With great regret we have to inform Members that, following a long illness, John Greasley died on 14 April, four days after his 83rd birthday. A Full Member of the BRDC since 1996, John will probably be best remembered for his exploits in various Porsches, his enthusiasm for the German marque leading him to set up his G Force company which specialised in road and race preparation of Porsches. He remains one of the most successful drivers in the history of the British GT Championship with nine overall and six category victories to his name, a total exceeded only by Jonny Adam and Phil Keen in more recent times.
John ‘discovered’ sports cars and sports car racing whilst in the USA at the behest of his father on behalf of the family business Dage Electronics. On his return to the UK, John was drawn into rallycross where he enjoyed notable success with his Porsche 911 both in the UK and Continental Europe in the late 1970s. He turned to full Tarmac racing, joining forces with a leading Porsche exponent of the time, Josh Sadler, whose Autofarm company sponsored the Autofarm Porsche Challenge in which John first competed in 1987 with a 911 Turbo Sport.
In 1989 John acquired one of the charismatic 935 K3s which, some 10 years earlier before the introduction of FIA Group C for international sportscar racing, had been a dominant force. For the next few years, John and his 935 K3 provided one of the most memorable spectacles on the UK racing scene. In 1990 he won his class in the Autofarm Modified Challenge before becoming one of the mainstays of the early years of the BRDC National GT Challenge which has today evolved into the British GT Championship under GT3 regulations. In those early days the series was much more of a free formula. In 1993 John won class C of the BRDC series with four race wins and three other podium placings while the following year with a 993 Turbo in place of the 935 Turbo he was second in his class to the sister car of Ross Hyett.
The 993 was developed into a twin turbo for 1995 but brought John just a single victory, in the opening round of the British GT Championship at Silverstone although there were also visits to the podium at Oulton Park (2nd) and Snetterton (3rd), John’s pace and consistency bringing second in the Championship. For the BPR Global GT Endurance four-hour races at Donington Park and Silverstone, John was joined by John Morrison, finishing ninth and seventh respectively. Continuing with John Morrison for 1996, the focus was on the BPR Global series while continuing in the British GT Championship for which two drivers were now required. John Morrison therefore joined forces with John Beasley, forming a partnership which continued with notable success for the next couple of years.
In 1997 the two Johns won rounds of the Privilege Insurance British GT Championship at Silverstone and Brands Hatch against strong opposition and their other podium places earned them the GT1 category title and second overall in the final standings. With support from Sweden’s Bo Strandell, John G also spread his wings beyond Europe to contest the three-hour races at Sebring, Laguna Seca, and Zhuhai with Magnus Wallinder and Geoff Lister as team mates. Although they retired in Florida, 12th place at Laguna Seca was followed by overall victory in China to give John one of his best international successes.
For the 1998 British GT Championship John was joined by Magnus Wallinder in a Porsche 911 GT1, still retaining the Blue Coral, Quaker State and Slick 50 sponsorship. Although they won three rounds – at Silverstone twice and at Donington Park – and finished second at Oulton Park, John missed some of the races in order to share a 911 GT2 EVO with Maxwell Beaverbrook and Geoff Lister in BPR GT races at the Nurburgring, Spa Francorchamps and Vallelunga which brought them two second places and a third in the Vallelunga 6 hours. John started 1999 sharing a G Force-prepared Porsche 911 GT1 with Thorkild Thyrring in the British GT Championship which produced a sixth place at Silverstone followed by a fifth at Oulton Park. For the rest of the season John Morrison returned to share with John G which produced a best result of fifth at Brands Hatch.
Although John’s racing and business interests are mostly associated with Porsche, his racing career ended in Ferraris, in 2002 in the international Ferrari Challenge in which he finished second in the category for gentleman drivers. In 2007 John shared a Ferrari F430 in the FIA GT3 Series with Philip Walker before hanging up his helmet.
John was a stickler for his cars being prepared and presented immaculately which ensured that the sponsorship, which he obtained from the likes of Blue Coral and Pennzoil thanks to the loyal support of John Kegg, was well earned, and retained for many years.
John did not seek the limelight but was invariably competitive in whatever he raced. His G Force company and the superbly presented Blue Coral Porsches were an important factor in the development of the BRDC British GT series in its early days. He was popular with his peers, renowned for his kindness and generosity off track but very competitive in action while never losing sight of the fact that motor racing is a sport. To his wife Susanne, to his family and many friends in the sport, the BRDC offers its most sincere condolences.
John’s funeral will be on 7 May at 1.15pm at Crownhill Crematorium, Milton Keynes MK8 9AH with refreshments afterwards at the BRDC Clubhouse to which all are welcome. Please advise the Club Office if you will be attending.
(All images courtesy of the G-Force Motorsports Facebook page)
