New Team, New Designs, New Tires—Fuels Confidence as Greaves Team Preps for 2011 Season
Temecula, CA (March 9, 2011)—The Johnny G Motorsport team of Johnny Greaves and Marty Hart had their first test session of 2011 this past week. The week began with crew members, Curt Greaves and Brad Marty arriving at the shop in Temecula on Tuesday. Taking a day to do a once over inspection on the newly redesigned Pro 4X4, the crew then hit the road again for a two day test at Glen Helen Raceway, along with TRD and the new addition of Maxxis tires.
The goal was to shake down the P-4 for a couple hours, and then be ready to lay down laps hard by the afternoon. In Marty's case it was all about getting track time, and getting him comfortable in his new Monster Energy Maxxis Toyota P-2. By the end of the day, Johnny and Marty were both feeling confident in their new rides, and felt ready to really put the new Maxxis tires to the test.
The Maxxis team tried many different grooving options, and were able to find a VERY FAST setup. Both Johnny and Marty ran amazingly fast laps on a very used up track. After two vigorous days of testing, the team packed up and headed back to the Temecula shop for a quick prep, and then off to Firebird Raceway in Phoenix, AZ for another day of testing.
The team was upbeat, and very excited about the results of the test. The Maxxis tires proved to be a great addition to the team, the Toyota motors ran strong as usual, and the fact that Marty and Johnny both felt very confident made the test a huge success. Johnny was happy that Marty was able to get a lot of seat time and commented: "Marty has proven to be the driver we thought he'd be," said Johnny. "I feel he is going to be a front runner right out of the box!"
Comments from Marty also confirmed this excitement saying: "I never thought things would click this quickly, but I'm feeling very comfortable in my Monster Energy Maxxis Toyota Pro2, and I have to say, this Greaves truck, along with the Toyota motor and Maxxis tires is SICK!" The team will be racing at the first round of the Lucas Oil Off Road Series, March 19–20, at Firebird Raceway, in Phoenix, AZ in preparation for the Traxxas TORC Series season which kicks-off on April 30th in Cycle Ranch in Floresville, Texas.
Team ReadyLIFT® Racing Introduces A Power Packed Racing Program For 2011
ReadyLIFT® Suspension Inc. welcomes the 2011 off-road racing season with a powerful advanced sponsorship program spread across numerous dominating teams, series and classes. The past three months have been extremely exciting for Team ReadyLIFT® Racing as we worked with previous and new teams, drivers and marketing partners to solidify a strong racing support program for the 2011 season. With the deals done and the ink dried we are extremely proud to announce Team ReadyLIFT® Racing's drivers and teams that will fly the ReadyLIFT® colors in search of wins and championships.
Team ReadyLIFT® Racing continues to build on the quality relationships we have cultivated since 2007. 2011 will be the fifth year of a strong sponsorship relationship with former Pro Life Champion Rob "Fig" Naughton who now pilots an Unlimited Pro 2 from the Stronghold Motorsports stable. Rob is anxious to use the experience he learned from his Rookie of the Year season last year to capitalize on winning once again.
For the past two years ReadyLIFT® has been a main supporting sponsor of Desert Assassin Cameron Steele who pilots the #16 Trophy Truck in SCORE, SNORE and BITD desert racing events. For 2011 not only will ReadyLIFT® continue to hang on Cameron's TT, but will also be found on the trademark rear fender location of the Stronghold Motorsports Pro Lite that Cameron will drive for 2011. Cameron has logged over 100 laps in the past month in preparation for what we all expect will be a definite contention for another Championship.
Hunting for the ace driver who also brings heavyweight marketing value to the table, Stronghold Motorsports tagged motocross legend and 7-time champion Jeremy McGrath to drive a second Unlimited Pro 2 which, just like Cameron and Rob's race trucks, will also fly the ReadyLIFT® colors as co sponsors with Monster Energy. Jeremy has not only proven himself to be a competitive off road racer, but also brings a heavy branding presence to the team. This power-packed trio from the Stronghold stable gives ReadyLIFT® an extremely broad marketing toolbox that includes motocross, desert racing and extreme sports fan bases.
ReadyLIFT® will continue to be the main sponsor for the growing team of Sean Geiser Racing who made his rookie debut in the Unlimited Pro Lite truck class last season. With the rookie title shed, this year you can expect to see the young gun Geiser charging to the front and battling for the lead with his idol Cameron Steele, both which are contenders for Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Pro Lite champion status. The same can be said in the ultra-competitive LOORRS Unlimited Pro 2 class where McGrath and Naughton will no doubt be rubbing ReadyLIFT® fenders for the win!
