ROUND 16:
Johnny Greaves and Forest County Potawatomi Toyota Tundra Ends ’06 CORR Season with Victory
Chula Vista, CA. (October 22, 2006) – If anyone thought Johnny Greaves would let up for the Sunday race after capturing the 2006 CORR Pro-4 Championship in round 15, think again. Johnny battled arch rival Carl Renezeder hard throughout Sunday’s Round 16 action passing Carl in turn 5 just before the mandatory mid-race caution.
Renezeder lost his left front tire that severely crippled him sending him to the hot pits for a tire change at the caution that took nearly a minute to accomplish. He got back on the track just before Johnny brought his Forest County Potawatomi, Toyota Tundra 4×4 and the field to the green flag for the second half of the race. Greaves eventually passed Renezeder to put him a lap down and had smooth sailing to the checkered flag. Rick Huseman, also driving a Toyota, came in second followed by Curt LaDuc.
Johnny and his Toyota, TRD, Forest County Potawatomi, BFGoodrich team and sponsors have enjoyed a very exciting and successful 2006 CORR season.
ROUND 15:
Greaves Captures 5th CORR Pro-4 Championship after Wild Round 15 in Chula Vista
Chula Vista, CA. (October 21, 2006) – Johnny Greaves reached another milestone in his illustrious off-road racing career by winning the CORR Pro-4 series championship today in Chula Vista. Johnny’s fifth CORR championships come with back-to-back championships in 2005 and now 2006. Greaves Toyota, TRD, Forest County Potawatomi, BFGoodrich backed racing team has hit the podium 10 times this year with his 50th win coming at the NISSAN Nationals one month ago in Chula Vista.
With all the drivers anxious to end the year on a winning note, the first 3 laps of Round 15 proved to be as wild as they come on this the final weekend of the 2006 Championship Off-Road Racing season. On lap 1, Johnny and Carl Renezeder made contact in turn 5 putting Renezeder out of the race and all but ensure Johnny’s 2006 championship. However, Greaves also suffered some damage in the crash with his rear shock mount eventually breaking. He had to settle for 5th place in the race, but with Renezeder out of the race, the points were more than enough to mathematically guarantee Johnny G the Pro-4 point’s championship.
Johnny has no intentions of letting up for Sunday’s Round 16 and the Jason Baldwin Memorial Race. “This is what we came here to do [this weekend],” said an elated Greaves. “Curt and the rest of the Potawatomi, Toyota team is so awesome! Off-road fans and all the people that make this happen are the best. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got tomorrow and try to give the fans another taste of this exciting sport.”
Pro-4 Round 16 will be held on Sunday, October 22nd at 1:10 PM at the Chula Vista, Otay Ranch race track. The first annual Jason Baldwin Memorial Cup race with a $66,000 winner take all purse will follow at 4:10 PM.
ROUND 14:
Greaves Strikes Gold in California and Gets 50th Career CORR Win!
Chula Vista, CA. (September 24, 2006) – Johnny Greaves made CORR history today and became the first driver to reach the golden milestone of 50 wins. The Forest County Potawatomi Toyota backed Greaves also is the only driver to win titles in all three pro classes in CORR – Pro Lite, Pro 2 and Pro 4 and Sunday’s performance is a snap shot of his career. The off-road superstar, Greaves put on a gutsy comeback performance and held off veterans Scott Douglas and Carl Renezeder to claim win number fifty in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Southern California.
“Fifty sounds really good, but I really won’t be happy until its fifty-two wins and we have that 2006 championship sealed up next month,” replied Greaves when asked how it feels to reach the milestone. “I really don’t keep up with it. Those things will take care of themselves if I just keep focused on being as fast as I can every week.”
Greaves put on a impressive performance as the rest of the field didn’t roll-over for him. He came out of the start in 5th place but passed into third behind Adrian Cenni and Scott Douglas halfway thru the second lap. Just before the mandatory 10 lap restart Greaves passed for the lead. After the restart, Greaves first had to hold off a hard charging Adrian Cenni. But Cenni was soon black-flagged for aggressive driving and Carl Renezeder moved past Douglas for second. On the last two laps Renezeder tried to close the gap on the big Tundra, but Greaves showed the crowd that he had “been there before” and rode a smart race to finish for the victory.
