Greaves clan ready to hit the AMSOIL Champ Off-Road Series dirt

When the green light flashes on this weekend’s opening round of the AMSOIL Championship (aka “Champ”) Off-Road Series’ Mayhem at the Motorplex, May 18-19 at Dirt City Motorplex in Lena, Wisc., Monster Energy – for an amazing 19th season – will be riding with short course off-road legend Johnny Greaves.

Since 2006 and beginning with the side and jawline of his race helmet, Greaves has partnered with Monster Energy – a partnership that quickly evolved from a helmet deal to full bore race truck/program sponsorship the following year.

And through all the alphabet soup race series titles (SODA, CORR, Lucas Oil, TORC, etc.), one thing’s remained a constant: Johnny Greaves’ Monster Energy-backed trucks still haul ass and win titles, around 25 titles over the years, give or take, he figures.

This past Champ Off-Road season all those titles caught up to Greaves and, in one wild accident, he left the track in Antigo, Wisc., and ended up in the hospital for a few days. About the only time folks from the Midwest could remember the senior Greaves wasn’t in the title hunt.

No matter, though, as his son CJ Greaves brought a couple titles back underneath the Monster Energy/Toyota/Toyo Tires/Vision Wheels/VP Fuels & Polaris Factory team awning, winning the Champ Series’ PRO4 and PRO Stock SXS titles, while placing 2nd in PRO SXS.

Add to that the second-straight Champ PRO LITE title, won by Monster Energy-backed Kyle Greaves (KGB Customs/Kenda Tires), who’s Johnny’s nephew, and Monster Energy held the Lion’s Share of the main Champ Off-Road Series hardware, despite the senior Greaves, 58, spending a portion of the season recovering from his injuries.

2024 Champ Off-Road Series

As the season gets set to open this weekend, Monster Energy caught up with Johnny and CJ to get their take on what’s about to go down.

Monster Energy: Johnny, last year, in Champ Off-Road PRO 4 racing, you (Monster Energy/Toyota/Toyo team, including substitute driver Kyle Greaves) only managed to scratch out one podium finish, placing 6th overall on the season. Talk about that season.

Johnny Greaves: Yeah, the season didn’t start the way we’d planned. I crashed in practice at Antigo. Broke my scapula, four to five ribs, collapsed a lung. And was a little bit concussed. Sat in the hospital for a while.

ME: You did manage to come back later in the season, but just couldn’t shake the gremlins.

JG: We were running well at Crandon (Wisc.), and even before that at Bark River (Mich.), where we had some fast times in practice. Got screwed out of that one because of a driver’s misjudgment at the start (of the race). And at Crandon we were in 3rd with one lap to go and had a mechanical failure. And were leading the last race (Oklahoma) when we got a flat, which was just shit.

ME: Not to be lost in all that rough luck, CJ’s PRO 4 championship, the 8th of his career, had to lessen the sting a bit on the ’23 season.

JG: It’s been, honestly, an unreal ride with CJ. Seeing him grow (CJ began his four-wheel racing career at age 14 in 2010, following a successful amateur motocross career), and to develop into the man and the racer he is now has been highly rewarding. And now, to watch him dig his teeth into the building of the vehicles and managing the team, he’s like a real partner.

Added CJ: We’ve (CJ and Johnny) have been racing in the same class (PRO 4) going on ten years, and on the same team for 15 years now. I’m pretty speechless, to be honest. And not only has my dad been there with me since the beginning, but a lot of other guys on the team have been around that long as well. So I’ve been glad to be able to hold up my end of the deal and keep moving forward with it.

JG: And when you gotta give up your crown, to give it to your kid, it doesn’t hurt so bad.

ME: And double cool when you consider Champ Off-Road champion Kyle (Greaves) is right down pit row from you guys.

JG: Yeah, for sure. This is Kyle’s third season in the PRO LITES and he’s won back-to-back titles. He’s ready to move up, getting him going in the big trucks (PRO 2). He’s right on path. And even though he’s under his own tent, we do a lot of communicating back and forth. So it’s just one big family.

ME: One thing that seems consistent as of late is the Champ Off-Road Series, managed by ISOC Racing. Series seems to be moving forward quite confidently. Do you guys sense a good vibe with Champ Off-Road?

JG: You know, they’re just being a lot more conservative than the other organizations (which ran the aforementioned short course off-road series). There’s more of a business savvy with ISOC. They make sure the bills are paid, and are not just throwing money at the wall. Then, when nothing happens, they’re gone. They (ISOC) run a successful snowmobile racing series, which they took over when it was dying, and turned it around pretty well. They used that playbook with Champ Off-Road and it’s working. Hat’s off to them.

CJ: One of the big things I’ve noticed over the last year and a half is that there’s been lot more voices, through different media platforms, with driver podcasts and interviews. And Champ officials have noted these, and implemented some of the drivers’ opinions with their race program. They’re listening to the drivers.

ME: Excellent news. Thanks again for taking the time to get the Monster Army caught up on the Greaves’ and Champ Off-Road. Good luck this weekend. We’ll be tuning in.

JG: Thank you.

CJ: Thanks.

Up next: The AMSOIL Championship Off-Road Series opens on Saturday, May 18th, with the running ot the Mayhem at the Motorplex at Dirt City Motorplex in Lena, Wisc.