For the first time Team ReadyLIFT® Racing will have a presence in the Midwest TORC series. But not just any presence. We have a wrecking ball presence in 2011 as ReadyLIFT® has become sponsor partners with the legendary and highly respected Johnny Greaves and his Johnny G Motorsports. Greaves, the 2010 TORC Pro 4 Champion, brought in the hired gun of all hired guns with ReadyLIFT® sponsored LOORRS Unlimited Pro Lite Champion Marty Hart to drive the JGM Pro 2 Toyota in the TORC series, an epic opportunity Hart couldn't pass up. Both Monster Energy-backed Toyota's of Marty Hart and Johnny Greaves (Pro 4) will fly the ReadyLIFT® logo in bold fashion in front of tens of thousands of fans throughout the Midwest. And with such a strong ReadyLIFT® distribution network through the Midwest, this tandem relationship will yield great branding opportunities.
While Team ReadyLIFT® has branded our name strong within the off road racing community by aligning ourselves with the best drivers, teams and organizations, ReadyLIFT® is also the title sponsor for 2011 of the World Record Monster Truck Jump holder Joe Sylvester and his ReadyLIFT®/Bad Habit monster truck. Joe has been touring up and down the east coast competing in Monster Jam events every weekend since the beginning of the year, branding the ReadyLIFT® name in front of millions of fans in total. When it comes to the coveted name of being Mr. Excitement, there are few drivers who can put on a show like Sylvester. And the fans absolutely love it!
ReadyLIFT® has returned for another great season in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series as a series sponsor. ReadyLIFT® has supported Lucas Oil and the LOORRS events from the start and takes great pride in being a part of one of the best racing organizations in the country. With nearly 60 hours of TV programming from Lucas Oil and equal that from TORC, you can bet you are going to see some of great racing action from the Team ReadyLIFT® Racing drivers. The LOORRS race events can be seen on networks such as Speed, CBS Sports and Versus while the TORC series will be aired on Discovery's HD Theatre.
Taking the promotion of Team ReadyLIFT® Racing to a smaller level, we have teamed up with Team LOSI who is producing several different scale R/C Race Trucks of our drivers. Check out your local RC shop for the Sean Geiser, Rob Naughton and Jeremy McGrath race trucks!
For more information and race results throughout the season, please visit www.readylift.com as well as ReadyLIFT® on Facebook to get the latest, up to date information and photos.
^TOP^Johnny Greaves Sponsored by Maxxis in 2011
2/28/2011— Johnny Greaves will ride Maxxis for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. The off-road racing legend recently signed a sponsorship deal with the company, joined by Monster Toyota teammates Marty Hart and Greaves' son C.J.
Greaves, who will compete in the full TORC season and selected LOORRS races this year, is pleased with his new sponsor. "The Monster Toyota team is excited and proud to be a part of Maxxis. I'm just really excited about it," he said. "Maxxis is fairly new to the whole off-road racing market, and with the development of the project tire, it just opened up a whole new opportunity. I've always been friends with some of the people there, and I couldn't wait to be a part of the Maxxis family. I was impressed with the way they operate. They researched everything real well and came out of the box ready to win. It's the way my team operates. We prepare, and we come out prepared to win."
Both Greaves and Hart will run Maxxis' new Razr SCR off-road tire this season. "We have tested with the Razr SCR a little bit, and I'm really impressed with it," said Greaves. "They've left a lot of room to make adjustments for track conditions, and it's working really well."
Greaves, who racked up numerous titles in the now-defunct CORR series, joins Maxxis on the heels of his latest championship, the 2010 TORC Pro 4x4 title. Fellow legend Hart also won a series title last season in LOORRS' Pro Lite Unlimited class. C.J., who took the TORC Super Buggy championship last season and was named Rookie of the Year by Dirt Sports magazine, will be competing in the series again this year.
"With Johnny and his team on board, we have taken a huge stride in becoming one of the elite tire programs in off–road racing," said Brad Williams of Maxxis. "Along with capturing podiums, Johnny's knowledge and talent will help us tremendously in the continuous development of our race products. There aren't too many drivers that have earned the right to be called an off-road legend. Johnny is certainly one of them. We are extremely fortunate he has decided to join the Maxxis team and look forward to a great future with him."