“The boys from Toyota really made a good call last night and requested that I run a new engine for Sunday. It turned out to be a great move because my Tundra was on fire today and my FoxShox and BF Goodrich Tires were hooking up well together,” said Greaves as he sipped on a Monster Energy Drink on the podium.
With two rounds left, Johnny Greaves is 21 points ahead of Carl Renezeder for the 2006 title.
ROUND 13:
Johnny’s Back! Drives Tundra to Big Win at Chula Vista – No Sign of Losing Edge After Crandon Crash
Chula Vista, CA. (September 23, 2006) – Rumor in the pits had it that Johnny Greaves had “lost his edge” after a horrific and stunning crash at Crandon Raceway on September 3rd. Rest assured, Johnny put that rumor to rest today in the CORR Round 13 Pro-4 Series race by taking the top podium spot for the 6th time this season by a huge margin over second place Carl Renezeder. This put Greaves and his Forest County Potawatomi Toyota Tundra 15 points ahead in the points battle for the 2006 CORR Title and gave him his 49th CORR victory.
“This really feels good to bounce back after my crash and win this for my sponsors and team. They really worked hard to get us back in action so soon,” explained a smiling Greaves from the winners circle. “I really just couldn’t wait to get back on the track after Crandon”.
Greaves started the victory by making a brilliant move on the field in the first turn and going from fifth to third and then making another calculated move in the hairpin turn in the middle to pass two trucks and come out in second behind a very fast Adrian Cenni. “I knew my BFG’s (BF Goodrich Tires) were hooking up really well in that turn so I decide to just go for early on” stated Greaves. Greaves stayed in second behind Cenni until the mandatory caution flag. At the restart, Greaves made his move on Cenni and the rest was history with the familiar Forest County Potawatomi, Toyota, and BF Goodrich backed Johnny Greaves crossing the checkered flag well in front of second place Carl Renezeder.
“We can just put this crash thing behind now and move on,” added Greaves. “This truck and my 2006 team are having a great year and we just need to stay focused finish strong”.
BORG WARNER SHOOTOUT:
Greaves OK after Horrendous Crash during Borg Warner Shootout at Crandon
Crandon, WI (September 3, 2006) – Johnny Greaves crashed hard Sunday during the BorgWarner Shootout in turn-one just after the hole shot. The crash sent Johnny’s truck sliding on the roof then flipping several times. Greaves walked from the scene but was quickly taken to an area hospital for treatment.
ROUND 12:
Greaves Takes a Disappointing 4th but Maintains Points Lead
Crandon, WI (September 3, 2006) – Round 12 proved to be an exciting race with Johnny Greaves narrowly missing the podium for only the 5th time this season. Johnny raced Curt LeDuc hard for the 3rd place spot but fell painfully short in a photo finish. The points chase tightens up with Johnny still leading by 13 points over Carl Renezeder who finished 2nd in the race. Scott Douglas finished 1st and completed a Greaves like sweep at Crandon. He pulls within 19 of Johnny’s points lead.
ROUND 11:
Johnny Greaves Chips Away Towards Another CORR Championship at Crandon Round 11
Crandon, WI (September 2, 2006) – Johnny Greaves overcame a “near-miss” crash just after the first turn to finish third in the CORR Round 11 at the fabled Crandon Off-Road Raceway in Crandon, Wisconsin and put his Forest County Potawatomi Toyota Tundra on the podium for the 8th time this season.
“We just ran out of laps today” said Greaves from the podium. “Since we did not get practice, I did not get a chance to really blow everything out like I usually do in practice. But after a few laps the Toyota motor really started to come alive and I new I just needed to pick them off one at a time to get to the podium. We just ran out of laps – everybody is just so fast here.”
After the first turn, Greaves was fighting hard in 4th when Carl Renezeder and Curt Leduc got into a fender banging contest and Renezeder spun into Greaves who had to make contact and halt his initial drive to the front in lap one. Greaves then settled into 5th behind Josh Baldwin and Adrian Cenni for a few laps before making a remarkable pass in the “gravel pit” on Baldwin. With three laps to go, Greaves closed the gap on Toyota backed Rick Huseman and Scott Douglas.
