Off Road

Friday Night Racing - TORC Las Vegas Motor Speedway Round 15

Driving the #2 two-wheel drive machine to the podium in Round 15 of the 2009 TORC Series was Super cross Legend Jeremy McGrath. The final race weekend of the season kicked off in front of an enthusiastic Las Vegas Motor Speedway crowd held on the world-famous Speedway Dirt Track.

McGrath was all business as he conversed briefly with crew chief and spotter, Curt Greaves, over the race radio preparing for the 16-lap PRO 2WD Round 15. With an inverted start that put McGrath in the second row on the starting line, the #2 Monster Energy/ Toyota/ Potawatomi/ BFGoodrich backed race truck shot off the start line like a speeding bullet.

McGrath pushed the #2 PRO 2WD race truck to the edge, jumping out to an early lead and battled among the top five throughout the race. McGrath's Toyota TRD motor package delivered impressive power to the 35" BFGoodrich Tires that churned up the Vegas Dirt Track racecourse.

Over the course of Friday night's race, TORC officials restarted the race four different times and McGrath had plenty of go-power to roar to the front. Jeremy charged hard for what would be an incredible first victory, while racing door-to-door with those racers vying for the season championship.

After a long red flag at lap 11, McGrath started right where he left off and charged towards the front, as Ricky Johnson and Rob MacCachren criss-crossed for the top spot. As the white flag waved, McGrath put an exclamation point on the night and finished in third position behind the two championship drivers.

Standing beneath the checkered flag, McGrath smiled and said: "That was a great race! This #2 Monster Energy/ Toyota/ Potawatomi/ BFGoodrich sponsored Pro 2 performed better than ever. Toyota TRD really gave us a good package and the extensive testing we've been doing between races has paid off with the right set up. We were right there in the end and I'm stoked about the performance."

Johnny Greaves pulled the #22 Monster Energy/ Toyota/ Potawatomi/ BFGoodrich Pro 4WD onto the racetrack as fans cheered on the Wisconsin-based off road racing champion. It was clearly apparent from the earlier practice sessions that the Monster Energy race truck was ready to for some serious race business. The spectators rose to their feet as the field of TORC Pro 4WD trucks roared to life and they all charged into the wild first turn.

Johnny Greaves immediately began working his magic, dicing his way through the field, but that all slowed down when he was railed into the outside wall by Amsoil's #7, Scott Douglas.

Greaves may have lost some steam after heavy contact with the outside concrete wall, but he gathered himself and charged the #22 Monster Energy/Toyota/Potawatomi/BFGoodrich Pro 4WD back into the field. Heading into the high-speed final turn on the track, Greaves carved out a turn along the high side of the banked left-hander and about that time, Scott Douglas moved up the track in front of him. Greaves and Douglas collided once again, but the #22 Monster Energy/Toyota/Potawatomi/BFGoodrich Pro 4WD continued charging.

After a wild 16-laps of racing, Greaves earned a solid fourth place finish.

"This was another wild race for the fans. We had a decent run. I'm not happy with 4th, but we'll take it and move to Saturday's race. The #22 Monster Energy/ Toyota/ Potawatomi/ BFGoodrich Pro 4 ran spectacular and I want to thank all of our sponsors, friends and family that have come out to the races to support us all season long. I can't wait until tomorrow."

Saturday Night Racing - TORC Las Vegas Motor Speedway Round 16

The TORC Pro2WD gladiators came onto the racetrack for the final race of the season, kicking off the last night of racing for the 2009 TORC Series. The Las Vegas fans packed into the Vegas Dirt Track grandstands and stood on their feet in anticipation of the PRO2WD finale.

Johnny Greaves Motorsports racer, Jeremy McGrath, wheeled the #2 Monster Energy/Toyota/Potawatomi/BFGoodrich Pro 2WD onto the track and the crowds went wild. As the green flagged dropped, McGrath took the hole shot and jetted to the front, but coming into the second turn, the truck pitched slightly sideways and half of the field got by.

It was a chore to make up track position on the difficult .5-mile racetrack at the Vegas stadium, but the Super Cross Legend never gave up. By the mandatory mid-race caution, McGrath had made up positions and at the green flag, he began his final charge - but it was not meant to be. The laps counted down as several yellow flags slowed the race action. In the end, McGrath finished 8th in the spectacular Pro2WD race.

McGrath explained, "It's been a fantastic year of racing with Johnny Greaves Motorsports. We had some awesome races. Finishing 4th overall in the season point's race is not really what I had hoped for, but we raced hard each and every weekend. Our sponsors and Johnny's team deserve a huge thanks for a great season of racing."

Saving the best for last, the TORC PRO4WD trucks emerged from the pits with engines roaring and ready to put on a big show. It wasn't long before the green flag waved down the front stretch and the #22 Monster Energy/ Toyota/ Potawatomi/ BFGoodrich Pro 4WD immediately began making a move to the front. After the second lap, Johnny Greaves jumped to the lead and gathered up a 3 second lead over the rest of the field. Not one truck could keep up with Greaves, who was described by other racers as "a man on a mission."

Johnny pushed the #22 hard through the corners and the truck performed phenomenal. "We nailed the setup for the track. The suspension was dialed, we had the right groove and the BFGs were really hooking up. Toyota TRD really gave us an aggressive package that made great power," said the Wisconsin-native.

The #22 Monster Energy/ Toyota/ Potawatomi/ BFGoodrich Pro 4WD seemingly was on a set of rails until the unthinkable occurred and Johnny rolled the truck in turn four. "I came into the turn as I had been hitting it every other time and we just caught a deep rut that put me up on two-wheels and this time, I couldn't pull it off."

"I'm disappointed because we really had the right stuff here tonight, but one mishap and it all went away. Finishing the season in fourth overall in the season point's championship is mediocre in my books and I promise that we are headed to the 2010 season with a vengeance to win another PRO 4WD Championship," said the dejected racer.

Both McGrath and Greaves finished up the season championship point's race in fourth position overall among their respective classes. With the 2009 season wrapped up, Johnny Greaves Motorsports is already looking at the 2010 TORC Series season. "We're going to make some changes on both of the trucks for the better and we are going to continue our extensive testing throughout the winter working out of our Temecula, California shop. We'll be back faster and stronger for next season," commented the grinning Johnny Greaves.

Tune into ABC Sports on Sunday, November 8 at 1:30 p.m. EST / 10:30 a.m. PST and watch all the race action from final two rounds of the 2009 TORC Series. Check your local listings for broadcast times on ABC Sports in your region.

Please visit www.JohnnyGreaves.com for the latest news, photos and videos of all the action from the TORC Series at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.