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CJ Greaves Honored with Prestigious Dirt Sports Magazine's 2010 Rookie of the Year Award
Temecula, CA (February 9, 2011)—CJ Greaves continues to add to his list of accomplishments in his young racing career by receiving Dirt Sports Magazine's 2010 Rookie of the Year Award. CJ was presented the award on February 5, 2011, in the Monster Energy pavilion at the Anaheim Supercross in front of a host of sponsors, dignitaries, and other invited guest for the event. CJ was selected from drivers in the entire off-road motorsports industry. Greaves received a specially engraved Oakley watch, a pair of custom designed Oakley/Dirt Sports sunglasses, an embroidered Oakley jacket, a glass plaque, and several other honorariums from Traxxas and other sponsors.
CJ Greaves made his debut as a professional racer in The Off Road Championship (TORC) Series in 2010. He proceeded to take the championship in the Super Buggy class at the age of 15, making him the youngest driver in history to win a short-course racing championship. He won 5 races and landed on the podium in 10 of the 12 rounds of racing. CJ also competed in the Super Lite class of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) and ended the year third place, with 2 wins and 7 podiums.
"We are very proud of CJ," said his mom," Kathy Greaves. "CJ has grown up in this sport and we are excited about Dirt Sports giving him this great honor. This is a highly sought after award that will look great on his racing resume. Johnny and I really appreciate Dirt Sports for recognizing CJ and awarding him this great award."
Dirt Sports Magazine is recognized as the leading publication servicing the off-road industry. It is a progressive, multi-media communications business providing full market coverage to more than 1.8 million off-road enthusiast per year. Currently the company includes the print magazine, DirtSportsNation.com (offering a digital version of the print magazine), Off-Road Industry print magazine, and OffRoadIndustry.com. This is the 7th year they have awarded off-road racing standouts from short-course racing, desert racing, rock crawling, ATV/UTV, and other off-road motorsports.
CJ is the son of off-road racing legend, Johnny Greaves. The younger Greaves plans to move up to the Pro Light Truck class in 2011 while at the same time, defending his championship in the Super Buggy class.
The official story about CJ's award will be published in the February issue of Dirt Sports Magazine and on their website: www.DirtSportsNation.com. Follow Johnny Greaves, CJ Greaves and Marty Hart at www.JohnnyGreaves.com as the 2011 TORC Series season gets underway on April 30th at Cycle Ranch in San Antonio, Texas.
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Champions Team Up! Pro-Lite Champion Marty Hart to Join Johnny Greaves' Monster Energy Toyota Short Course Racing Team for 2011
Temecula, CA (February 1, 2011)—Johnny Greaves announced today that veteran off-road racer and Ready Lift backed champion Marty Hart would be racing his Pro-2 Monster Energy Toyota truck in the Traxxas TORC Series in 2011 while Greaves will continue his quest to dominate the Pro 4 class.
"Marty has won races and championships in so many different vehicles and off-road formats that his resume is very impressive at any level," stated Greaves. "We have been testing together and I realized that Marty has the skills to win against a stellar bunch of contenders in the TORC series. Marty is a great addition since he brings so much experience to the crew from a mechanical and testing standpoint in addition to driving the wheels off this Toyota Pro 2."
This team is sure to make the competition sweat since Greaves won the TORC Pro 4 title in 2010 and Hart won the 2010 Pro-Lite title in the Lucas Oil Series with a third place in the TORC Series. Greaves is the winningest driver in Pro 4 history and Hart has over 105 titles to his credit, including a Baja title and many ATV titles. Hart is pretty excited to joining-up with legendary driver Greaves and Monster Energy Toyota.
"I had several options this year, but this opportunity really stood out," said a happy Marty Hart from his Columbia, Louisiana base. "Johnny and Curt Greaves always have one of the best run programs in all of professional racing and I am honored to get to race that Toyota Pro 2 sitting in his garage. I know it will be fast so I'm getting ready to do my part. It's going to be fun."
Johnny Greaves Motorsports and The Off-Road Championship Series (TORC) kicks-off the 2011 season on April 30th-May 1st at Cycle Ranch in San Antonio, Texas. Johnny will defend his championship in 15 rounds of racing that will consist of several new venues including a trek to Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC in late July. The action will be streamed live via USAC's USTREAM portal.
Johnny will once again attack with his number 22 Monster Energy Pro 4x4 Toyota, with Marty Hart saddling up in the number 15 Pro 2WD Ready Lift Toyota, and CJ Greaves moving up to the Pro Light Truck class in the number 33 Traxxas Toyota. He will also defend his championship in the Super Buggy class.
