Greaves Finishes 2nd in Baldwin Cup While Fans Chant JOHNNY! Carl Renezeder Booed Loudly in Victory Lane
CORR Jason Baldwin Memorial Cup | Primm, NV
Primm, NV (November 4, 2007) – If you missed the race but got there for the presentation ceremony in victory lane, you would have thought you were at a Vegas prize-fight and the judges had just announced the wrong guy the winner as the crowd stood on its feet and screamed. That’s because Johnny Greaves battled back from last place to first, for the second time in the race, and over came a horrific crash into the fencing only to be deliberately hit hard by Renezeder on the last lap to loose the win. As Renezeder stood on his truck and waved the checkered flag to the crowd in celebration, the majority of the fans were on their feet screaming John-ny, John-ny! As the trophy was awarded, the winner was greeted to a very loud chorus of boos as the large crowd recognized the unsportsmanlike manner in which he gained the win. The 2nd annual Jason Baldwin Cup race in Primm, Nevada, will go down as the most exciting, most unusual, and most controversial race of the Pro-4 season.
The 16-lap race started with 14 Pro-2’s lined up 3 wide and the Pro-4’s staggered behind. Greaves was on the first row of the Pro-4’s as the green flag flew. The Toyotas of Greaves and Huesman went on the attack early, but the race was stopped after three laps while more water was applied to the track. On the restart, Greaves put the TRD backed Monster Energy Potawatomi unit in attack mode and moved past all but 4 of the Pro-2’s. By the 6th lap, it looked like the BFG shod Greaves was going to get an easy win, but he spun-out in the big sweeper turn and had to go to the back of the pack. Greaves immediately launched a comeback in his typical fashion when he collided with Tim Herbst truck while flying down the grandstand straight-away, sending him into the protective fencing and ripping it down. Miraculously, Greaves’ Toyota was unhurt and he continued on – but at the very back of the pack once again with about 6 laps to go. The race was then stopped for over 30 minutes while CORR crews repaired the fencing in front of the grandstands.
When the race resumed, no one gave Greaves much of a chance – as usual – Johnny Greaves had no plans to quit. He charged hard and worked his way into the top three with Ricky Johnson and Carl Renezeder and only 3 laps to go. The crowd was absolutely amazed as it appeared Greaves was going to win the race after all he had been through in one race. Like the professional he is, Greaves passed up numerous opportunities to make full contact passes on his fellow competitors. Johnson spun out and the race was on between Johnny and Carl. Greaves caught Carl with two laps left and waited until he could make the pass clean. On the last lap Greaves made no contact as he went sailing past Carl in turn 2. In the next turn Renezeder came in hot and made hard contact with Greaves pushing him out wide causing Greaves to spin out from the impact. Johnny goes on to finish second as the crowd booed Carl.
As the winner and the third place truck pulled their trucks on to center stage of victory lane, a dejected Greaves held up short – parking his truck 30 yards off to the side of the celebration. As Greaves sat in his car, he was greeted with fans screaming his name “John-ny, John-ny!” NBC Cameras immediately came running to Greaves.
“What the heck just happened?” asked Greaves as he was exiting his Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota in disbelief. “He hit me pretty hard, it’s a tough way to loose, but it looks like the fans understand what just happened. I tried to run a clean race today and had a few shots I could have taken to pass Carl – but I don’t like to win that way,” Greaves continued as the crowd shouted his name. NBC’s Kelli Stavast asked Greaves for a comment from the infield and Greaves excited the crowd by telling her, “screw the sixty-six thousand – I’m here for my fans!” It was obvious to all that Johnny “stole the show.”
“My Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota really held together today for an amazing comeback – I just wish I could have brought home the prize to finish it off,” said Greaves.
Greaves Plays Winning Hand in CORR Round 13 at Primm Valley
CORR Round 13 | Primm, NV
Primm, NV (November 3, 2007) – Johnny Greaves came to Nevada on a mission from the Monster Energy, Potwatomi Toyota chiefs, and won the opening Pro-4 race in typical Greaves style. Greaves started on the second row, but took advantage of a tricky turn 2 to pass from 4th to first on lap 5 of the16 lap free-for-all.
“I looked thru the dust and saw that the guys in front of me were struggling keeping it on the track in that turn and I just really hooked up well there myself,” said Greaves afterwards. “It was great to get another win in front of a big crowd here in a new location for us.”
Greaves avoided the carnage from a big crash by Huesman early in the race. He managed to work his way into the lead by the 5th lap. It was pretty much smooth sailing from that point on as Greaves took the win and put the popular Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota on the top podium spot.
“My crew really worked hard putting in a fresh TRD motor before the race and I am happy to win this one for them.”
Greaves’ Crew Works a ‘Miracle Motor Change’ – Tundra Star Delivers Yet Again
CORR Round 11 and 12 | Jason Baldwin Memorial Cup | Texas Motor Speedway, Dallas, TX
Dallas, TX (October 20, 2007) – The Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota Pro-4 Team proved once again that it can handle just about anything you throw at it in the CORR series with another weekend packed with adversity for the off-road king from Wisconsin. Yet this time, it had a great ending.