“I love my new BF Goodrich tires this week. They have come up with a great tire and they started really hooking up” said Greaves. “I probably did the right thing for the points championship by not getting too aggressive on the last two laps, but I really wanted to start the weekend with a win”.
With 5 rounds left Greaves has an 18 point lead on Carl Renezeder in the championship chase. “I have a great team this year and my Tundra is really working well with all my sponsors support – it is just really coming together.”
BORGWARNER QUALIFYING:
Toyotas Shatter Records at Crandon BorgWarner Cup Qualifying on Friday
Crandon, WI (September 1, 2006) – Forest County Potawatomi backed Johnny Greaves came up just a few 100ths of a second short of a track record lap set by Rick Huseman just minutes before. Huseman turned a 1:24.25 setting a track record at the fabled Crandon track, while Greaves turned a 1:24.37. Greaves ran two strong laps in his all-out attack on the Crandon track and both his two qualifying laps would have been track records on their own.
The fans that turned out for qualifying really got to see a good show as these two Toyotas dominated the show by outpacing the field by more than a second faster than the next closest time.
“My Forest County Potawatomi Toyota ran great as always”, said Greaves as he exited the pits on Friday. “I just got to go out and do it again when it really counts on Saturday and Sunday.”
“It was great to see two Toyotas setting the pace early on here in Crandon”, said a delighted Tom O’Connor of Toyota Racing Development. Huseman and Greaves are both sponsored by Toyota.
ROUND 10:
The Best Kept Secret in Motorsports: Johnny Greaves, Scores Big Win at Bark River –with No Second Gear!
August 12, 2006 – Bark River – Johnny Greaves is arguably the best kept secret in all of motorsports and he proved it once again here in Bark River Michigan at Round 10 of the 2006 CORR series championship by coming from way behind to pass most of the pro 4 class in a style that only CORR fans can visualize. Greaves made an unbelievable pass on three trucks in the back turn to put him back in the hunt for the win on Sunday.
“I came into the turn really hot and kind of got crazy, so I just went with it and swept inside”, Greaves explained in the winners circle. “I couldn’t believe how well my Tundra came out of that turn. My Forest County Potawatomi Team really has my truck dialed in right now”.
Greaves moved into third midway through the race with Curt Leduc in second and Adrian Cenni well out front. That’s when Greaves seemed to really get in a groove and he steadily reeled in Leduc and Cenni. Cenni helped the cause by a mistake over the big jump and Leduc took over the lead. With 2 laps left, Greaves made a clean pass on Curt Leduc in the back turn and went on to claim the winning spot on the podium for his Forest County Potawatomi Toyota Tundra BFGoodrich FoxShox Monster Team.
“I lost 2nd gear early on and actually considered backing off just to be able to finish” explained Greaves. “But this Tundra just kept pulling and I decided to go for broke”, continued Greaves.
Greaves was accompanied at the race this week by his friend and freestyle motocross legend Mike Metzger who was getting his first look at a CORR race live. “Johnny Greaves is an unbelievable athlete” said an excited Metzger afterwards. “Anyone who has not seen this guy race is missing-out on something special in the motorsports world – I’m hooked”. Lookout for Mike in the days ahead, as the rumor is he is going to be joining the CORR racers later this year.
This win put Johnny Greaves in solid control of the CORR point’s battle heading into Crandon for the coveted Borg-Warner Cup Race on September 2nd.
ROUND 9:
Cool Character – Greaves Dodges First-turn Crash to Hit the Podium Once Again at Bark River
August 12, 2006 – Bark River – Johnny Greaves rode a smart race to come from a near last place start to a 3rd place podium spot and extend his lead over Carl Renezeder in the CORR season points battle. Greaves, starting in the far outside position due to CORR rules, was driven against the outside wall by rival Carl Renezeder and had to let off the gas to save any opportunity to continue his dominance of this CORR Pro-4 class. This allowed winner Scott Douglas and the rest of the field to get an 8 second lead on Greaves after the first turn.
“Carl really put the pressure on me in the start and pushed me way too wide to make a good run at the first turn”, explained Greaves. “There was just so much banging and grinding going on, I had to let out to save the truck and any chances of getting in the race”.
