Johnny & CJ Greaves Dominate TORC Round Two

After a great opening day of racing for round one of the Duel in the Desert, the kickoff for the 2014 TORC: The Off-Road Championship season, racers and fans retuned again for the final race of the weekend at Primm, Nevada, and the drivers definitely put on a show.

After a packed field of 26 racers took the line yesterday in the Pro Lite class, another massive field of 23 trucks was ready for round two today, albeit a few trucks short as a few teams couldn’t get their trucks repaired in time for today’s race. Although racers qualified yesterday for the top spots, today TORC officials inverted yesterday’s top six, meaning yesterday’s winner CJ Greaves started in sixth place and wasn’t afforded the clean air he enjoyed yesterday. 

The start of the race saw a tight field, with Kyle Hart, Jerett Brooks, Brad Lovell, Bradley Morris and CJ Greaves all duking it out for the lead. Brooks, yesterday’s third-place finisher, was able to get out front a few laps in and never look back. Although Hart, who’s father Mary Hart earned second in Pro 2 yesterday, put forth a serious effort to catch Brooks, while also battling with Greaves, he was unable to take the lead and had to settle for second place. Greaves followed up his victory with a third-place finish at round two, putting both he and Brooks in a tie in the points chase.

Brooks was excited after the race to get atop the podium at round two.

“Today I was really focused,” Brooks said. “I saw how the track changed yesterday and I saw what I should’ve done, so I just sat outside and run the cushion a little more. I don’t know, the track was just super fast today. I just stayed cool and just got out front and was in clean air all day, and yesterday I was behind people so I felt like I was a little better.

When asked if he felt a little more comfortable on the track today, Brooks said that a little more track time gave him a better understanding of where to run and what to avoid.

“I felt like I knew it a little better, you know, I knew where the holes were going to form because in turn one the holes were pretty bad [yesterday], so the truck would get on two wheels all the time. Actually in turn two the ruts weren’t that bad today, it was more blue groove and slick today.”

Yesterday’s Pro 2 race saw Chad Hord basically run away from the field without much of a challenge. Today, however, he had his hands full with CJ Greaves, who started in the back of the pack but worked his way into contention after picking off racers along the way. It looked at first like Hord was in control of another win at Primm, but a small bobble during a turn opened the door for Greaves to sneak past and hold off Hord to earn the win.

“We started in the back dead last and just took it one by one, one by one as people started making mistakes we started capitalizing,” Greaves said after the race. “About three-quarters of the way through Chad opened the door, I took the spot and from there we never looked back and just tried to hold our lines.”

Hord ran a solid race at round two but just never could track down Greaves after he relinquished the lead.

 “I just screwed up one time and CJ got me, and I tried to go run him back down but he’s fast and he was running a good line – he was in the line I wanted to be in. So I just couldn’t get him back.”

Although Hord may have been a little disappointed he let one slip away, he’s still happy with a 1-2 weekend at the Dual in the Desert.

“Yeah a first and a second right out of the box like this is great,” he said. “Just to know that we’re one of the trucks to beat on the track, one of the fastest guys here, that just feels great.”

In yesterday’s action-packed Pro 4 race, Johnny Greaves held the lead for much of the race but an early crash slowed his truck at the end – which was just enough for Adrian Cenni to nab a late-race pass to earn the win. Today, Greaves wouldn’t allow Cenni the same opportunity, as he worked his way into the lead and held tight until the checkered flag waved. Cenni finished in second place, giving him a 1-2 finish on the weekend and Greaves a 2-1 record, so the two leave Primm tied in the points.

Greaves’ victory in Pro 4 today also meant both he and son earned victories at the Primm track, so both father and son certainly were preparied for the fast Primm track.

“I’d say we like Primm quite a bit right now – we could race the whole season here,” he said. “But you know, all these guys are pushing real hard, and Adrian’s really stepped up his game this year. He’s always had the speed it’s just he had a few problems and gremlins with the new trucks but we knew he was coming and we expected it, and Scott’s always there so I know what I’m in for with the rest of the season; it’s going to be a good season to watch.”

Greaves also credited his victory today to his team, who certainly had their work cut out for them when you consider his truck needed to be pushed to the podium after yesterday’s Pro 4 race.

“I’d be lying if I said this was all about me, because that win was all about my crew,” he said. “They stayed up ‘til 5 in the morning. You saw what I did to this thing yesterday, and they fixed it and they smiled the whole time they were doing it. So that win is dedicated to you guys, you guys work your butts off and I can I try to do is make you proud.”

Adrian Cenni wasn't able to produce another come-from-behind pass late in the race like he did yesterday, but his second-place finish puts him in a tie with Greaves in the standings.

“When I got by Mark [Jenkins] and I saw Johnny was right there and I thought, ‘Oh, I can give it a better run just like yesterday,'" Cenni said. "Unfortunately he didn’t make a mistake and so I couldn’t catch him, and so congratulations to him."

After a great opening race weekend at Primm, the TORC Series will return to racing in Charlotte, North Carolina, on April 25-26. For more information on the series, visit TORCseries.com.

More TORC Action
Round 1 Recap

Duel in the Desert Photo Highlights

Results – Round 2
Pro Lite
1. Jerett Brooks
2. Kyle Hart
3. CJ Greaves

Pro 2
1. CJ Greaves
2. Chad Hord
3. Patrick Clark

Pro 4
1. Johnny Greaves
2. Adrian Cenni
3. Scott Douglas