In the Friday night CORR Pro-4 points race at Texas Motor Speedway, Greaves battled from 4th to second only to have a flat tire on the 10th lap. “I was just looking for the best place to pass Douglas for the lead when my tire came loose from the rim,” said Greaves from the podium. “I new I would have to make a pit stop during the caution and I though I would have time to catch the field before the restart. The crew did their job and got me out there pretty quick but the green was already out. I had to work hard to get back up there.”
Greaves battled from the back of the pack all the way to third place to put the team on the podium. It was pretty amazing to see a truck come from nearly a whole lap down to finish on the podium in that short of time left – and on a short track with little room to pass. Greaves was coming on strong and would have probably won the race if another two laps were left.
Saturday night’s schedule included two races for the team: one, to open the show at 7:30 and one to close the show at 9:30. In the Baldwin cup (first race), Greaves put the Tundra out to an early lead and held a huge lead on the field halfway through the race. Much to the disappointment of the crowd, Greaves pulled into the infield and got out of the truck, signaling that he could not finish the race. “The motor was running strong earlier in the pit when we checked it out, so I don’t know what happened yet,” stated Greaves.
Everyone in Texas assumed Greaves would not be able to make it to the line for the last race of night – but they were just wrong! Much to everyone’s surprise, Greaves Monster Energy, Potawatomi Toyota crew went to work as soon as the tow truck arrived at the Monster Pit and started the engine removal. “There’s no way they will be ready,” stated one racing fan from the crowd. “They have to be ready in less than an hour and a half and no one can do that.” He was wrong. As a huge crowd surrounded the pit, crew chief Curt Greaves took control and directed his men to an entertaining display of skill and determination. When the big Tundra motor fired-up the crowd screamed and Johnny Greaves was off to the race.
Greaves put the Tundra out front early with the pole position and never looked back. There was some close racing behind Greaves for second, but Travis Coyne and Carl Renezeder had nothing for the legendary Johnny Greaves and the Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota Tundra won the race with a comfortable margin. “This win is for all the crew,” screamed Greaves from atop the Tundra in the winners circle. “I hope everyone out there knows what these guys on my crew and the TRD boys accomplished tonight. I don’t know how many teams in racing would have even attempted to change a motor this fast and under this much pressure – Thanks guys, you’re the best and its now time to go back to the pit and talk about it – all night long!”
CORR Round 9 and 10
Jason Baldwin Memorial Cup | Chula Vista, CA
Greaves Wins Baldwin Cup Race on Sunday in Chula Vista, Points Races Jinxed for the Fastest Guy There
Chula Vista, CA. (September 30, 2007) – Johnny Greaves once again proved he was the fastest guy at the races but got mixed results for the weekend winning the Jason Baldwin qualifier to be televised by NBC Sports. In Saturday’s points race, Greaves lead the entire race by a “Monster” margin proving to the eager crowd in Chula Vista that no one really had anything for Johnny Greaves. At the mandatory restart, Adrian Cenni blatantly hit Greaves in turn 4, flipping the Tundra over on its end and taking Greaves out of the race. Cenni was black-flagged for the intentional take-out, which ended a perfect race by Greaves.
On Sunday, for the NBC race, Greaves started on the pole with Scott Douglas and put the Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota out front for good and claimed yet another NBC Cup race win. “The field really had nothing for Greaves this weekend,” stated veteran SPEED TV announcer Ken Stout. “Johnny continues to dominate the Pro-4 class – we are all used to it.”
The final race of the day was the Pro-4 points race and Greaves once again “checked-out” on the field after three restarts. But Carl Renezeder claimed the victory after Greaves lost first gear and pulled off the track. Up to that point, Greaves was dominating the race, opening up a huge gap on the field. In three races for the weekend, Greaves was never passed and lost only due to an obvious take-out move by a competitor and a transmission issue in the Sunday points race.
“My Toyota really put me out front all weekend long and I hate we only got one win out of it.” said Greaves. “I feel like my Saturday race was out of my control and Sunday I got another big win for my sponsors, so it was not too bad a weekend overall – but not what I wanted. I just want to get to Texas for the next race and get back at it.”
Top WSORR Round 12-13 | Wheatland, MO
Greaves Wins 6th Career Championship: WSORR Inaugural Pro 4×4 Series Title for Team Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota
Wheatland, MO (September 23, 2007) – Much to the surprise of no one in the off-road racing community, Johnny Greaves clinched his fourth Pro-4×4 title this past weekend with a win on Saturday at the Lucas Oil facility in Wheatland, MO. It was also his third title in three straight years with a BorgWarner cup and a Potawatomi Chairman’s Cup as well. “Johnny Greaves continues to dominate the short-course off-road racing scene and he looks like he could continue this for a long time too,” stated Joe Parson, Monster Energy’s Motorsports Director.
