racing

Team Menzies Motorsports recently rolled into Joilet, Illinois with high hopes. They were anxious to get the Traxxes TORC event at the Route 66 Raceway, which is located at the Chicagoland Speedway Complex, underway. The team’s standings in the points race were already impressive, and they were eager to, at the least, solidify and hopefully increase their leads.

However, one thing was different at this particular event – the rainy conditions that had seemingly been following the event from venue to venue during the 2013 season had failed to show up. It was a welcomed change enjoyed by all of the drivers.

Scheduled to run in the Pro-4 class, Menzies driver, Ricky Johnson qualified 3rd fastest at the beginning of the opening night, earning him a second-row start.

At the start of the race, he immediately embarked upon a battle with Scott Douglas, a brawl that would last the first couple of laps. But during his quest for the lead position, Johnson’s vehicle spun around, costing him several positions. The Menzies driver wouldn’t consider letting up though and managed to muscle his way back to third place before crossing the finish line.

The team was well represented during the second race of the night, as team members, Bryce Menzies and Travis Pastrana were both scheduled to run in the Pro-2 class. Pastrana started in front of Bryce at the beginning of the race and was holding his own; that is, until he suffered a flat tire deep into the event.

Menzies, on the other hand, was plagued with bad luck early on, as he spun out while battling Chad Hord for position. The driver’s no-quit attitude brought him back into the thick of things later in the race, but Menzies once again spun out in the same turn. However, Bryce kept on pushing and eventually worked his way back into third place at the waving of the checkered flag.

When asked the team’s thoughts during Menzies string of unlucky occurrences, Menzies Director of Logistics and Media, Dane Roney, said, “We weren’t too worried. We know Bryce is a great driver. Consistency wins championships.”

Team Menzies returned the following night with aspirations of earning even more spots on the podium. Starting the night off, Ricky Johnson, once again found himself in a heated battle for the third place position. Upon distancing himself from those drivers, he focused on the two trucks ahead of him. But the laps ran out before he could move into the first two spots, leaving him with a third place finish.

As the Pro-2 class race neared, tension grew amongst the Menzies team. Having raced earlier that day in the Global Rallycross series, at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, Bryce barely arrived back at the Chicagoland Speedway in time to get strapped in and compete in the race.

“Leading up to the race, it got pretty close,” recalled Roney. “But we got lucky. There was a weather delay that gave Bryce a little extra time to get ready.”

Well, the fans definitely got their money’s worth during this particular race, as Bryce and Chad Hord began the race neck and neck and continued to battle for the lead position throughout the entire race. Menzies finally took the lead after the mid-way yellow flag. With no intentions of dropping the fruits of his hard work and perseverance, he savored clean air and took the checkered flag, earning his respectful position at the top of the podium.

With their recent success at the Chicagoland Speedway in the rearview mirror and the remaining races of the season in front of the them, team Menzies is anticipating the possibilities of putting even more championships under their belts. And judging from previous seasons, they know exactly what it takes to get it done.

Team Menzies are noted for their driving skills. But they also have an acute understanding that there are several other factors in consistent success.

Of course the entire team plays a huge role in the podium positions that the drivers experience. “Each person is important,” explained Roney. We each play a part in keeping the machine running. Although some roles may appear larger than others, each one is equally as important.”

With an impressive crew of drivers and a team that works like a well-oiled machine, the third ingredient to the recipe to their success is a conviction to follow a stringent maintenance program. That being said, Menzies Motorsports depend upon K&N products to fill their filtering needs.

“Our team takes pride in making sure, before we show up at the track, we have all of our “I”s dotted and “T”s crossed,” ensured Roney. “We use K&N filters, pre-wraps, in-line filters, air filter oils carb base gaskets and extreme high-flow air filter tops.

“We use these products on all of our trucks – Pro 2, Pro 4, Trophy Truck, Pre-runner, buggy and our chase vehicles. K&N’s products play a vital role in our success, because they stand up in the harshest conditions.

“The key to success going into the final race of the year will be just like every other weekend of the season,” explained Roney. “Show up prepared and be ready to work hard until everything is loaded up to leave.

“Fans can expect us to be available for questions and our drivers available for autographs and photos, because they are the driving force behind our success. We hope to see a bunch of new and familiar faces out at Prim, Nevada for the final stop of our short-course season.”