Check out the latest news, race photos, videos and results of the upcoming 2011 TORC Series season on www.JohnnyGreaves.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and on Twitter.
^TOP^Ladies Strap-in for 5th Annual MORE Powder Puff Race for Breast Cancer Awareness
Barstow, CA (October 11, 2010)—Somehow "Powder Puff" and "Mojave Desert" do not seem to go together. But that was the case this past weekend as the Mojave Off-Road Racing Enthusiast (MORE) held their fifth annual Powder Puff race for Breast Cancer Awareness on October 8th and 9th. The race, which originates in Barstow, CA, consists of completing as many laps as possible during a four hour time period around the 27 mile course through the Mojave Desert.
Proceeds from the race went directly to Cedars-Sinai Ladies Breast Cancer Research Institute in Los Angeles, CA. A host of corporate sponsors also chipped in with donations along with raffles and other fund raising activities for a sizable contribution.
Angie Dailey, Kathy Greaves, Michelle Huseman, and Gabriel Carpenter, using Dailey Motorsports' truck, tag teamed to win the TrophyLite class and came in second in the Class 3000. The girls completed five grueling laps in the four hour time frame. The first 2 laps were driven by Angie Dailey, wife of Patrick Dailey and co-owner of Dailey Motorsports, with desert racer Gabriel Carpenter riding shotgun. Kathy Greaves, wife of TORC Series Pro 4 champion Johnny Greaves, took over on laps 3-5 with Michelle Huseman, wife of Rick Huseman, last year's Pro 4 champion, serving as the co-pilot. The ladies were decked out in their husband's racing firesuits.
This year's event began Friday evening at the of factory outlet mall in Barstow with tech and contingency sign in. Saturday's racing started early and went until 4 pm. Following the race there was a BBQ and live concert following along with the raffle.
"We had such a great time," said Kathy Greaves. "The course was really rough. Michelle did a great job guiding me through the dust and keeping us on track—in other words, we didn't get lost! Angie and Gabby were awesome—they gave us a great start by maneuvering through all the traffic and thick dust at the start of the race. That was critical to make sure the truck was 100% when we took over. I have a new appreciation for off-road racers. We had a blast and glad we could contribute and bring awareness to this worthy cause."
Photos courtesy Dusty Lenz Photography
^TOP^Liquid Force Jumps On-board With Johnny Greaves Motorsports for TORC 2010 Season
Encinitas, CA (February 17, 2010)--Off-Road Champion Johnny Greaves is proud to announce that Liquid Force, maker of premium wakeboards and apparel, is joining the Monster Energy Forest County Potawatomi Toyota Race Team for the 2010 Season of The Traxxas TORC Series. Greaves, the most prolific winner in short-course racing, will add Liquid Force to its Pro 4 and Pro 2 teams driven by himself and Jeremy McGrath.
"Liquid Force is the top name in the water sports industry and I am very excited to associate with Matt Gleason and the team there," added Greaves. "I'm a long time fan and user of their products, and that makes it more fun to add them to our team."
Matt Gleason, Director of Marketing for Liquid Force, had this to say about the new sponsorship, "Johnny Greaves and Jeremy McGrath are great champions and Liquid Force is pleased to join such a great team for its entry into motorsports. This is an excellent cross-marketing opportunity for us and TORC's great TV package and nationwide exposure offers us a great fit. We are looking forward to exposing Liquid Force products to the off-road community and TORC fans world-wide."
"I attended the Crandon TORC race last fall and was blown away by the enthusiasm of the off-road fans and knew right away that this would be a great sport to get Liquid Force involved in," Gleason continued. "This is going to be a lot of fun working with Johnny & Jeremy and a great fit for our brand!"
About Liquid Force
Founded in 1995, Liquid Force quickly became the leader in wakeboard products and apparel. Liquid Force is dedicated to relentless innovation, progressive design, maximum functionality and unparalleled quality. Supported by a superior team of athletes, Liquid Force events include world famous BROstock. LIQUIDFORCE.COM
Johnny & Jeremy Livin' Large in the Off Season
If Johnny wasn't jumping over 300 feet and breaking World Records, he was doing exhibitions at Supercross events and displaying his Toyota Tundra 4x4 at dealerships. The off season has been a busy time for Johnny, his team mate Jeremy McGrath and the entire G-Team. Johnny and Jeremy made an appearance at the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, FIM World Championship, at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA in front of more than 35,000 fans. This was a great way to expose the SuperX world to the TORC Series and short-course off-road racing.