While it was Greaves’ 6th professional season championship, it was a welcome accomplishment for the newly formed Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota Pro-4×4 Race Team. Greaves, the winningest driver in the history of CORR and WSORR fought off a veteran field of Pro-4×4 regulars including Carl Renezeder and Scotty Douglas. All Greaves had to do to clinch the title on Sunday was to make a lap and he was able to do that before an electrical problem halted his final WSORR season race on Sunday. Perhaps Joe Parsons of Monster Energy put it best when told about the title via text message, “Indeed, HE IS THE MAN!”
“I am so happy that I could bring this championship home to the Potawatomi who have been so involved in WSORR this year,” said an excited Greaves from the podium. “This one is for our whole team that supported us running two series this year. Monster, Potawatomi, TRD/Toyota, and BFGoodrich really stuck with us and we are just happy it worked out.” Greaves began Saturday’s race with a third place start behind Renezeder and Douglas. Midway through the race, the two veterans out front got into a “skirmish of sorts” that gave Renezeder a black flag and slowed them down just enough for Greaves to make his move into the lead for good.
On Sunday, with the title clinched, Greaves was running in third when he heard a strange sound and smelled something burning. He wisely pulled off, not wanting to do further damage to the Toyota. It turned out to be an electrical short of sorts and he called it a weekend with the championship in tow. “We have a lot of racing left this year yet,” said Greaves referring to the CORR series still very much up for grabs with three race weekends left. “While I would love to celebrate, I really don’t have time. We have another job to do for the team when we get out west. But my crew and team have worked their tails off lately and I just want to bring home another title for all of my fans and supporters.”
CORR JBM Cup Qualifier | Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, CA
Greaves Bounces Back, Wins Baldwin Cup Qualifier on NBC Amid Controversy and All Night ‘Work-A-Thon in the Pits’
Lancaster, CA (September 16, 2007) – Sunday’s Pro-4 Baldwin Cup went as planned for Johnny Greaves – until a long wait after the race. Greaves made a classic come from behind move to pass Carl Renezeder after the mandatory restart to take the lead. There were no black flags or official rulings made during the race. However, 30 minutes after the race, CORR decided to penalize Greaves 9 points for “aggressive driving”. Greaves still got the win for the Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota Pro-4 Team.
The race started with Cenni, Renezeder and Greaves and it remained that way for most of the race. Soon after the restart, Cenni pulled off with a blown engine and the race for the win was on with Renezeder and Greaves. Greaves took to the inside in the whoops while Carl went wide. This opened the door for Greaves and he made the pass. In the turn, Renezeder attempted to cut back inside but it was way too late and he hit Greaves hard. However it was Carl who crashed and could not finish the race, giving Huseman the second place finish.
“It was a clean pass,” said Greaves. “Carl just went wide in the whoops and I passed him. I was clear by at least a half a car length but Carl just would not lift at the turn and he crashed. We race each other hard and that is what fans come to see, but this one was clean on my part.”
It was at least 30 minutes after the race when it was announced over the loudspeakers that Greaves was penalized. “I don’t know how it all changed from a half hour ago when race officials on the track called it ‘racing’,” said one Greaves fan. “The crowd sure booed about the (penalty) announcement.”
Greaves heads to Wheatland, MO next where he will attempt to clinch the inaugural WSORR Pro-4×4 Championship Title.
CORR Round 7 | Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, CA
Greaves ‘Decapitates’ his Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota with Big Crash While Leading in Antelope Valley
Lancaster, CA (September 15, 2007) – Johnny Greaves went to Antelope Valley fresh off a huge win at Crandon and it looked like he was going to pick up where he left off – with a huge lead and only 3 laps remaining. That’s when he lost control of his Pro 4 Tundra and went rolling over the K-rail and underneath a parked Semi Trailer. The crash did extensive damage to the cab and the crew had an eventful night repairing the damage. There was a failure in the steering mechanism and it gave way with a win on the horizon.
“The crew better be rested because it looks like an ‘all-nighter’ to get ready for tomorrow,” said Greaves after the crash. “I know the fans got a thrill out of it, but me and my crew have to go to work now.”
The race started with Greaves and Huseman up front. On the first lap, Renezeder crashed hard and the CORR officials signaled a restart. On the restart, Greaves got out front, but Renezeder again crashed and a caution flag came out to restart the group again. The odd thing was that the CORR officials let Renezeder go back to his original starting position after the crash. Greaves led the whole race until his steering went sour and Huseman got the win.
“I hated to see this one get away since I had such a comfortable lead. I think they added some laps for some reason and it caught me.”
Top WSORR BorgWarner Shootout | Crandon, WI
Johnny Greaves Wins World Championship BorgWarner Shootout, Puts Toyota on Manufacturer’s Cup for Second Time in 4 Years
Crandon, WI (September 2, 2007) – Johnny Greaves is wearing yet another short-course championship title with his 2nd BorgWarner trophy at the fabled Crandon International Raceway in northern Wisconsin. The new for 2007, Monster Energy, Potawatomi Toyota Team took center state at the biggest race in the short course world. This just gives Greaves fans more ammunition in their claim that “Johnny Greaves is the best off-road racing athlete today” as he continues his career domination of the CORR and WSORR.
