The Beetles Are Back! Class 11 Volkswagen Beetles To Return To 55th Polaris Crandon World Championships
The Beetles are Back! Fourth Annual Crandon Class 11 VW World Championships Announced for Labor Day Weekend
-- Vintage VW Race Cars Expected from Around the Country --CRANDON, Wisconsin (July 28, 2023) -- The 55th running of the legendary Polaris Crandon World Championship is shaping up to as another truly memorable Labor Day motorsports weekend, and today track officials announced the return of a new fan favorite.
Coming from locations around the country, vintage Volkswagen Beetles will again invade the small Northwoods town of Crandon, Wisconsin for the fourth annual Crandon Class 11 World Championships. Featuring vintage air-cooled Volkswagen Beetles that remain largely stock with the exception of modern safety equipment and highly restricted performance upgrades, Class 11 remains a fiercely competitive category even in grueling long distance marathons like the annual BFGoodrich SCORE Baja 1000. Treated as a Pro category by Crandon International Raceway, Class 11 was added to the busy Polaris Crandon World Championship schedule in 2021.
A BEETLE INVASION: A staple since the sport's earliest days, in recent years the stock vintage Class 11 Volkswagens have seen a major uptick in popularity. Almost all of the cars coming to the 2024 Crandon World Championships are making the trek to Wisconsin from the western United States, including three-time Crandon Class 11 champion Cisco Bio. (Photo: Jason Zindrowski)
A field of more than 30 vintage Volkswagens and their teams are expected to make the journey to Crandon from around the country for the 55th Polaris Crandon World Championships, the largest short-course off-road race in the world. Scheduled for August 29 - September 1, 2024, the weekend will also play host to the Sportsman and Pro racers of the AMSOIL Championship Off-Road series and the dynamic rock racing competitors that comprise the national Ultra4 series.
Part of an action-packed 55th anniversary Polaris Crandon World Championships calendar, the Class 11 Volkswagens appear twice on a race weekend schedule that includes 50 races over four days and nights of competition. The endearing vintage VWs will enjoy the spotlight on a national stage as part of MAVTVs recently announced live network coverage of the Forest County Potawatomi "Friday Night Thunder" races.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Volkswagen-based race cars have been part of the Crandon off-road races since the event's founding in 1969 (top). Now enjoying a resurgence, the stock "Class 11" Volkswagens will be featured live on the MAVTV network on Friday, August 31st of the Polaris Crandon World Championship's "Forest County Potawatomi Friday Night Thunder." (Photo: Jason Zindrowski)
Official registration and reservations for Class 11 camping at the 2024 Polaris Crandon World Championships will open for all competitors on Friday, August 2 at 12:00pm noon CST at www.crandonoffroad.com.
"We are proud to announce the return of our Class 11 World Championship races here at Crandon International Raceway," explained Crandon Promoter Marty Fiolka. "From the very first time they raced into Forest County Potawatomi Turn 1 everyone at Crandon loved watching these rolling pieces of history race door to door. At first all of these cars and teams made the long trek to the World Championships from the west coast, but now they are coming from other parts of the United States and Mexico. Class 11 has become a permanent part of our extended Crandon family.
While the overall weekend event and race is still being finalized, Class 11 racers will participate in Crandon's open test day on Thursday, August 29 before being a feature race under the lights on Friday, August 30. The weekend's big race to earn a coveted Crandon World Championship ring will take on Sunday, September 1 as Class 11 takes part in the 9th annual Red Bull Crandon World Cup. The Red Bull Crandon World Cup is produced by Crandon International Raceway as the sport's most prestigious and lucrative day of Pro-category competition capped by the Red Bull Cup race pitting Pro 2 versus Pro 4 unlimited trucks.
In the world of motorsports, Labor Day weekend is synonymous with just one thing -- the annual Polaris Crandon World Championships Off-Road Races. This year's 55th running of the sport's biggest and best event returns for a four-day weekend of racing, music, camping and more from Thursday, August 29 through Sunday, September 1. Comprised of 2,300 sites, Camp Crandon is nearly sold out, with gates opening to the racers and public at 12:00 noon (CST) on Wednesday, August 28.
A record event crowd of more than 60,000 people will enjoy seeing more than 450 teams from across America competing in races spread over three days and nights. The massive race weekend is the largest, oldest and most prestigious short-course off-road race in the world, and includes a complete schedule of Pro and Sportman AMSOIL Champ Off-Road series racers going all-out to win both season championships and Crandon World Champion title and rings for all classes.
