Kyle Greaves wins inaugural Kyle LeDuc Memorial Cup

It is fitting that the Kyle LeDuc Memorial Cup is won by a driver who shares his name and sponsorship.

Organised by Championship Off-Road in honour of the late short course legend, the inaugural Cup took place at Antigo Lions Roaring Raceway as a Pro 2 versus Pro 4 race. LeDuc, who passed away last November, led the track’s redesign ahead of the 2023 season. With the help of the joker lap, the Pro 2 of Kyle Greaves beat his cousin and Pro 4 driver C.J. Greaves for the victory.

Unlike Pro 2 vs. Pro 4 races at Crandon, where the track is large enough for a staggered start in which the former goes first then their four-wheeled counterparts do so half a minute later, Antigo had both classes start closer together though with Pro 2 still comprising the lead trucks. To further bridge the performance divide, Pro 2 took a joker lane in the second half of the race that shortened the course.

After chasing C.J. and Jimmy Henderson for the first four laps, Kyle took the joker immediately when it opened at the halfway point and quickly erased the gap to take the lead. He built his own advantage at a rapid pace, pulling away to an advantage of over eight seconds en route to the win. C.J. settled for second.

Henderson, racing a new truck, fell back whereas Keegan Kincaid passed Travis Milhausen Jr. on the final lap to join the Greaves on the podium. Pro Lite driver Brody Eggleston was the last truck on the lead lap in his maiden Pro 2 race.

“I was talking with the team right before we took the green. I said, ‘You know what? If we’re leading, I’m taking it first lap and I’m getting away from all these guys.’ C.J. passed us lap one or two and I was like, ‘This was going to be a long race,’” recalled Kyle. “As soon as they said I had some distance behind me, I just picked out some lines that I knew would have some bite. They threw some things at this truck and it really came around really good. I can’t thank them all enough.”

Perhaps making the win all the more impressive, 2024 is Kyle’s first season in Pro 2 after graduating as the reigning Pro Lite champion. He had finished sixth and second in the points-counting Antigo Off-Road National Pro 2 races prior to the Cup.

“I think it’s the right way to be first name Kyle with Monster Energy to take this one home,” he continued. “We all miss Kyle, he’s a hell of a racer; if you want to be a racer like him, you got to throw it all on the line for a Cup race.”

Although he came up short in the Cup, C.J. left Antigo tied with Adrian Cenni for the Pro 4 points lead after sweeping the two races; his father Johnny Greaves, winner of the season opener in May, finished behind him on Saturday. C.J. also claimed both Pro Stock SxS events.

Saturday’s racing was delayed due to rain, though it was an oddball day regardless of the weather as multiple drivers were disqualified for failing technical inspection. Five in Super Stock Truck alone—winner Joe Maciosek, Brad Barglind, Cory Holtger, Colt Wierzba, and Kenneth Wilson—all for having too much shock travel. Pro SPEC’s Christopher Parrish also lost his Saturday win as his truck did not have an engine seal. Despite losing their points and wins on Day 1, Maciosek and Parrish rebounded Sunday by winning anyway.

If not for Pro 2 and Pro SPEC, it would have been the Weekend of the Broom for the pro categories as every Saturday winner in the other five classes repeated the following day. Ryan Beat dominated Pro 2 Sunday despite Mickey Thomas‘ pursuit while Nick Visser, who was promoted to the Saturday Pro SPEC win after Parrish’s disqualification, finished third.

Kyle LeDuc Memorial Cup results

Class winners

Pro

Sportsman