Johnny also took a spin through the desert with his son, CJ, along side as the co-pilot. They ran in a Class 1 Unlimited buggy in the SNORE Battle at Primm, in Primm, NV.
Jeremy has been busy too. You know, the usual stuff... making appearances at major supercross events, TV appearances, and being featured in a one-of-a-kind documentary on four supercross legends. The program, which premiered Feb 28th on CBS, took a look into the minds and the lives of four of the most successful riders to ever throw a leg over a motorcycle: Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, Chad Reed and James Stewart. Watch it on YouTube.com
Jeremy is also gearing up for the new short-course off-road racing season with Johnny G Motorsports.
Monster Energy's Johnny Greaves Sets World Record with First-ever 300-Foot Truck Jump
Greaves' Monster Energy/Toyota Motorsports Racing teammate Jeremy McGrath calls it "Frickin Huge" after Greaves touches down with WR
Campo, CA (December 18, 2009)--What began as a relatively calm morning in the southern California foothills just outside San Diego literally became the stuff Guinness Book of World Records are made of when Monster Energy's Johnny Greaves came roaring down a dirt road at 105 mile per hour and launched his 3,800-pound, 800-horsepower TORC off-road PRO 2WD Toyota through the air over the length of an NFL football field.Landing quite peacefully some 301-feet later despite the overall violent nature of the jump. Greaves looped back around and was met by his Monster Energy/Toyota Motorsports team and off-road racing teammate McGrath.
"He made it look good, made it look easy. But that jump was frickin' huge," said McGrath.With a spectrum of measuring and surveying equipment on hand, Greaves added more than 100 feet to the previous 2WD distance truck jumping record of 193-feet set last year. Check it all out for yourself here.
Click here to watch the video on YouTube
"I was a little bit nervous," Greaves admitted the day of the jump. "I woke up and I was going to go ride down there and look at the ramp and talk about what we need to do, but my brother was already in Jeremy's horse barn tearing the truck apart and getting the gearing right and I was like, 'All right, it's on!'"
With a gap of 200 feet (between the take-off and landing peaks), Greaves knew anything below 100 mph on the in-run would cause him to "auger" into the face of the landing. But with some spot-on mathematical calculations provided by his crew, and, believe-it-or-not, some tips on flying a truck like a dirt bike from McGrath, Greaves pulled off one of the most amazing motorsports distance jumps in history."Yeah, you can really manipulate the flight of the truck with the rear wheels–just like a dirt bike," said Greaves. "I'd actually hit the jump and rag the brake a little to get it to flatten out. Once I got the feel for that then I was like 'All right, I'm good. Let's hit this wide open!'"
Wide open in a 800-horse, 351-cubic inch NASCAR Truck motor emits an awesome sound. But Greaves would be a bit impervious to that, with all attention focused on the take-off-point, then, in vain, to spot any discernable landmarks once airborne. "It looked like a house in front of me," he said. "And when I hit it, you were up there so high that I couldn't even see the ravine or valley until the truck started rotating down."
Touching back down onto McGrath's property–and into the pages of the upcoming Guinness Book of World Records–Greaves and his team were elated with the Monster effort. And when asked if this at all compares to the thrill of racing Traxxas Off Road Championship (TORC) at places like Crandon (Wis.) and Bark River (Mich.) where Greaves is a household name, much like McGrath in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, the grin his face said it all."I'm not a stuntman or a jump guy, but Monster gave me the opportunity to do this and I took it," he said. "It's the greatest thrill I've ever had. You can't believe how long you're in the air, just up there in this massive truck floating through the air."
Interview inquiries for Monster Energy's Johnny Greaves can be directed to Mitch Covington at mitch.covington@torcseries.com
Monster Energy supports the scene. Be it insane distance jumping, snocross, SX, surfing, BMX, go-karts, pit bikes, MX, mountain bikes, PWC racing, off road, rally, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, FMX, skate, rock crawling, wake, surf, snow – name it – seems athletes and bands are rockin' Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out the types - Original Monster Energy, Lo-Carb Monster, Monster Assault, Monster's fruit juice hybrids dubbed Monster Khaos, Monster M-80 and Monster MIXXD, the ground-breaking Java Monster and X-Presso Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with Monster Energy's blend, 3 oz. Monster Hitman Energy Shooters, Monster Import, and the new nitrous oxide injected Nitrous Monster. Johnny Greaves digs 'em – so will you. On the 'Net at monsterarmy.com and monsterenergy.com