C.J. Greaves chases down Thomas for third straight FCP Community Cup

Mickey Thomas‘ truck was shedding pores and skin like a snake, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to slither to the highest step of the Forest County Potawatomi Brush Run podium.

Thomas and his Professional 2 led a lot of Sunday’s Professional 2 vs. Professional 4 occasion at Crandon Worldwide Off-Street Raceway regardless of dropping a lot of his physique panelling, however the Professional 4 of C.J. Greaves steadily labored his means by means of the order earlier than placing on the ultimate lap, discovering a run down a straightaway and pulling away. The win earned Greaves his third Brush Run Chairman’s Cup in a row, by the way additionally beating Thomas for the 2023 win.

“I didn’t see the scorecard going and I didn’t see the white (flag) and I’m like, ‘Alright, I can calm down a bit bit there,’” started Greaves. “For a very long time, I used to be marking myself with Mickey and he was working actually good laps and I used to be nonetheless in the course of the Professional 2s and I’m like, ‘It’s going to be there. It’s going to be a battle proper to the top. I’m not going to have the ability to maintain up in any respect and simply go for it.’ I simply tried to hit all my marks, keep clear, get by means of the Professional 2s the most effective I may, and placed on a bit little bit of a race on the finish there. I knew he was going to run me clear, so I gave him some room within the gravel pit after which he slide-jobbed me over right here and we had some enjoyable with it.”

Given the efficiency disparity between two- and four-wheel-drive vehicles, Professional 2 vehicles acquired a roughly 33-second head begin. Thomas rapidly pulled away from Ryan Beat as his class took off, then Greaves did the identical for Professional 4 half a minute later. Previous to Greaves’ three-peat, Professional 2 had been dominant within the Brush Run with 4 of six victories prior to 2022. Regardless of arising brief, Thomas was the weekend’s finest Professional 2 truck for the third 12 months in a row, having completed fourth behind a trio of Professional 4s in 2022 and successful the Championship Off-Street points-paying race earlier on Sunday.

“I used to be making an attempt to make it not too simple on him,” Thomas commented. “We received an important begin. I used to be simply making an attempt to hit my marks and I used to be placing down some good instances. I blew my hood off, I suppose I simply knocked it off on a bounce and that wasn’t working in my favour so I misplaced a bit bit there. Aside from that, we had been in a position to put an important race collectively. Bought me proper on the finish, so it was present most likely.”

Greaves’ father Johnny Greaves adopted his son, struggling to get previous the Professional 2 vehicles earlier than becoming a member of him and Thomas on the rostrum. He had missed the 2023 version to injuries sustained at Antigo. C.J. and Johnny additionally completed 1–2 within the Professional 4 factors race.

“That’s the primary race I felt like actual full and doing every thing proper and like my previous self once more,” mentioned the older Greaves. “I hung with C.J. and I saved his tempo there until we received within the Professional 2s and he was simply higher off getting by means of them. It was an important race. They did, they did an ideal job at timing it, got here right down to the final lap proper there. What extra may you ask for?”

Professional 4 drivers Cole Mamer and Robert Stout each retired on the opening lap. Mamer virtually caught Greaves for the holeshot earlier than his battery broke whereas Stout was spun out. Stout, a former Stadium Tremendous Vans driver and Lucas Oil Off Street Racing Collection UTV champion, was making his Pro 4 début; his shift actuator failed through the points-paying occasion however he managed to deliver the truck residence in fifth. Kyle Greaves, who gained the primary Professional 2 vs. Professional 4 race of the season on the Kyle LeDuc Memorial Cup in Antigo, completed fifth earlier within the day however didn’t begin the Brush Run as a result of brake issues.

Rain pressured the Saturday points-paying races to be cancelled. The payout for Sunday was doubled, although they remained single occasions.

Regardless of a wonky transmission, Kyle Chaney scored the maiden Championship Off-Street win for the Can-Am Maverick R in Professional SxS, including brief course to the brand new side-by-side’s already impressive portfolio. Dave Mason Jr. snapped Lorenzo Bonacci‘s three-race win streak in Professional Buggy for his first victory within the class.

Forest County Potawatomi Brush Run outcomes

Class winners

Professional

Sportsman