TORC: Greaves completes Joliet double

At The Dirt Oval at Route 66 for TORC: The Off-Road Championship Presented by AMSOIL’s Chicagoland Slam, CJ Greaves achieved perfection. Four races in two classes and the young PRO 2WD champion and PRO 4WD rookie won them all using that virtue that is oh-so uncommon among the young, patience. Like Thursday night, Mike Jenkins and his Traxxas team finished second with Adrian Cenni rounding out the podium.
 
Jenkins, on Cooper Tires, took the early lead from Ross Hoek as Hoek and former event winner Scott Douglas got together, causing serious damage to both trucks. Hoek couldn’t return, but Douglas was able to bring his AMSOIL-/Borla Exhaust sponsored PRO 4WD back on the track after ducking into the hot pit during the caution. Douglas would be fast, but eventually lost the truck and had to finish the race laps down.
 
On the green, Jenkins was in the lead but was passed by Johnny Greaves, who, as always, was fast with his Maxxis rubber. The racing was tough between Jenkins and CJ for second with the rookie finally passing him. After the mandatory caution, CJ was able to fly past Johnny for the lead. The Greaves boys fought hard, racing side by side for the lead, but after an over rotation by Johnny, CJ took a lead he wouldn’t relinquish. The Wisconsin native has won three PRO 4WD races in a row and now has sole possession of the point lead.
 
CJ was no less dominant in the PRO 2WD race earlier. The Gunk-sponsored Arie Luyendyk Jr. led the field to the green and looked fast on the first lap, but it wouldn’t last. Brad Lovell’s AMSOIL truck made slight contact with Arie Jr., who spun out. The second-generation racer would also roll his truck later in the race necessitating a full-course caution, but he would battle hard to finish fourth, just barely missing the podium.
 
Keegan Kincaid and CJ were battling for third when Kincaid had overheating issues strike again and he was forced back in the pits. Lovell and Marty Hart fought a physical battle for the lead with some serious contact between the two.
 
CJ’s Toyota was able to pass Lovell for second and started reeling in Hart. The words between the two after Hart’s win in St. Louis hung in the air as CJ waited for his chance to pass. In Turn 4, CJ got into the back of Hart, but laying back to let the veteran recover. On the same lap, though, Hart suffered from a steering issue and CJ passed him clean. Doug Mittag, racing with a broken motor early on managed to barely hold off his fellow Cooper Tire teammate, Arie Jr., for third.
 
In the event-opening PRO Light race, Mittag also wrapped up a weekend sweep, taking the victory on his new Cooper Tire Discoverer STT PROs, the first PRO Light race for the tires. The race started with Travis Dinsmore and Luke Johnson battling hard with Johnson better in the inside of the turns. He was finally able to get past Dinsmore who shortly after, exited the race.
 
Unfortunately, Johnson would fare no better as he went down due to engine issues and Mittag took the lead. Shawn Morris was near the front all night and one point, was able to get into a brief lead. In third, Kyle Hart was busy holding off a hard-charging Andrew Carlson, who finished a personal-best fourth at the checkers. Mittag would stretch his lead to earn the Chicagoland PRO Light sweep with Hart finishing second and Morris’ Kenda Tire-sponsored ride hanging on for third.
 
The next event for the TORC Series is next Saturday and Sunday at Crandon International Off-Road Raceway, the Big House Brawl. TORC will once again carry the event, including the sportsman classes of MORR, live at TORCSeries.com.
 
The remaining 2015 TORC: The Off-Road Championship Presented by AMSOIL season schedule is as follows:
 
June 27-28:   Green Bay, WI (Crandon Off-Road International Raceway)
July 10-11:     Charlotte, NC (The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway)
Aug 4-5:         Sturgis, SD (The Legendary Buffalo Chip Powersports Complex)
Aug 15-16:     Upper Peninsula, MI (Bark River International Raceway)
Sept 5-6:        Green Bay, WI (Crandon Off-Road International Raceway)

Source: TORC