Greaves’ Forest County Potawatomi Toyota Tundra began at the back, but two laps later he was methodically “picking-off” competitors and making one of those patented “here comes Johnny” charges to the front. Johnny made some gutsy passes on Cenni, Coyne and Baldwin to pull into the 3rd spot late in the race. “It’s really a technical track here in Bark River and getting around these guys was tricky, I had to stay focused”, stated Greaves afterwards. “The start here is so important so I am pretty happy with the outcome after all. My BFGoodrich treads were hooking up really well, so if I get a good start, I can do well here tomorrow.”
The podium finished Douglas, Leduc and Greaves with Carl Renzeder finishing a distant 4th. This extends Greaves’ points lead to 7 going into Round 10.
ROUND 7 & 8:
Relentless: Greaves Has Two Flats on the Way to Pro-4 Podium Finish, Takes Over Series Points Lead
July 22, 2006 – Chula Vista – Johnny Greaves just won’t go way, even when disaster strikes not once but twice. In route to a rare third place finish at the CORR Rumble at the Ranch in Chula Vista, California, Greaves overcame a flat in lap one after hitting a wall and then again on lap 13 when he made his move to pass Rick Huseman for second place.
“I was headed to the front” said Greaves with a determined look still in his eyes shortly after exiting his Potawatomi Toyota Motorsports Tundra. “Rick must have missed a gear as we were coming out of the turn before the sweeper and I hit him really hard on the left front tire. No tire could take that hard a hit”.
The always exciting Johnny Greaves made this race interesting as always due to having to make a pit stop for a tire change after the first lap. When he came back on the track, he found himself in last place and in danger of being a lap down. The crew made the tire change quick enough to keep him on the lead lap, although he was quiet a ways back. This definitely saved the day for the comeback-minded Greaves. “My team and the boys over at Fox Shox really pitched-in and got me going when I pitted, I had a fresh BF Goodrich tire under me and I knew I could get in the race with that caution lap coming ahead.”
By the time the mandatory caution lap came around at lap 10 Adrian Cenni and Carl Renezeder had already exited the race with mechanical issues after leading and Josh Baldwin and Toyota/Monster backed Rick Huseman had pulled into the two top spots. The crowd roared to life as Greaves made a strong move on the first lap after the caution and passed his way from 9th to 3rd! As the leaders, Baldwin and Huseman approached the turn after the whoops, the crowd came to its feet as Greaves pulled within inches of Huseman. As they exited the turn and it appeared Greaves was poised for the pass, Huseman missed gear sending Johnny slamming into the back of the truck.
At that point, Greaves dropped back a little. The crowd thought Johnny’s run was over when they noticed the flat on the right front tire. But they were wrong again, as Greaves held off a hard charging Curt LaDuc and the rest of the Pro-4 class to finish on the podium for the 5th time this year. This relentless performance put Greaves firmly in control of the series chase after 7 rounds of the CORR season. Josh Baldwin and Rick Huseman finished 1st and 2nd.
From Back to Front – Greaves’ Comeback Falls Short at Chula Vista CORR Round 8
July 23, 2006, Chula Vista, CA – Johnny Greaves started CORR Round #8 on the back row. CORR officials assessed the Greaves team a penalty for not running his transponder in the morning practice. (He was two seconds faster than the field based on
stopwatch accounts.) That did not hinder Greaves though and the crowd was just wondering how many laps it would take the relentless Greaves to get to the lead. The 5 time world champ drove his Potawatomi Tundra all the way to a side by side battle for first with veteran Scott Douglas about mid way through the race, but Greaves encountered a drive train failure of sorts and the Tundra pulled off the track for the day, to the dismay of the army of Greaves fans here at Chula Vista Off-Road Raceway.
“Just as I was pulling beside Douglas for the lead, I heard a pop and I know I was out” stated a disappointed Greaves after the race. “We are really fast out here and I felt in control all weekend. My BF Goodrich tires were hooking up really good on this surface and that could have put a little more torque on the drive train than what we were set up for. I can assure you we will have it worked out by the next race”.
Carl Renezeder went on to pass a fast Scott Douglas with a controversial aggressive pass on the last lap. The race results were unofficial at press time, but the unofficial results were Renezeder, Cenni, and Douglas rounding out the top three. Renezeder was penalized 10 points by CORR officials.