It was a typical Greaves win – he had to work for it. Greaves started the race with a second place start behind Adrian Cenni and the two veterans had a serious battle going on for about 4 laps. The two changed places three times before Greaves was able to make the pass and start his championship run towards the Pro-2×2 trucks that were given the traditional “head start” ahead of the Pro-4×4 trucks. Pro-2×2 legend, Scott Taylor had an enormous lead on Greaves and most people in the record-breaking crowd doubted that even Greaves could run him down for the title in the 5 laps that remained. But his BF Goodrich tires began to really “hook-up” as Greave drove almost flawless racing through the field of Pro-2×2 drivers making the pass on Taylor halfway through the 8th lap. With two laps remaining, Greaves wisely navigated through the lap traffic for the win.
“I wasn’t sure if I could catch Scott,” stated an excited Greaves, “but my Toyota was really putting the power to the dirt and I just held it on. I really wanted this one for the crew and my family that worked really hard over the last few races to get us here. Monster, Forest County Potawatomi and Toyota deserve this big title for all they have put into this team – this is big for us all.”
This marks the 2nd time Greaves has won this famous event and it could not have come at a better time and place. Greaves was hit hard in other races this weekend and suffered from several accidents in traffic. “This was the race I wanted,” stated Greaves. “This race gives my sponsors and the team a real boost going into the second half of the season.”
Greaves will continue his CORR championship quest in two weeks at Antelope Valley Raceway in Lancaster, CA. Johnny won there earlier in the year and is looking forward to racing out west again. The weekend after that, Greaves will attempt to win the WSORR Pro-4×4 title in Wheatland, MO. He will be bringing a 14-point lead into the final WSORR weekend.
WSORR Round 11 | Crandon, WI
Greaves Suffers Flat Tire, Finishes 5th on Sunday at Crandon WSORR Round 11
Crandon, WI (September 2, 2007) – Johnny Greaves continued an unlucky streak on Sunday and suffered a flat tire that ended his bid to run down a quick starting Carl Renezeder, who claimed the win.
“We seem to be having our share of issues out there this weekend but we are managing to finish and stay in the chase for the title'” stated a dejected Greaves. “The TRD boys have my truck running great and I know that I am going to put Monster Energy and Potawatomi out front if we can stop this bad luck streak.”
The 5th place finish puts Greaves leading the series by 14 points over Kent Brasho going into the final weekend in Wheatland, MO.
WSORR Round 10 | Crandon, WI
Hard Charging Greaves Hit Hard in Round 10 at Crandon
Crandon, WI (September 1, 2007) – Johnny Greaves’ intentions for a weekend sweep at Crandon ended Saturday when Curt LeDuc slammed into the side of Greaves after Greaves had made a clean pass. The un-welcomed contact broke a rear stabilizer leaving Greaves with a lot of work to do on the truck if he wanted to run the rest of the weekend.
“It was pretty disappointing to tell the truth,” said Greaves. “I had the feeling that he was going to hit me in the turn after I passed him. It has happened that way a lot and today was no different.” Greaves was also give a black flag for “aggressive driving” in lap 2 when he jumped in the air with Alabama driver Ken Brasho. “I really don’t know what happened, we just got together in the air and hit.”
“Even with the black flag, I felt like I was getting back in the race and I was on my way until the contact with LeDuc, Greaves stated. “I have a great crew and TRD here, so we will be ready.”
Greaves went on to limp in for 5th place and stay ahead in a tight points battle.
WSORR Round 9 | Bark River, MI
Greaves Gambles His Way to the Top at Bark River with a Monster Start
Bark River, MI (August 12, 2007) – Johnny Greaves must have slammed a green Monster Energy drink before the start of the final race of the weekend here at Bark River. He took a huge holeshot away from the field from the 8th spot and charged in for a big win. The win put Greaves’ Monster Potawatomi Toyota in control of the Pro 4 points lead with an 11 point lead leaving Bark River round 9.
“I seem to be running well here at Bark River this year and it always feels good to win in front of my sponsor Forest County Potawatomi here in their backyard,” said Greaves. “I knew if I got a good start I stood a good chance of winning.” Greaves and TRD took some risk running the engine full-out since the engine was showing some issues on the diagnostic equipment. “The engine had some time on it and we made the decision to go with it instead of making another engine change this weekend,” said Greaves’ crew chief Curt Greaves. “Johnny made our decision look good with the great start he got.”
“The motor actually ran pretty good,” stated Greaves. “I guess the boys at TRD were just really on their game with the engine diagnostics – these guys are the best!”
Greaves continues, once again to demonstrate his talent and passion for the podium and will make a run at both the WSORR and the CORR series titles.
