The 2023 Championship Off-Street season opener at Antigo Lions Roaring Raceway didn’t begin because the Greaves household hoped when patriarch Johnny Greaves broke six ribs and his shoulder in a apply crash on Friday. Fortuitously, his son C.J. Greaves and nephew Kyle Greaves have been greater than motivated to show up the warmth in his place.
Kyle changed Johnny within the #22 Professional 4, making his début within the high degree because the reigning Professional Lite champion. Whereas his title defence additionally began on a robust observe as he received the Saturday race, he rapidly made a splash in Professional 4 too by ending third in each races. He additionally positioned third within the second Professional Lite occasion as Brody Eggleston claimed his first win.
Forward of Kyle, C.J. was the brightest star in Antigo with a near-perfect weekend. The 2022 Professional 4 titlist swept the weekend within the class, did the identical in Professional Turbo SxS, and nearly achieved a triple in Professional Inventory SxS when he received on Saturday. Nonetheless, a instantly mechanical concern ten laps into the Sunday race prevented that from occurring, and Owen VanEperen capitalised to take the win.
The primary Professional 4 race noticed Greaves slip by a sideways Cole Mamer, who took the lead into the primary nook earlier than spinning and triggering a crash that additionally collected Kyle Chaney and Jimmy Henderson; Greaves then held off Adrian Cenni for the win. Cenni spun early into Race #2 and Greaves battled a resurgent Mamer till the latter broke his left entrance suspension. This left Chaney to chase down Greaves, which he briefly succeeded on the following restart just for Greaves to get previous him.
“It was enjoyable getting on the market to run with my cousin and my good buddy Kyle Chaney, and simply have enjoyable,” stated C.J. Greaves after Race #2. “Not fairly often do you get to come back out and simply battle with one another and simply go to work on the observe.”
In addition to Johnny, a number of Professional 4 drivers have been absent for the races as 2022 runner-up Kyle LeDuc is battling most cancers, although he was current in spirit as he designed the brand new Antigo observe configuration. Andrew Carlson and Scottie Lawrence have been caught up in accidents in qualifying. Solely half the grid additionally completed Race #1 after the others have been tangled in Mamer’s wreck. Henderson additionally flipped in Race #2, resulting in a purple flag.
Professional 2 driver Ryan Beat started 2023 by profitable the West Coast’s Nice American Shortcourse sesason opener at King of the Hammers, and repeated that feat within the Midwest with a Saturday triumph. The victory was his first in Championship Off-Street since 2021. Whereas he got here up wanting sweeping the weekend, Beat nonetheless recorded a second on Sunday after barely holding off Cory Winner coming to the end.
“Final 12 months was the bottom of lows, then to the very best of highs this 12 months,” Beat said. “We’re beginning the season off with two wins. I received King of the Hammers and now right here.”
Professional SPEC, which featured a a lot bigger grid of 9 from the 4 in 2022, started 2023 with final 12 months’s runner-up Nick Visser and Chad Rayford profitable. Rayford, who held off defending champion Grey Leadbetter for the Race #2 victory, was amongst six rookies within the class alongside The Checkered Flag interviewee Dylan Parsons, who completed eighth and fifth, and Tony Keepers, a graduate from 1600 Single Buggy like Parsons who positioned third in each rounds.
The second Professional Buggy race was marred by a moist race course, inflicting Saturday winner Mark Steinhardt to spin whereas main. 2022 champ Michael Meister took the win because of this.
Within the Professional Am SxS, Kolton Krajicek‘s snowy exploits in AMSOIL Championship Snocross rapidly translated to dust as he swept the weekend. Porter Inglese additionally received each his races in Mod Kart, whereas twin brothers Connor and Colin Schulz cut up 1600 Gentle Buggy.
