Johnny Greaves DOMINATES Pro 4 CORR Round 3 Rick Huseman WINS Pro 4 Sunday in 2008 CORR Series at Las Vegas International Raceway

Pro 4 Travis Coyne Claims 3rd Behind Greaves
 Pro 2 Jeremy McGrath Captures Podium in Rounds 3 & 4
 Pro Lite Rodrigo Ampudia Stands atop the Podium with Top Performances 

 

PRIMM, Nevada (May 19, 2008) — Monster Energy Motorsports arrived to the 2008 Championship Off-Road Racing Series (CORR) for Rounds 3 & 4 of the 2008 CORR Series in front of more than 15,000 spectators as the two-day event concluded at the Las Vegas International Off-Road Raceway in Primm, Nevada.  Racing was held at the 9,000-seat dirt raceway located behind Terrible’s Buffalo Bills Resort and Casino that includes a one-mile purpose-built race course featuring high banked turns, six-foot high bumps along with a high-speed front stretch.

Monster Energy rolled into the Las Vegas International Off-Road Raceway “Vegas Style,” featuring a state-of-the-art VIP lounge affectionately named “Monster Vision.”  The multi-level portable facility offered a spectacular view of the race track as it was situated in the pits behind Monster Energy’s Johnny Greaves semi-tractor trailer.  Greaves races in both the elite CORR classes, Pro 4 and Pro 2, and the VIP lounge was never short of a rocking crowd. 

The desert temperatures ratcheted up this past weekend well above 100 degrees as “Monster Vision” was chilled to a comfortable 78 degrees inside as guests were served their favorite flavor of Monster.  Race action was streamed live in High Definition and those that watched the live banging from inside the lounge only had to climb the short set of stairs to top level to feel, hear and smell the action trackside.  

Saturday’s Round 3 started out with Greaves charging the #4 Pro 4 to the front weaving through a myriad of crashes and heavy race traffic.  The affable Greaves smiled and said, “It was wild out there.  Our goal is to be on top each and every race and this is a great start to our year long season.”

Johnny Greaves, Rick Huseman and Travis Coyne, all sponsored by Monster Energy, raced door-to-door for several laps until the familiar black and green branded Pro 4 race truck slid into open clean air.  Johnny never looked back as he throttled to the checkered flag marking his first victory of the 2008 season.  Travis Coyne rallied his CORR Pro 4 race truck in the final laps marking his first return to the podium this season.

This victory marks his 65th career CORR class race win.  Greaves overall season point’s total of 356 places him a mere fourteen points behind the points leader, Rick Huseman.

Sunday’s Round 4 racing action saw Rick Huseman drive the #3 FABTECH / Monster Energy truck to an impressive victory among a full field of CORR Pro 4 race trucks.  Starting from the second row it didn’t take long for Huseman to gather the power from his Toyota TRD power plant and get to the front among a crowded top half of the field. Huseman diced with many challengers before he set the fast lap time of the race at 56:315.  Riding atop the high-banked and high-speed turn three Huseman was all business in the office chair of his race truck.

Huseman climbed from behind the wheel of his truck and said, "We ran hard today and the tire and suspension combination worked out well on the dirt here in Las Vegas. Toyota TRD supplied us with a wicked fast motor this weekend and all the pieces fell together.  We had some fairly serious adjustments that we had to make on Saturday evening.  Monster Energy powered us late into the night and then today we had a flawless run.  It's great to get a win this early in the season and we're hoping to capitalize on this victory and keep the momentum going as we head back to our home track in Pomona in a few weeks."  

