PRESS RELEASE:  CRANDON, WISCONSIN

Green Bay, Wisconsin (September 6, 2004)

FRIDAY’S LABOR DAY PARADE

            Another beautiful weekend is upon us at the 2004 World Championship races held in Crandon International Off-Road Raceway.  The 400 plus acre facility was filled to the brim with off-road racing fans.  An event that happens every Labor Day weekend is that the trucks and buggies get to drive to downtown Crandon and display their trucks along with being a part of the parade.  “Its great to see this place come alive for this weekend.  I love coming here, there is just a huge amount of nostalgia that surrounds this place.  The fans also enjoy the activities of the parade and get to have a first hand look at these trucks up close.”  Josh had a great outpouring of fans and congrats from fellow Light Buggy racers that are happy to see him make such a jump.  Upon arriving back from downtown Crandon, Josh noticed a tight spot in his newly fabricated steering column.  Of which his crew remanufactured his steering column again to not have any binding issues.

SATURDAY’S RACE, ROUND #11; STEERING WOES

            Due to it being a world championship race (so the CORR officials stated) Josh had to start in a second row in the 16th position right behind points leader Kyle Leduc.  At the start josh made his way up to 8th place in the first turn.  “I was really happy that I got a great start, then by the barn jump, I was wrestling with the steering wheel just to keep the truck straight, that’s when Don Ponder hit me in the left rear quarter panel spinning me 180 degrees on the track.  Here I am going backwards facing oncoming traffic coming over the hill, I was just hoping that I wouldn’t get hit!”  The rest of the race Josh was fighting for control of the truck.  “It felt like my truck had a flat tire or the tire stagger was way out of whack, whatever it was it definitely felt like I couldn’t drive myself out of a wet paper bag.”  Josh finished the race in 12th place.

SUNDAY’S RACE, ROUND #12;  SPUN AGAIN!

            Starting in the second row in 16th position Josh filed into the first turn in 7th position.  “You are already put behind the eight ball starting the race.  It’s very difficult to see through the dust and mud.  I was happy to see the dust clear up and make it through the first turn unscaved, I had a great race going, when going into the gravel pit, I saw Steve Federico coming back onto the track right after I passed him.  Going into the finish line turn I was hit by Federico from which ended up spinning me out!  I was ticked to say the least, and it didn’t help to see him not even receive a black flag for such a blatant hit, right in front of the CORR officials!”  Josh mounted up a hard charge back to 10th from last place.  After the race Josh went to talk to Steve, all Steve could say is that he couldn’t believe that he never got a black flag, “I deserved the black flag,” said Steve.  Josh commented to the fact, “I guess since I’m a rookie CORR had a blind eye to the incident, which isn’t right, I guess I have to just swallow this one, and go on from here holding my head high, not so much for me, but for my fans and sponsors.”  After a long awaited weekend Josh was very happy to see his cousin and teammate Ben O’Connell win the championship in the Light Buggy sportsman division.  “I’m proud of Ben, I knew that he could do it, I’m glad to see him take my old buggy and watch it win the championship for the third year in a row.  I know that Glen Mathews and Mark Steinhardt are great fabricators, along with the smarts of engine builder Todd Frehse, there wasn’t a doubt that Ben was going to win the championship this year.”  Congratulations to Ben and Mark for winning their respected divisions this year!  The season finale will be two weeks at Unadilla Valley Sports Center in New Berlin, New York.  See you there!

We would like to thank all of our sponsors for their support...
Dedicated Systems, Inc., Dedicated Repair, Inc., BF Goodrich tires, Halron
Oil Co., Inc., Quaker State, Powermist racing fuels, Engine Ice
hi-performance coolant, Sir Speedy of Green Bay, Captain Steve's
www.beercanchickenroaster.com, Jim & Tina Willison Trucking, TOYOTA along
with Josh's friends and family.