Event Preview: Brush Run 2024 in Crandon, WI
AMSOIL Championship Off-Road drivers are about to crank it up in the speed department with a visit to the renowned Crandon International Raceway in Crandon, WI for the Forest County Potawatomi Brush Run this weekend for round 5 and 6 of the 2024 campaign. The course is best known for providing the highest speed and longest laps of any track on the circuit as well as it’s land rush start. Expect to see speeds up upwards of 100mph.
More on Crandon International Raceway:
Carved out of an old farm and Northwoods timber, the place known by many as “The Big House” has been cut, shaped and polished thanks to decades of hard work, sweat, and vision. Grass camping. Skyboxes. Dozens of Jumbotrons and television monitors. Really comfortable seats. A racing surface that’s coddled and nurtured like a newborn Golden Retriever.
Welcome to 400 acres of rockin’ hospitality deep in the Wisconsin Northwoods. Grass, forest, and a huge granite pit surround the most revered dirt track in the world. There is simply no other place like it on earth.
Here Crandon world champions are crowned as part biggest off-road races in the world. More than 60,000 fans gather to cheer for their favorite drivers as they race on the longest and the fastest short-course track anywhere. It’s 1.75-miles long that can see unlimited trucks hit speeds exceeding 100 miles an hour. See it all from the Vision Wheel Hospitality Complex grandstand or the great hillside grass seating if you want to spread out.
The Crandon Raceway is also famous as a family-friendly, all off-road entertainment destination. There are more than 2,300 designated grass camping sites in Camp Crandon, along with numerous food stands, restrooms, merchandise stands and bars.
TRUCK STORYLINES
PRO4 Points Top-5:
- 1st: CJ Greaves #33 (190 points)
- 2nd: Adrian Cenni #11 (190 points)
- 3rd: Johnny Greaves #22 (187 points)
- 4th: Jimmy Henderson #44 (181 points)
- 5th: Andrew Carlson #15 (166 points)
3 Points Separate The Top-3
After sweeping the weekend at Antigo and remaining undefeated at the venue in the PRO4, CJ Greaves has found familiar ground at the top of the leaderboard. This time, tied with Adrian Cenni. Is it too soon to be keeping close tabs on the points? Never.
To make things even more exciting, Johnny Greaves is just three points back. This same seven-time PRO4 Champion Johnny Greaves that has a record six Forest County Potawatomi Cup wins. Not only is Johnny Greaves great at Crandon, but he is also gleaming with confidence. In a recent interview, he told the Champ Off-Road audience, “I feel the confidence coming back!” Since his crash in June of 2023 that him sidelined for nearly half of the season, he’s progressively had to rebuild that credence. In the first four rounds, fans have witnessed a resurgence of the #22.
Running a partial schedule in 2024 is Cole Mamer, who will make his season debut this weekend.
Rookie and young gun Kainan Baker earned his first career PRO4 podium in Round 4. It would appear that Baker is clearly getting his footing in the premier class of short course racing. He will now make his PRO4 debut at the big house.
PRO2 Points Top-5:
- 1st: Mickey Thomas #44 (202 points)
- 2nd: Ryan Beat #51 (195 points)
- 3rd: Kyle Greaves #34 (185 points)
- 4th: Johnny Holtger #93 (179 points)
- 5th: Zac Zakowski #90 (162 points)
All four rounds thus far have been evenly split between Mickey Thomas and Ryan Beat. While drivers didn’t earn ACOR points for the inaugural Kyle LeDuc cup race held on Sunday at Antigo, Kyle Greaves earned his first career PRO2 win ahead of cousin CJ Greaves (2nd) and Keegan Kincaid (3rd).
Mega additions to the PRO2 field this weekend include the 2023 Champion Cory Winner as well as proven-PRO2 winner, Ronnie Anderson. Jacob Rosales and Brody Eggleston are slated to make their PRO2 debuts after having previously raced the Pro Lite division last season. For the full entry list, click here.
Pro Lite Points Top-5:
- 1st: Trey Gibbs #5 (220 points)
- 2nd: Johnny Holtger (204 points)
- 3rd: Carson Brown #28 (174 points)
- 4th: Tyler Remmereid #43 (162 points)
- 5th: Matt Wood #36 (154 points)
Trey Gibbs is the one to beat. With three consecutive wins, he leads the standings. In his full-time seasons dating back to the 22 season, he has 1 win and 4 podiums out of 8 starts.
Pro Spec Points Top-5:
- 1st: Nick Visser #80 (211 points)
- 2nd: Dylan Parsons #99 (193 points)
- 3rd: Chris Van Den Elzen #66 (191 points)
- 4th: Ron Kosciesza #77 (164 points)
- 5th: Diesel Shanak #3 (156 points)
Race of the season? A likely candidate. Relive the last round here. The battle between Christopher Parrish, Nick Visser and Chris Van Den Elzen was must-see TV.
SxS Storylines
AMSOIL Pro SxS Points Top-5:
- 1st: Andrew Carlson #15 (188 points)
- 2nd: CJ Greaves #33 (171 points)
- 3rd: Jeb Bootle #41 (169 points)
- 4th: Kyle Chaney #91 (155 points)
- 5th: Kainan Baker #21 (155 points)
Elk River’s Andrew Carlson brought his broom to Antigo where he swept the last two rounds. The last round included a mighty battle between AC and CJ Greaves, who ultimately finished 2nd.
Pro Stock SxS Points Top-5:
- 1st: Owen VanEperen #5 (204 points)
- 2nd: Jeb Bootle #041 (184 points)
- 3rd: CJ Greaves #33 (181 points)
- 4th: Colin Kernz #10 (177 points)
- 5th: Jake Kosmecki #94 (154 points)
Pro Buggy Storylines
Pro Buggy Points Top-5:
- 1st: Lorenzo Bonacci #33 (203 points)
- 2nd: Jordan Bernloehr #27 (192 points)
- 3rd: Billy Buth #51 (179 points)
- 4th: Mark Steinhardt #31 (164 points)
- 5th: Cole Bernloehr #34 (163 points)
Lorenzo Bonacci = the man. The newcomer to AMSOIL Champ Off-Road now tops the standings after setting an impressive three-race win streak. The California racer is considered by his competitors to be one to elevate the competition of the already fierce division.
Between Bonacci, Jordan Bernloehr, Billy Buth, Mark Steinhardt and Cole Bernloehr, you never know who is going to win on any given afternoon. If you have an appetite for parity, look no further than the Pro Buggy class.
Don’t just take our staff writers’ word for it. Cheyne Statezny and Brent Smith have previewed the weekend on the latest episode of the Champ Off-Road Podcast presented by AMSOIL.
You can tune in all season long on FloRacing. New and exciting for AMSOIL Championship Off-Road in 2024 is it’s TV partnership with FS2. For live stream information and broadcast air dates, check out this week’s watch guide.