2010 INDUCTEE GREG GRUBBS
PRO BMX Racer Greg Grubbs was an original member of the Mr. Bike BMX Race Team from Lincoln, Nebraska. He was a pioneer in the sport during the early days of Bicycle Motocross racing. He raced at the first BMX track in Nebraska – Yankee Hill BMX under the National Bicycle Association (NBA) sanction. He also raced in the American Bicycle Association (ABA) PRO Class during the 1980’s and 1990’s. Greg was on the SE Racing Factory Team, the Redline Factory Team and the Hyper Factory Team. Greg is also a member of the National BMX Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Nebraska BMX Hall of Fame on August 21st, 2010.
Of all BMXers from the state of Nebraska, Greg Grubbs reached the highest levels of fame and success. His natural athletic ability would have made him a national class athlete at any sport, but BMX was the path he chose after competing in both BMX and MX. Greg chose bicycles over motorcycles and set his sights on much more than winning local and regional races – he wanted to be a Pro, and he wanted to beat the best Pro riders in the country.
At a time in the late 1970’s when the best Pro racers were all from Southern California, Greg and his fellow Nebraskans were starting to make themselves known at national level events. Chris Heyden and Tim Lillethorup turned Pro in 1978, and soon Greg Grubbs and his longtime friend and racing companion Joe Baumert decided to turn Pro as well. In his first year on the Pro circuit, Greg won a staggering number of A Pro events, earning him a spot on the SE Racing Factory Team. It was a common occurrence for Greg to win one day and Joe Baumert the next. The two riders pushed each other and soon they were at the top of the A Pro division and moving on to the highest level – AA Pro.
It was around this time period that Greg caught the attention of magazine publisher Bob Osborn of BMX Action magazine. Bob could instantly recognize talent and soon photos of Greg would appear in nearly every issue of BMX Action. Greg’s reputation as a fast racer was one thing, but where he gained the most exposure was with his incredible jumping ability and skill. The whole world suddenly knew Greg Grubbs as the skinny kid from Nebraska that could jump higher, and get more kicked-out and crossed-up than anyone.
Greg completed his rise to the top in 1982 during his rookie season as an AA Pro. He was picked by Linn Kastan of Redline to be on the Redline Factory Team. Being on Team Redline was the pinnacle of BMX at the time. Greg shared the spotlight on Redline with Stu Thomsen who is the most famous BMXer of all time. In his first race for Redline, Greg Grubbs stunned the BMX world by winning the ABA Summer Nationals in Lubbock, Texas beating everyone including his team mate. Greg finished out his rookie AA Pro season as the Number 3 Pro in the nation.
In addition to SE Racing and Redline, Greg also rode for Jag Racing and the original Hyper BMX Team. Greg became a close friend of Hyper founder – the late Billy Farrell.
Greg was also a respected trainer during the first year of the Woodward BMX Training Camp in Woodward, Pennsylvania.
Greg’s Pro BMX career continued into 1991 when a string of shoulder and knee injuries kept him from competing at the level he had worked so hard to achieve.
In 2007 Greg Grubbs was inducted into the ABA National BMX Hall of Fame.
I am honored to help induct Greg Grubbs into the Nebraska BMX Hall of Fame.
Tim Lillethorup