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Taylor Wins Governor's Cup Race at Crandon Raceway
CRANDON, WI -- Scott Taylor, Belvidere,IL, became the first two-wheel drive high performance pickup truck racer to win the prestigious Governor's Cup crown at Crandon International Off-Road Raceway this past weekend at the 2001 Forest County Potawatomi Brush Run Races. Taylor, who is also the only racer in track history to have entered all nine Governor Cup races, stormed to victory in his Mobil One/BF Goodrich 2-wheel drive (2WD) Ford F-150 against a field of 19 race trucks. Among the huge crowd at the Brush Run to witness the race was Wisconsin Governor Scott McCallum.
The race for the 9th annual Governor's Cup pitted high performance CORR 4x4 and 2WD race pickups in a 10 lap showdown event for the coveted Cup and a record first place purse of cash and prizes. Taylor and other competitors took the starting line under new rules. The 4x4 race machines have performance advantages over the 2WD trucks, including an approximate three-second-per-lap advantage over Crandon's 1.75-mile track. The race provided a quarter-mile lead handicap at the start to the 2WD pickups. Crandon fan favorite Taylor took full advantage of the rule change and at the start had his 2WD Ford first into Crandon's famous turn one. Jason Baldwin, Laguna Beach, CA, driving a 4x4 Ford, jumped the 4x4 starting flag and was second to Taylor. Baldwin later took a black flag for the infraction.
Taylor looked strong on the perfectly groomed Crandon track and as the race settled in was driving a high speed, perfect line around the track. But by lap three, Taylor began to feel the pressure of 4x4 racer Johnny Greaves, DePere, WI, driving the Forest County Potawatomi Toyota Tundra. By lap four, Greaves was solidly in second place and with the crowd cheering him on, gaining on Taylor. By lap eight, Greaves was in position to take the lead on a Taylor mistake but the veteran Crandon driver never let up. Taylor finished the race with a time of 15:38. Greaves was second, followed by the 4x4 Ford of Curt LeDuc, Cherry Valley, CA. Another notable in the race was the first appearance by a CORR Pro Lite compact pickup truck in a Governor' Cup event. Rookie Kyle LeDuc, son of Curt LeDuc, finished in ninth place.
Taylor accepted the Potawatomi Governor's Cup in Crandon's Precision Gear Victory Circle from Governor Scott McCallum, a prize check from Gus Frank, chairman, Forest County Potawatomi, and well wishes from Mark Hansen, Ford Truck, and Cliff Flannery, president of Crandon Raceway. Taylor has raced at Crandon since 1978. He began his off-road racing career driving a buggy and is now considered the premier 2WD short course off-road race truck driver in the country. He is the reigning Lucas Oil CORR Series Pro 2 class champion. In addition to cash and prizes totaling $18,000 from Crandon Raceway, Taylor also earned $5,000 from Ford and a Miller Electric Welders Spectrum Plasma Cutter. It was the fifth consecutive Governor's Cup win for a truck equipped with BF Goodrich tires. Walker Evans, NASCAR's Jimmie Johnson, and Indy 500 and NASCAR driver Robbie Gordon are other notable drivers winning at Crandon in the past.
Drivers competed in 20 racing classes over the weekend. In the new Johnsonville Sausage Formula 4x4 semi-pro race truck class, Jerry Bundy, Tolland, CT, took first place in Saturday action in a Jeep CJ. Sunday's F4x4 race was won by John McCrossan, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in a Ford. Next up at Crandon will be the Forest County Potawatomi Xtreme Thunderfest, August 30 at 7 p.m., followed by the annual BorgWarner World Championship Off-Road Race Labor Day weekend, Aug. 31-Sept.1.
Crandon International Off-Road Raceway, Crandon, WI
9th Annual
2002 POTAWATOMI GOVERNOR'S CUP HEAVY METAL CHALLENGE
presented by Precision Gear
10 Laps/ 1.75-mile track/ Winning Time:15:38/Total Race Purse: $33,700
Sunday, June 23, 2002
Final Results
1. Scott Taylor, Belvidere, IL, #1, 10 laps, 2WD Ford F-150, P2, $23,000 cash and prizes*
2. Johnny Greaves, DePere, WI, #22, 10 laps, 4x4 Toyota Tundra, P4, $1,600
3. Curt LeDuc, Cherry Valley, PA, #43, 10 laps, 4x4 Ford, P4, $1,000
4. Jason Baldwin, Laguna Beach, CA, #66, 10 laps, 4x4 Ford, P4, $500
5. Gordon Zima, Terryville, CT, #228, 10 laps, 2WD Ford, S2, $2,100*
6. Josh Baldwin, Laguna Beach, CA, #86, 10 laps, 4x4 Ford F-150, P4, $250
7. Tommy Bradley, Henderson, NV, #210, 9 laps, 2WD Chevrolet, S2,$600
8. Ben Wandahsega, Bark River, MI, #297, 9 laps, 2WD Chevrolet, S2, $500
9. Kyle LeDuc, Cherry Valley, CA, #89, 9 laps, 2WD Ford compact pickup, ProLite, $250
10. Paul Seidler, Milwaukee, WI, #98, 9 laps, 2WD Chevrolet, P2, $250
11. Randy Rundhaug, Cameron, WI, #305, 8 laps, 4x4 Ford, F4x4, $1,000*
12. John McCrossan, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, #333, 8 laps, 4x4 Ford, F4x4, $600
13. Kevin Probst, New Lenox, IL, #99, 7 laps, 2WD Chevrolet, P2, $250
14. Carl Renezeder, Laguna Beach, CA, #17, 7 laps, 4x4 Chevrolet, P4, $250
15. Scott Douglas, El Cajon, CA, #12, 7 laps, 4x4 Ford, P4, $250
16. Jimmy O'Neill, Compton, CA, #255, 5 laps, 2WD Ford, S2, $250
17. Dennis Chencharick, Julian, PA, #329, 3 laps, 4x4 Jeep, F4x4, $500
18. Chris Raffo, Arlington Heights, IL, #399, 3 laps, 4x4 Chevrolet, F4x4, $400
19. Dan Baudoux, Hemlock, MI, #217, TG, 2WD Ford, S2, $150
*Taylor earned $5,000 contingency from Ford Truck & Miller Electric Welders Spectrum Plasma Cutter; Zima and Rundhaug paybacks include $100 gift certificate from Phil's, Inc.
Legend:
TG - Took Green
P2 - CORR Pro 2 truck
P4 - CORR Pro 4 truck
ProLite - CORR compact pickup truck
S2 - CORR Sportsman 2 truck
F4x4 - Formula 4x4 semi-pro truck
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