British GT’s first overall champion and 15-time race winner, John Greasley, passed away on Sunday after a long illness.
The former rallycross driver and his G-Force Racing squad fielded some of the series’ most iconic GT1 and GT2 cars throughout the 1990s. They included several iterations of Porsches, most of which featured the instantly recognisable Blue Coral livery.
The design was first seen on the 935 K3 Turbo with which John claimed Class C and Overall titles in 1993. An updated version then adorned the GT1 class title-winning 911 in 1997.
His G-Force prepared cars also brought titles for Nigel Barrett in both 1993 and 1994, Ross Hyatt in 1994, and John Morrison who shared the GT1 title with his long-time close friend in ‘97.
“John was a fierce competitor and a very loyal friend,” Morrison told Dailysportscar.com. "When we went racing it was always to win, but he never forgot that this was a sport that we all enjoyed. His competitive spirit never dimmed. The cars needed to be prepared faultlessly, presented well and raced well too. It was a privilege to race with him.”
Long-time customer and friend Geoff Lister agrees: "He took boys playing with supercars to a whole new level. He knew what he wanted to achieve and built a business and a team around doing it.”
Double British GT class champion Barrett added: "Honestly it was an honour to be a part of it. There were days I had to pinch myself that I was allowed to do it!
“John was always super competitive, generous, very supportive, loyal, but also hard nosed when he needed to be. A great leader of the team.”
John hasn't contested a British GT race since the late 1990s. However, his exploits during the championship's formative years have helped him remain joint third on the all-time winners list. His nine GT1 and six Class C victories (11 of which were also overall) leave him behind only Phil Keen (21) and Jonny Adam (19).
The thoughts of British GT and SRO Motorsports Group are with John’s family and friends at this time.