Johnny would like to thank all his sponsors for the support at the half-way point of the season. The team is in 1st place in the points and looking forward to the rest of the season.
ROUND 5 & 6:
Johnny Greaves Makes it Four In a Row with CORR Round #5 Win at Bark River
July 8, 2006 – Bark River, MI – CORR Pro-4 sensation, Johnny Greaves, makes it 4 straight wins driving his Forrest County Potawatomi Toyota Tundra to yet another visit to victory lane in the premier off-road racing class. Greaves excited the crowd at Bark River with a come-from-behind victory that is quickly becoming a regular occurrence here in the 2006 CORR series.
“I am just proud of my team this year – we worked so hard in the off-season getting ready for this year and it is great to see the hard work pay off,” said an excited Greaves. “My BF Goodrich treads are really working well with my truck this year and I just hope we can continue this run for all our fans and sponsors. My crew and TRD worked into the night making some last minute tuning changes and getting my Tundra fine tuned the best they could. It is great to have this kind of dedication out of a team and I just hope our good fortune can hold out, because my competition is not going to just sit there – they are good.”
Greaves started out with about a 5th place start and was in for a battle in order get out front. However, by the end of the third lap, Johnny was back in control of the race and out front with a comfortable lead. Greaves was followed closely by Adrian Cenni and veteran racer Scott Douglas, who were battling it out for the remaining podium spots. The race finished Greaves, Cenni and Douglas.
Controversy, Heat, Close Racing Action and Lots of MUD! Greaves Streak is Broken in CORR Round Six
July 9, 2006, Bark River, MI – Johnny Greaves’ four race win streak came to and end Sunday at Bark River Speedway in Round Six of 2006 CORR series, as an extremely muddy track made the going get a little soupy. It all ended for Johnny with a DNF due to mud in the cooling system. The funniest part is that it was not rainy weather at all. The track crew watered the track and then, reportedly due to a dispute with the CORR series officials, refused to finish preparing the track and left water and mud standing on the surface just prior to the start of the premier race!
Greaves, starting in a back position from the starting gate charged hard to work his way into third with just a few laps remaining. Huseman and Renezeder were really close and Greaves had to put close pressure on them to have a chance to get around and make a run at the lead. Just as he thought he was making his move, the engine started to overheat and Johnny wisely pulled over to put an end to the streak. It was obvious that the mud had clogged his radiator and the engine overheated.
“The roost from those two was as bad as I have ever experienced”, explained a disappointed Greaves. “The mud was just slamming me and my Tundra and I probably should have been more patient instead of charging into the fray so hard, but that is usually not my style to be patient. You won’t find a lot of second and third place finishes on my resume.” When asked if maybe he should have just been patient and kept his series points lead, Greaves replied. “That’s not what fans want to see. Watching their hero follow the other guys around to protect points is not what racing is all about. It just did not work out today. My hat is off to Carl and Rick – they beat me.”
It was classic Johnny Greaves, for sure, as he went for broke to try and keep the streak alive. “We will just have to start a new streak in Chula Vista (Round 7)”, Johnny exclaimed as he peeled the layer of mud off his face. California here we come!
ROUND 3 & 4:
Johnny Greaves Back on Top with a Monster Win at Crandon International Speedway
June 24, 2006 – Crandon, WI – Johnny Greaves started the way he finished, way out front. With a huge lead from the lightning fast “holeshot at Crandon” Johnny pulled a big lead with his Potawatomi Toyota Tundra with razor-sharp performance coming out of the turns and an unusually smooth ride around the famous Crandon track in the premier Pro 4 class.
“My truck performed great today. The BF Goodrich tires and TRD motor came through for me again,” stated a delighted Johnny Greaves while on the podium. “This is Potawatomi country and I always love winning in our backyard. Curt and the crew really had the truck the way it should be for this one”, Johnny said referring to 2 time CORR mechanic of the year, Curt Greaves, Johnny’s brother and crew chief.
