

During Sunday's AMSOIL Cup Challenge finale, the ultra-fast Menzies also broke the existing track record, streaking around the 1.75-mile Crandon "long course" at a record time of 1:17.736 (51.029 mph). The previous record of 1:18:685 was set in 2016 by CJ Greaves. Both Greaves and Californian Kyle LeDuc also dipped below the old PRO 4 record time during the AMSOIL Cup race.

Other big Crandon World Cup winners included Californian Ryan Beat in the ultra competitive Fox Racing Shox PRO Light division ($10,000 cash), Sterling Cling in PRO Buggy ($5,000 cash), Jason Luburgh and his Polaris RZR in Walker Evans Racing PRO Stock UTV ($5,000 cash), Rodney VanEperen in Vision Wheel PRO Mod UTV ($5,000 cash) and Trey Gibbs in PRO Mod Kart ($1,000 cash and $2,500 in Rugged Radios equipment).

DIDN'T MISS A BEAT: Despite not having turned a wheel at Crandon International beforeThursday's PRO open test, El Cajon, Calif.'s Ryan Beat took home Sunday's coveted title of Crandon PRO Light World Champion.The talented racer saluted the record crowd (top) before celebrating the victory with wife Shawna and daughter Raegan. (HighRev Images)
Las Vegas racer Bryce Menzies made up for last year's last-minute Crandon World Cup cancellation due to injury by making some Labor Day weekend history of his own. Armed with a solid game plan and two perfectly prepared Red Bull/BFGoodrich/Pennzoil/KMC Wheels/Discount Tire-supported Ford trucks, the veteran short course driver became the first racer ever to earn Crandon World Champion rings in both the PRO 2 and PRO 4 categories -- in addition to winning $48,000 plus a custom engraved Henry Rifle, Lincoln Electric welder and Impact Racing safety equipment for the 8th annual AMSOIL Cup Challenge.

Menzies' total take for the weekend came to $109,000 in prizes including $63,000 in cash and two new 2018 Polaris RZR 1000s.

During Sunday's AMSOIL Cup Challenge finale, the ultra-fast Menzies also broke the existing track record, streaking around the 1.75-mile Crandon "long course" at a record time of 1:17.736 (51.029 mph). The previous record of 1:18:685 was set in 2016 by CJ Greaves. Both Greaves and Californian Kyle LeDuc also dipped below the old PRO 4 record time during the AMSOIL Cup race.

Other big Crandon World Cup winners included Californian Ryan Beat in the ultra competitive Fox Racing Shox PRO Light division ($10,000 cash), Sterling Cling in PRO Buggy ($5,000 cash), Jason Luburgh and his Polaris RZR in Walker Evans Racing PRO Stock UTV ($5,000 cash), Rodney VanEperen in Vision Wheel PRO Mod UTV ($5,000 cash) and Trey Gibbs in PRO Mod Kart ($1,000 cash and $2,500 in Rugged Radios equipment).

WORLD CHAMPIONS: Jason Luburgh of Janesville, Ohio took this Polaris RZR 1000 to a Crandon World Cup victory in the Walker Evans Racing-suported PRO Stock UTV category (top). At the Crandon World Cup the young drivers of the PRO Mod Karts are also considered a PRO class, and for 2017 Trey Gibbs took home the title of "World Champion." (Rugged Radios Images)
"I have been part of this race ever since it started but the 2017 Crandon World Championship and World Cup was easily the biggest weekend in our history," explained Crandon President Cliff Flannery. "We have to thank all of our fans, sponsors, race teams and our staff, along with hundreds of volunteers, to help us reach our goal of hosting a world class event for the sport of off-road racing. It's truly amazing to see how far we come, especially over the past two years."

Race fans from around the country will get to enjoy a specially produced, 90-minute Crandon World Cup telecast as part of the Red Bull Signature Series on Saturday, October 14th at 3:00pm EST on the NBC network.

Indeed, Crandon’s Labor Day weekend spectacle isn’t called the “Off-Road World Championship® ” for nothing – and the 2017 version only added stature to that reputation as being short-course off-road racing's true "Super Bowl."

# # #
2017 Crandon World Champions

AMSOIL Cup Challenge PRO 4: Bryce Menzies
Crandon World Champion® PRO 4: Bryce Menzies
Crandon World Champion® PRO 2: Bryce Menzies
Crandon World Champion® PRO Light: Ryan Beat
Crandon World Champion® PRO Buggy: Sterling Cling
Crandon World Champion® PRO Stock UTV: Jason Luburgh
Crandon World Champion® PRO Mod UTV: Rodney VanEperen
Crandon World Champion® PRO Mod Kart: Trey Gibbs

Crandon World Champion® Super Stock Truck: Kenny Platten
Crandon World Champion® Stock Truck: Diesel Shanak
Crandon World Champion® Formula 4x4 Truck: Ben Passa
Crandon World Champion® 1600 Buggy: JD Koran
Crandon World Champion® 1600 Light Buggy: Greg Stingle
Crandon World Champion® Super Buggy: Sterling Cling
Crandon World Champion® Sportsman UTV: Trevor Bushmaker
Crandon World Champion® Classic Car: Dale Chestnut
Crandon World Champion® Short Course Kart: Braden Beauchamp


CROWDS EVERYWHERE: From Friday's 48th annual Crandon Labor Day parade in downtown Crandon (top) to the 400-acre "Big House" itself, the largest crowds in Crandon history made themselves at home over Labor Day weekend 2017. Track officials are already planning for future facility expansion and upgrades as it prepares for its 50th anniversary in 2019. (HighRev Images)

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