WSORR Round 8 | Bark River, MI
Greaves Drives his way to the Podium despite Black Flag and Engine Damage at Bark River
Bark River, MI (August 11, 2007) – Johnny Greaves maintained a narrow WSORR points lead even after an early race black flag during round 8 of the U.P. Off-Road 100 at Bark River, MI. Johnny was running in 5th when he made his move and had position on the 4th place running Kent Brascho. Johnny stuck the nose of his Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota Pro-4×4 into the turn when he and the Brascho machine got tangled up sending Brascho off the track, but Johnny continued on taking an apparent fourth place running position. When the third place running Adrian Cenni pulled off for mechanical problems, it looked like another Greaves march to the front. That’s when WSORR issued the black flag to Johnny for the so-called “rough driving” incident with Brascho. Greaves took a trip through the hot pits for his penalty and within a couple of laps was able to take third place, but well behind the front runners, Scott Douglas and Carl Renezeder. In an effort to save the motor, Greaves didn’t push too hard and settled for a third place.
To add to Greaves’ issues, he had a tough decision to make in the race concerning his engine. During the pre race inspection by TRD, they noticed some irregularities in the engine – with little time to make adjustments. This left Greaves with the option to either “go for it” and hope all worked out, or take it easy on the motor during round 8 in hopes of saving the engine for Sunday’s race.
Greaves was non-explicit about the decision. “I ran her pretty hard because I wanted to win as always. When racing against these guys you can’t take it too easy you know,” said Greaves after the race. Greaves went on to comment about the black flag incident, “I don’t really know if it was a fair call by the officials or not – these things happen in a good race and I guess they made the call the way they saw it – no hard feelings about it. I am just glad I was able to finish as high as I did today.”
WSORR Round 7 | Bark River, MI
The Monster Comes Out on Friday Night, Greaves Wins WSORR Round 7
Bark River, MI (August 10, 2007) – Johnny Greaves and his Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota Pro-4 Off-Road team started the weekend off right with a Friday night win at Bark River’s U.P 100 with the rare Friday evening race, World Series Off-Road Racing offered a free admission night for the fans which drew a large crowd to see pro class drivers compete.
The win did not come without great deal of team effort. Randall Speir, Off-Road Program Manager for TRD and Johnny made the call to change the engine when a glitch developed following the morning practice. The change proved to be a good call with a combination of Johnny the TRD motor and BFGoodrich tires all hooking up for an impressive first place finish over a field of 7 Pro-4×4 trucks.
When the green flag flew, Greaves found himself in third place with Scott Douglas and Adrian Cenni in first and second and Carl Renezeder right on Johnny’s tail. On lap four, Johnny overtook Douglas and Cenni to take the lead and never looked back. Renezeder pulled off the track with mechanical problems leaving Al Drews to battle for second. Johnny “checked out” and won by a comfortable margin to once again put his Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota on top of the podium.
WSORR Round 6 | Bark River, MI
Greaves Puts Forest County Potawatomi on Top of Podium in Bark River with Another Monster Win in WSORR Round VI
Bark River, MI (July 15, 2007) – Johnny Greaves repeated his Saturday performance by winning the WSORR Round VI by a 30 second interval in the highly competitive Pro-4 Class. Greaves drove his Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota to the front of the pack in lap one and never looked back.
“It felt good to get a weekend sweep going again,” stated Greaves. “The Forest County Potawatomi fans were all here and I was just glad I could give them a sweep here close to home.”
The race began with Greaves in a tough starting position near the outside as they began their “land rush” start. But Greaves put on a fast charge down the hill toward the first turn, passing all but Adrian Cenni in the first turn. Cenni would crash in the second turn giving Greaves the opening to move out front while veterans Scott Douglass and Carl Renezeder battled hard for second and third positions. As race unfolded, Greaves continued to increase his lead on every lap. Douglas finally secured the second spot when Renezeder pulled off with a mechanical problem on lap 6. Kent Brasho would sneak in to finish third and round out the podium.
“This was really fun this weekend since a lot of my local fans were here. We have done some testing since the last race and it really paid off. My TRD Tundra really felt good out there and that always makes a difference,” said an elated Greaves from the pits.
Next, Greaves heads to Crandon where he will go after the coveted Borg-Warner Cup on Labor Day weekend.
WSORR Round 5 | Bark River, MI
Greaves Wins U.P. Off-Road 100 at Bark River Michigan by a Monster Margin
Bark River, MI (July 14, 2007) – Johnny Greaves showed that the Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota Pro-4 Off-Road Team is a “prime time” racing program by winning the annual U.P. Off-Road 100 here at Bark River, Michigan by a 15 second interval over a strong field of veteran short-course racers. Much to the delight of the huge crowd of Johnny Greaves fans, Greaves had his BFGoodrich Tires humming on the well-prepped track in the upper peninsula of Michigan.
“BFG’s really worked,” said a happy Greaves from the podium. “Curt and the crew had the truck prepped well this time around and it paid off for us.”
The race started from a land rush where Greaves fought hard to end up in third behind veterans Scott Douglas and Carl Renezeder. Greaves wasted no time going to the lead when he made a trademark pass on Renezeder in the back corner turn, leaping into the turn. It was just a matter of time before Greaves tracked down Douglas and made the pass for the lead. It was pretty much smooth sailing from there to the end as Greaves continued to add to is lead with every lap. “I was happy to get the lead early [and] see a lot of blue sky,” said Greaves.
