We spent our labor day weekend up in Crandon , Wisconsin for one of our biggest races of the season. It’s an absolute honor to race at such a prestigious race track, and to take part in such a historical event. The Labor Day weekend races have taken place at Crandon International Raceway for 54 years! That alone should tell you something! We arrived at the race track Wednesday afternoon to prepare for a full schedule of racing. There would be 57 different races taking place all in a matter of three days! As today was a move in and set up day there wasn’t a whole lot of action to report on other than some good Bs’n and just running through both of the race cars with a fine tooth comb to ensure they are ready Thursday morning for practice and qualifying.
Thursday we got up early and did our final checks on the 4900 Can-am UTV as it was the first car to practice that day. We would have three practice blocks for each race vehicle on thursday. One morning, one afternoon, and one later in the evening UNDER THE LIGHTS! Our first practice for both cars was just a feeler. We mainly wanted to just learn the track, as the track team had made many new changes and improvements to the race course since last year. They removed a part of the track I really liked because you could really get the cars wound up and moving fast. However a decision was made after the fateful events that occured last year to try and make the course a little safer for the Ultra4 racers, as we are open wheel race cars, racing at very high speeds, on massive tires. It is incredibly dangerous so I respected the decisions made by the officials in an attempt to make our race safer. 
Practice two was our qualifier for both classes. It was a super packed schedule of racing that weekend. There was no time to run a traditional qualifier like usual with one car on course at a time. You were given a 15 minute block on the track and your fastest lap of the block was your qualifying time. We hung back off the start of practice and let everyone sort of spread out. Then we went for it and laid down two or three very fast laps. Putting Myself in the Pole position in the 4900 UTV open and pro modified classes, as well as the 4400 unlimited class. Which would make 6 events in a row for the 4400! We knew we had FAST cars for this race track and I was thrilled with my qualifying results. Cars ran hard and had zero issues after qualifying. SO we hung out and just waited for our third practice.
Practice three was the last of the set, and our first chance to run the massive Project x offroad rock section where we would race saturday evening for the Ultra4 USA rage on the rocks. Knowing we already had the pole for our first race. We conserved the car and just cruised through the laps to get a feel for the course and pick some lines through the rocks.
Friday we woke up and headed to downtown Crandon with the 4400 car. To take place in the annual labor day weekend parade. In a town that is normally home to 1,700 people. It’s insane to see crowds of over 50,000 people take to the streets of crandon to see hundreds of race vehicles staged along main street. It was really neat to see so many offroad racing fans in one location, and to meet and chat with so many fans that were seeing me race in person for the first time. At 12 noon the horn blared and everyone piled back into their race cars and started the parade back to the race track. 
Our first race of the weekend was at 5pm that evening. The UTV crandon cup race. A standalone race for a chance to win a crandon ring. We were signed up to compete in both the Open and Pro modified classes. With open being the first race. Qualifying number one the day before we were staged against the inside wall. When the green flag dropped we took off and I was able to grab the hole shot. If I’m being honest, being staged closest to the inside wall put me at a disadvantage with the new start as I had to slow down drastically into the first turn to avoid going too wide and running into other cars. While the racers on the outside were able to never let off. Nonetheless we won the hole shot battle and headed down the straightaway in front of the grandstands filled with 40,000 plus people. RJ Anderson gave me a little battle and managed to pass me after the second turn but I quickly retook the lead going through the first infield rock section. I started ticking off laps and held the lead the entire race. Ending up with the win in the Open class.
We immediately went back to the starting line, not even having a chance to go accept my ring and stand on the podium and lined up for the pro modified race.Again I was staged on the inside against the wall. Took off and managed to snag the hole shot, but was overtaken by kyle chaney into turn 2. We overtook the lead once again in the first infield rock section. Headed into the next turn the driver behind me came in a little hot, and ended up getting into the back half of my car and killin a left rear tire. We held onto the lead for the next urn and thru the next infield rock section. But midway through the rocks we lost the right rear tire. Ending our pro modified race in the first lap. That’s racing sometimes!
Saturday We woke up early for a drivers meeting at 7 am and then got back to the pits to begin preparing for our night race. We would race the UTv first. AGIn in both the Open and Pro Modified classes followed by the 4400 unlimited class. We started in pole position in the OPen class after winning the previous race. We got the hole shot once again, and were the first to make it through the infield track and back out to the big rock section. The #1018 Can-am car blasted thru rocks like a tank thanks to our HCR suspension and back onto the infield. We took the lead early in this race and never let go. Winning the second race of the weekend in the UTV Open. Once again I had to return to the starting line immediately for the UTV Pro Modified race. But this time I had a stand in at the podium. My daughter and best friend had my back and accepted my award and even gave a speech for me! Definitely one of the best moments in racing we’ve had as a family! 
We took off in the pro modified class and being that i did not finish the last Pro modified race i would start in the very back for this race. Off the start I didn’t push hard, and just wanted to get through traffic. I wired my way physically up to 6th on the race course and was gaining ground on the cars in front of me. But I made a mistake in the rocks and cut another tire down, this time taking the rim with it. So I pulled off course and just sat and cheered my buddy Travis Zoliner on to his Win. I then pulled back around to our it and hoped in the 4400 car for the final race of the evening.
We lined up once again against the wall. Green flagged drops and I took off for turn one, peddling the car into the corner. I was able to maintain most of my speed and get out front right beside 3 time king shannon campbell. I was able to overtake Him on turn two as we headed into the first in field rock garden, and from then on it was clean air for me until I caught lap traffic. Our Radflo shocks were absolutely dialed in for this course thanks to the help of Wayne Isrealsen and All tech motorsports. We managed to lap every car in the field except the top 4 drivers. Putting a 36 second gap between me and second place at the time of finish. It was an exhilarating race, and a finish I couldn’t have dreamed of at the big house. This was our second year racing crandon and we couldn’t be more stoked to take home the win in 4400 unlimited! Quite possibly one of the biggest wins of my career!
Sunday we woke up after celebrations and got back to work on the 4400 car. We had one race left in the weekend and we wanted to repeat the same success we had the night before.
The stage was set for the Red bull world cup race, we staged in the pole position once again. And left the line hard into the first turn. Brett hareel was able to get the hole shot but we were right there with him in the first set of jumps. After leaving the takeoff on the second jump me and another competitor made contact and got tangled up mid air. After coming to the ground we were stuck together for about 50 ft before we separated and I ended up rolling the car over. After the entire field passed me by, I pulled back onto the track. My light bar had broken loose and was not directly in my line of sight through the windshield. So I pulled around to the pits and broke it the rest of the way off so I could continue my race. We knew we were out of the running for the podium. But I know I have a fast car and I wanted to prove it. So i made it my mission to go set the facets lap of the race, unbeknownst to myself i had a broken driver rear shock. But that didn’t seem to matter because we still managed to set the fastest lap of the day before pulling off and retiring from the race.
All in all we had a very successful weekend in Crandon With 3 WINS coming home to the wolff racing compound!