While Greaves did his disappearing act out front, there was plenty of exciting race battles happening behind him with Renezenner, Douglas and Leduc having epic battles throughout the race. The fast trio kept Greaves in sight for a few laps until the battle really got heated between these three and yellow flags started flying. Midway through the race a yellow flag seemed to have brought the pack a little closer to Greaves, but he turned up the flow of Sunoco race fuel and went on to win comfortably in front of the big Wisconsin crowd. The fans got to see some great racing action that CORR has become synonymous with. Renezenner, Douglas and Leduc really shared some paint today at Crandon at the delight of the crowd.
There were a lot of questions after the race from folks asking if a repeat of the 2005 championship was in the works for 2006. “I take one race at time”, stated the record breaking CORR champ with a big smile. “Its way too early to even begin talking about points and the championship. I figure my job is to win races, anything after that will take care of itself. I’m just happy about this race – tomorrow we will suit up and go at it again. I just want to give my fans, team and sponsors the best effort I can on every single lap. If I do that, things will work out just fine.”
ROUND 1 & 2:
2006 Opening Weekend at Chula Vista
(May 20-21, 2006) Opening weekend for CORR at Chula Vista, California started the season off for Johnny G with a lot of promise for the season. Johnny served notice to the crowd and the rest of the field that he would be the “man to beat” once again in 2006. His convincing, “pre-caution flag” racing left no doubt that Johnny was the “class of the class” by pulling huge leads in both rounds one and two before a busted hose and a flat tire sent him to the pits early. Rest assured, Johnny put on an awesome show for the fans, and his sponsors as well, with this visit to Chula Vista. He was definitely the fastest truck on the planet.
Bad News – Great News!
Bad news: we did not finish due to a mechanical problem – Great news: Johnny G ran off and hid out front for the 1st nine laps of the 06 season. Johnny started the pro 4 class just the way he wanted with a great start. He passed a hard charging Herbst in the second turn and proceeded to check out of the field. By the 9th lap Johnny was in a familiar spot with a 7 truck lead on Carl Renezeder going into the mandatory caution laps.
So much for prosperity – going into the 1st caution lap, smoke started bellowing from behind the truck and Johnny wisely pulled off the track at turn three. Later it was discovered that a line had blown, causing the engine to overheat. “Up to that point the new TRD engine was really pulling great,” explained a disappointed Greaves. “We made some changes for the faster Chula Vista track conditions and I was really pleased with the way the Tundra was running. About the same time I let off the gas for the mandatory caution flag I felt the power drop and new I had a problem.” Greaves continued.
Even though the team was disappointed with the end result, it was obvious to everyone in Chula Vista that Johnny G was picking-up where he left off in his record-breaking 2005 season by thoroughly dominating the first 9 laps prior to the mechanical problem.
After the race Johnny was out signing autographs with his winning smile as if nothing bad had just happened. “Believe it or not” Johnny said with a grin. “I’m really pleased with the way my Forest County Potawatomi team is looking going in to the season. Other than a little “hick-up” – I know I have the pieces in place for another great season”.
Great Performance – More Bad Luck
Sunday started off with high hopes and a new engine that tested great in practice. The TRD Toyota Motorsports Team worked super hard to get a great running engine back in place for Sunday’s round two.
Due to Saturday’s mechanical failure resulting in a 12th place finish, Johnny had to start on the back row for the race. Believe it or not, by the end of the first lap The Forest County Potawatomi Tundra was in the lead and pull away from the field for the second day in a row! The crowd was spellbound as Johnny opened up a tremendous lead through 11 laps after starting in the back of the back.
Just when everyone thought Johnny had the race in the bag, the announcer excited the crowd by announcing that “Greaves has a flat tire!” Sure enough, Johnny had hit a piece of debris laying on the track and had a flat tire going into the caution laps. As the crowd pondered whether he would pit and change the tire during the caution laps, Johnny left no doubt as he roared into action as soon as the green flag dropped, taking a commanding lead once again with 5 laps remaining.
Bad luck returned once again on the 13th lap as the tire came apart and Johnny had to slow down to avoid a black flag. The fastest truck in the race once again had to accept defeat at the hands of a mechanical incident and limped in to finish 8th.
Chula Vista may not have yielded a win for the Forest County Potawatomi Toyota Pro-4 team, but it sure sent a message to the CORR racing world – “Johnny Greaves was the fastest guy there” and 2006 could very well be a repeat banner year for Johnny G Racing and all his sponsors.