“He did what he had to do today,” said Randall Speir, Off-Road Program Manager for TRD. “There are a lot of Toyota guys back in Costa Mesa that work hard to have days like this and its great to work with Greaves and the Monster Energy Potawatomi Team who put us on the top of the podium today.”
Johnny Greaves, the winningest racer in CORR history, continues his quest to be the fastest off-road driver at the track on Sunday and will once again endeavor to put his team on the podium.
WSORR Round 3 & 4 | Crandon International Raceway, WI
Greaves Brings Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota Pro-4 Off-Road Team “Home to Crandon” for Big Weekend – Debuts New Tundra
Crandon, WI (June 24, 2007) – Johnny Greaves rolled into Crandon this weekend with big plans to show the hometown crowd his new Toyota Tundra Truck body and give the fans what they expect – a hard charging Johnny G “all-out” charge to the front. He did just that and finished the weekend with a first place, second place and a damaged truck from an accident in the Potawatomi Chairman’s Cup Race.
“Overall, I was disappointed not to win the cup race for the Forest County Potawatomi fans, but in really was a pretty solid weekend of racing,” stated Greaves after the race. “In this sport it is pretty tough to get through three back-to-back races in two days with out some issues. It is a pretty tough sport, you know.”
In the first race on Saturday, Greaves started out in 5th from the start and decided to sit back and watch for a while before making a big charge that put him in second behind Scott Douglas. Greaves went for the pass over the big jump but Douglas tapped his brakes sending Johnny G into the back of the Douglas truck. This bent the hood up in Greaves face and he could not see well enough to take any chances. He went on to finish second anyway.
In the second WSORR point’s race on Saturday, Greave showed that his new team has what it takes and “checked out” for a big win. He led “box to wire” with a big holeshot at the famed Crandon first turn. “It was open-air” form that point,” exclaimed Greaves. “This is what we came looking for and I am very proud of the way my team and truck worked today.”
In the Chairman’s Cup Race, Greaves got off to a solid start behind Scott Douglas and the rest of the Pro-2 guys that got a 20 second “head-start”. Douglas and Greaves easily picked their way through the Pro-2’s and were off to the races. Douglas crashed into the rear of Forest County Potawatomi’s Evan Evans while Greaves was following close behind ready to make a pass. As the contact developed, Greaves clipped Douglas and severely damaged his trusty Fox Shox sending Greaves out to the pits to survey the damage. The damage was done and Greaves was through for the day. “I was really planning on making a pass on Douglas at any moment when he got into it with Evans,” said Greaves. “I am really disappointed because my Toyota was really running fast all weekend, so I knew it was possible to sweep the weekend.”
Overall, it was encouraging to watch Johnny get two podium finishes and show great speed on the track he helped to make famous.
CORR Round 5,6 & Jason Baldwin Mem. Cup | Chula Vista International Speedway, CA
Greaves Gets Hit Hard Sunday in Chula Visa for Both Races
Chula Vista, CA (June 10, 2007) – Johnny Greaves’ troubles continued Sunday in Chula Vista with heavy equipment damage from race incidents ending Greaves stronghold on the CORR points series. The Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota pit crew worked constantly from qualifying on through the end of the day as the carnage continued in every race of the weekend. The day started with a broken gear in the transmission during qualifying for the Jason Baldwin Memorial Cup race.
The Greaves crew, lead by Curt Greaves, pulled “a rabbit out of the hat” and got the transmission ready just in the nick of time before the cup race, only to see their man get nailed by Adrian Cenni and Travis Coyne breaking the front drive-shaft on a restart near the middle of the race.
To finish the day, Greaves ran excellent for 5 laps in Round 5 of the CORR championship only to be hit hard by Renezeder in turn two and breaking the rear stabilizer putting him out of the race. All in all it was a very tough weekend for the TRD backed Greaves.
“No matter how hard I tried to stay out of the contact, I seemed to end up in the middle of it in every turn,” said a frustrated Greaves after the last race of the day. “I really got hit hard a few times and my truck shows that I got the worst of it. My Toyota TRD motor really ran well and the crew got a real work-out.”
The CORR race started out with a great start and another Greaves-like move on the restart after a crash brought out the yellow flags in lap 5. Johnny moved from fourth into second in turn one and then was really slammed by Renezeder as traffic got sticky in turn two. The day ended for the Potawatomi backed racer as the impact broke the rear-end.
“The contact by Carl was enough to break about anything. There is really nothing I could have done to build the truck to withstand that kind of contact,” said a disappointed Greaves. “We will go back home and re-group and be ready for Crandon like always. I have a veteran team and we will get this Tundra prepped and ready for the rest of the season.”
CORR Round 5 | Chula Vista International Speedway, CA
Rocky Ride for Greaves at the Quarry in Chula Vista CORR Round 4
Chula Vista, CA (June 9, 2007) – Johnny Greaves got off to a rough start at the first race at the new Baldwin track, Chula Vista International Speedway, finishing 7th after overcoming a crash and flat tire. Greaves and his Toyota backed teammate Rick Huesman tangled-up early on the 3rd lap while battling for third place and a great position to go to the front.