Over 25 race trucks filled the expanding CORR Pro 2 field here in 2008 and after only a few races in the Monster Energy / Baldwin Racing Pro 2, Jeremy McGrath climbed to the podium on both days.  In Saturday’s Round 3, McGrath finished up in 2nd place after battling back from two separate setbacks during the race.  Jeremy was all smiles as he accepted the trophy in front of thousands of fans and the television cameras.  During Sunday’s Round 4, McGrath jumped to the front very early and led the race nearly wire-to-wire until two wily veteran CORR racers set him up during the final two laps.  McGrath explained in his television interview, “I’m happy to be among these two racers, both who are past champions.  I’m still learning these CORR trucks and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”  

Mexico’s Rodrigo Ampudia, a second generation off road racer from Ensenada, Mexico, put himself in the top three on both days in the highly competitive CORR Pro Lite class.  Ampudia, who also races Pro 2 for the first time this season, took to the dirt in his red and white FORD Pro Lite in search of victory.  The young Mexican off road racer competed against the largest field of Championship Off Road Racing truck racers, 27 in total within the Pro Lite field, and took home top three position hardware during each round.  On Saturday he finished third to two previous champions in a wild 16 lap race that saw multiple lead changes before ending in front of the massive crowd.  During Round 4 on Sunday, he claimed the first runner up position after an epic battle with last year’s champion.

Rodrigo drove the #36 Pro Lite harder than anyone else through the massive rollers, but appeared to scrub off speed in the high-banked turns and was unable to make the charge in the final lap.  During the majority of the race, Rodrigo had the crowd on their feet as he and last year’s champion raced mere inches apart through the most challenging sections of the race course.  Ampudia’s perseverance paid off as he was able to secure second place in his quest for the 2008 season championship.

    
Rounds 3 and 4 of the CORR Series will air both on the Speed Channel and NBC TV on a delayed basis.  A two-hour show is scheduled to air at 4 p.m. (PDT) next Saturday (May 24) on Speed TV and a one and one-half hour version is set to air at 9:30 a.m. (PDT) on Sunday, June 15 on NBC.
    
Next up are Rounds 5 and 6 of the 2008 CORR Series, to be held June 7-8 at the Los Angeles County Fairplex in Pomona, Calif.

2008 CORR Series
Round 3 & 4, May 17-18—Las Vegas International Off-Road Raceway—Primm,NV

Saturday (May 17) Round 3 Results
Class - Pos. No.- Driver- Hometown – Vehicle

Pro 4 (18 Laps on .94-mile course)
1st 4 Johnny Greaves, Abrams, WI, Toyota Tundra
3rd 5 Travis Coyne, El Centro, CA, Ford F150
6th 3 Rick Huseman, Riverside, CA, Toyota Tundra

Pro 2 (18 Laps on .94-mile course)
     2nd 15 Jeremy McGrath, San Francisco, CA, Ford F150
     5th  4  Johnny Greaves, Abrams, WI, Toyota Tundra
   22nd 36 Rodrigo Ampudia, Mexico, Ford F150

Pro Lite (16 Laps on .94-mile course)
     3rd 36 Rodrigo Ampudia, Mexico, Ford Ranger
    22nd 5 Shannon Campbell, Gilbert, AZ, Ford Ranger
    23rd 2 Casey Currie, Anaheim, CA, Nissan

Sunday (May 18) Round 4 Results
Class - Pos. No.- Driver- Hometown – Vehicle

Pro 4 (18 Laps on .94-mile course)
1st 3 Rick Huseman, Riverside, CA Toyota Tundra
5th 5 Travis Coyne, El Centro, CA, Ford F150
   14th 4 Johnny Greaves, Abrams, WI, Toyota Tundra (DNF)

Pro 2 (18 Laps on .94-mile course)
     3rd 15 Jeremy McGrath, San Francisco, CA, Ford F150
     4th   4 Johnny Greaves, Abrams, WI, Toyota Tundra
     8th 36 Rodrigo Ampudia, Mexico, Ford F150

Pro Lite (16 Laps on .94-mile course)
     2nd 36 Rodrigo Ampudia, Mexico, Ford Ranger
     5th    2 Casey Currie, Anaheim, CA, Nissan
   12th    5  Shannon Campbell, Gilbert, AZ, Ford Ranger