Racing History

The Green APU Racing Team
A Family’s Commitments to Excellence

A Family Tradition of Racing

For Patrick Gruszka, Rally racing is a family tradition. Patrick’s dad Art, CEO of Green APU caught the racing bug as a young man while still living in his native Poland. Art attended his first Rally racing event near his hometown, and from that moment on, he was hooked on the sport. Watching some of the top racers of the day, he dreamed that maybe one day, he too could get behind the wheel of a race car.

When Art moved to the United States, he discovered that Rally racing was popular there also and decided to get involved. Not yet having a car of his own, he rented his first Rally racer and eventually got his own car, a Subaru WRX STI. Later, he would transition to his first Mitsubishi EVO. Art competed in both Stage Rally and Rally Cross events. At 350-400 horsepower and turbocharged, Art found out quickly covered that Rally race cars were not for the faint of heart.

Because of his demanding work schedule, he was never able to take on a full season of racing, but in 2017, Art made a commitment to do it. The outcome was pretty spectacular, as he won the Rally America National Championship that year.

Like Father Like Son – The Green APU Racing Team

From a very young age, Patrick Gruszka took an interest in Rally racing. “Anytime I could, I went with my dad to watch him race. It was so great to meet the people involved in the events, and I tried to soak up as much knowledge about the sport as I could”, Patrick says with a smile.

In 2018, Patrick had the opportunity to drive his dad’s car at a Rally Cross event. Not only did he beat everyone else’s time by 3 seconds, but Patrick also finished one second faster than Art. “It was at that moment that I knew I could do this”, Patrick says. In 2021, he got his first taste of Stage Rally racing, with his limited 2WD Ford Fiesta in the Eastern Regional Championship. He wound up winning number one place in his division!

2022 was also a special year, as Patrick was able to race the same car in which his dad won the 2017 Rally America National Championship. “The feeling of racing my dad’s winning car was indescribable,” Patrick says. “I am so proud of what my dad accomplished in Rally racing, and I’m excited about what the future holds for our 12-person Green APU Racing team.

This year was also Patrick’s first time racing in an Open 4WD car. The team took two overall stage wins at the Sno*Drift Rally on glare ice, an overall victory at the McCreary Gravel Rally, and took 4th overall at the Southern Ohio Forest Rally. Patrick is particularly proud that the Green APU team beat out a couple of racing greats (Ken Block and Travis Pastrana) on stage 14 of the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR).

“We had our fair share of adversity too this past year,” Patrick adds. “The team experienced an engine failure, a small engine fire, and I even broke my hand. But these kinds of things toughen you and make us better in the long run”, he says with a laugh.

2023 & Beyond

The future looks bright for the Green APU racing team. They are committed to taking home a championship in 2023. Patrick is planning a full season in Rally, and possibly some Nitro RX races and World Rally Championship (WRC) events overseas.

Taking the Lessons of Racing into Building the Green APU

Many innovations that have gone into the Green APU machine were derived from the company’s racing activities. “We have the same team of engineers working on the cars and the manufacturing of the APU”, Patrick notes.

“Our quality control standards as well as several key components in the APU all come from our experience in Rally racing. We believe the Green APU has to be as good and durable as the race cars we put together. That is Green APU’s commitment to our hard-working customers out there, and we will never accept anything but the best for them”, he adds.

Sponsorships Available

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for the Green APU Racing Team, applications are now being accepted. Being a sponsor is a great way to market your business to thousands of people each year in a wide variety of locations. It is also a unique opportunity to be a part of a special team of people who are committed to excellence in everything they do!

Want to learn more? Contact us today!