Scott Douglas and Adrain Cenni got off to great starts while Greaves and Huesman were battling hard for the third spot. On the 3rd lap, Greaves made a pass in turn 5 only to have Huesman pass him back on the straight-away in front of the sold out grandstands of more than 17,000. In turn 2 Greaves was setting up his Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota machine for an outside pass on Huesman when Cenni and Huesman made contact. This caused Huesman to spin sideways, stall and effectively block the track so Greaves could not move. This delay let the entire field pass the TRD backed duo and put Greaves near the back of the pack.
As expected from the 6-time champion, Greaves put a serious charge and made his way back to 6th with one lap to go before the caution. As he was making a pass, Josh Baldwin made significant contact resulting in a flat right rear tire on the BF Goodrich shod Tundra. Greaves’ veteran crew made quick work of the tire change and had him back on the track on the lead lap.
Johnny was able to battle back to 7th on the last few remaining laps and salvage precious series points leaving him only 8 points down to Renezeder.
The podium was Carl Renezeder, Adrian Cenni and Scott Douglas.
CORR Round 3 | LA County Fairgrounds – Fairplex, Pomona, CA
Greaves Wins CORR Round #3 at Pomona LA Fairplex in Front of Packed House
Pomona, CA (May 20, 2007) – Some people just know when to turn up the intensity. Johnny Greaves demonstrated again that he is one of those people as he dominated the top-level field of Pro-4’s in front of the biggest crowd to see a CORR race this side of Crandon, Wisconsin. The excitement was in the air as more than 10,000 of both newcomers and experienced off-road fans poured into the Fairplex.
“I have been up tight all day because I really wanted to go out and get a win in front of all of these fans,” said Greaves. “It makes it special to look up from the podium and see the stands packed with screaming people. My TRD motor just ran beautiful all weekend and I new we had to deliver today.”
Johnny was really tuned in for this race as he stayed up late into Saturday night making fine adjustments to his Toyota Tundra himself. “I like to work on my truck myself. It seems to calm me down and give me a better feel for the truck out on the track,” said Greaves.
The Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota #22 Truck led all the laps from lap four on, where he passed Curt Leduc for the lead. The battle was full-on behind him as the rest of the field put on a show for the crowd trying to sort out the final two positions. Toyota teammate Rick Huesman finally outlasted Carl Renezeder for second, but finished about 6 seconds behind the Forest County Potawatomi rear fender of Greaves.
This was the first race where CORR used a stock car style start where trucks are staged in pairs and start from a rolling position. Greaves liked the procedure and seemed comfortable as he held his position through the treacherous first turn and then proceeded to do what he does better than anyone else in CORR history – WIN.
“Everything came together well today. My team, Toyota ,TRD, Monster Energy, Forest County Potawatomi, Fox Shox, BFGoodrich, KMC Wheels. Boatec and all the rest were really supporting me to get this season off to a good start and I think we are,” said Greaves.
Jason Baldwin Memorial Cup II | LA Fairplex, Pomona, CA
Greaves Takes His Chances, ‘Goes for Broke’ and Comes Up Short in Baldwin Cup Round #2 at LA Fairplex
Pomona, CA (May 19, 2007) – Johnny Greaves came into the second round of the Jason Baldwin Memorial Cup Race at the Fairplex in Pomona with high hopes and a very fast TRD built truck, but it was thwarted early with a transmission problem on the first qualifying lap on Friday. That sent the Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota to the end of the line in the starting order for the feature race and virtually guaranteed his fate as a 13th place starting position is hard to overcome on this very narrow track against thirteen of the fastest drivers on earth. That did not stop Greaves from making a good show of though and his familiar style worked his Toyota Tundra to the fifth position by the ninth lap and mandatory caution flag to re-group the field.
As the green flag reappeared, Greaves made a strong move to the inside and jammed his way into third position monetarily as they went into the first turn 3 wide. It appeared that Greaves had pulled off the big move when a charging Adrianne Cenni made contact with Greaves’ back bumper and pushed the defending champion into the wall were he spun-out and came out of the fray in a disappointing 8th position. A flat rear tire soon appeared and Greaves limped in for an 8th place overall finish.
“I look at these races as win or go home – winner takes all, so I new I had to make my move immediately on the restart and go for before the leaders checked-out. Somebody hit me pretty good just when I though I had it,” said a disappointed Greaves. “When you start out in last place you have to hang it out.”
Greaves did give the huge crowd a taste of his skills as he made several really good passes as he was working his way past most of field from the last place start. One in particular when he passed Curt Leduc in turn three and made slight contact as Leduc tried to hold him off. Leduc was noticeably irritated and tried to pay him back in the next turn getting the fans on their feet as the two veterans went at it. Leduc let Greaves know it by pulling up beside him on the caution lap and gesturing rather “politely” as they made their way around during the caution. “I was real proud of that pass and don’t feel I have anything to apologize to Curt about,” said Greaves. “Curt will be fine, it’s not the first time we have bumped in a turn.”
The good thing about the Baldwin Cup races is that there are no series points at stake. Greaves was looking forward to putting Saturday behind him and moving on to the series race on Sunday where he can get a solid qualifier in and do what he does better than anybody in CORR history – win championship titles.
CORR Round 1 | Antelope Valley Fairgrounds Raceway
Team Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota Kicks off 2007 With A Trip West and Another Trip to Victory Lane
Los Angeles (April 22, 2007) – Johnny Greaves picked up where he left off with an exciting win in round one of the Pro-4 class here at Antelope Valley Fairgrounds. Greaves led the race from beginning to end without relinquishing the lead. As expected from this exciting style of off-road racing, it was not your typical “runaway” with plenty of contact to keep the crowd on its feet for the entire race.
Greaves, who had earlier won the pole position by having the fasted lap in qualifying, had to hold off an early aggressive charge by Carl Renezener on the first lap. Carl even pulled even with Greaves at the third turn. However, that seem to just light Greaves up and he charged to an 8 second lead halfway through he race.
Next, a fast Scott Douglas came charging up behind Greaves and their bumper actually got hooked together resulting in Douglas flipping over the wall in a dramatic crash. Greaves went on to win the victory. As Greaves was pulling into the winner’s circle a hot-tempered Scott Douglass shouting and pushing on Greaves as he made his way to the winners circle met him. The huge crowd let out a big round of boos, as it was obvious that Greaves had run a clean race.
On the podium, Greaves was calm as ever. “I never even knew Scott was back there until I felt our bumpers connect. Scott and I are friends and I am sure we will work it out later – we were just racing hard to win. “Its great to see the crowd and get that first win of the season under our belt,” stated Greaves.
The new Tundra power plant ran great and with The Forest County Potawatomi and Toyota being joined by Monster Energy Drink for a new team, look for Greaves to have the fans lining up in 2007.
Jason Baldwin Memorial Cup | Antelope Valley Fairgrounds Raceway
Johnny Greaves Delivers For Inaugural NBC Race With Legendary Performance
Los Angeles, CA (April 21, 2007) – When Johnny Greaves stalled his new Monster Energy Potawatomi Toyota Tundra at the start of the first CORR race to be televised on a national network, no one figured this to be a performance that very well may define Johnny Greaves career and be one of the most remembered races in CORR’s history. But Richard Petty could not have scripted a better race to introduce the nation to this sport as Greaves went on to capture the victory in grand style.
Greaves won the pole position but immediately went to last place because he stalled at the start. “We had just been sitting there for so long while they were doing some interviews and my clutch-leg got to shaking really bad. When the green flag dropped, I just snubbed it,” explained Greaves.
The crowd may have given up on Greaves but he started passing trucks one at a time until he pulled into third place by the time the mandatory caution flag came out. “I knew I had to get back in the race pretty quick, I was just afraid I was going to run out of laps on this short track,” stated Greaves. “I was just charging really hard to get back up front where the race was going on”.
Rick Huesman lead most of the first half of the race until his hood obstructed his windshield and slowed him down. Carl Renezeder took advantage and moved into the lead with Scott Douglas, Troy Herbst and Ricky Johnson following close. Meanwhile Greaves was building his winning run as he was passing trucks in this 15-truck field with grand style and aggressive moves that had the crowd on its feet. When the mandatory caution flag came out Greaves had moved into third behind Johnson and Renezeder. On the restart, Greaves went after Renezeder trying to make a pass on the veteran rival at every turn, but the seasoned Renezeder managed to hold Greaves off until the white flag lap where Greaves made a beautiful clean pass in the first turn. Carl was not finished though and pulled side-by-side with Greaves for most of the last lap. A they headed for the checkered it was Greaves who managed to get the better position in the last turn and cross the finish line in front for what was one of the best races in CORR history. The finish was Greaves, Renezeder and Johnson.
“This was really fun,” stated an excited Greaves. “I really had fun out there in this kind of close racing, I just though I was going to run out of time.” When asked about the significance of this win is his career, he responded in typical Greaves fashion with a big smile, “Well, this is just what we do. It was definitely a good race, but I want to go do again.”
CORR Round 2 | Antelope Valley Fairgrounds Raceway
Greaves Goes Over the Wall in CORR Round 2 at Antelope Valley
Los Angeles, CA (April 22, 2007) – Johnny Greaves hopes of a first weekend sweep went over the edge in the first turn at the tight Antelope Valley Fairgrounds Raceway as the entire field seemed to try and win the race on the first lap. The race was “red-flagged” and restarted.
“No one let off and it all just got crazy out there,” explained a disappointed Greaves. “I saw a good dry line in front of me and I just couldn’t help myself and I had to go for it.”
Greaves was not the only casualty of the incident as only 7 out of 14 trucks continued the race after the first turn mêlée. With Greaves, Cenni, Huseman, and Douglas all going out early, Carl Renezeder went on to capture the win.
Greaves was coming off a banner performance on Saturday where he swept both pro 4 races of the day for the Monster Energy, Potawatomi Toyota Pro-4 Team. “I had a great day yesterday and was hoping to follow it up with another strong win, but things just didn’t work out today”, stated Greaves. Don’t worry – We will be back.”