Hairston Motorsports and Racing

HMR was started in 2001 by Jim and Kathy Hairston and sons, Clint and Jake, as a serious family racing business. Their goal was to build a Pro Street car that would be a top contender in the very competitive Pacific Street Car Association (PSCA) Pro Street category. The car and race trailer operation would also serve as a display for their marketing partners, Pertronix Performance Products, Doug's Headers and Patriot Exhaust Products and their product sponsors at numerous West Coast consumer and trade events i.e. Goodguys March Meets, Hot Rod Reunions, Super Chevys, Hot August Nights and SEMA Shows. Hairston Motorsports race cars have been featured in many industry publications including Popular Hot Rodding, Car Craft, Chevy High Performance, Super Chevy, Hot Rod, Drag Racer, RPM Magazine, Drag Racing Online and Drive Magazine.

 

Jim Hairston, a 40 year veteran of the performance automotive aftermarket, started the racing operation as a way to introduce his sons to the highly competitive world of Pro Street drag racing. Jim campaigned a 1967 GTX Belvedere Hemi Super Stock car against Dick Landy, Wiley Cossey, Bill Bagshaw and Bob Lambeck in the late 60's before completing his business degree at Cal Poly Pomona in 1972. Hooker Headers offered him a sales and marketing position after graduation that would lead to a Hooker career lasting three decades. As Director of Sales and Marketing, Jim lead Hooker through unprecedented growth until departing in 1998 to accept the Vice President/General Manager position with Weiand Automotive. After relocating Weiand manufacturing and marketing functions to Holley in 1999, Jim accepted the newly created position of Director of Marketing and Product Development with Pertronix Inc., a leading producer of high performance ignition products for the automotive, marine, agricultural and industrial markets. In August 2000, Pertronix acquired Thunderbird Exhaust Products, rebranding the line under the Patriot Exhaust Products name in 2001. Patriot Exhaust came aboard as a major sponsor for HMR in 2003. In January 2005, Doug's Headers became the newest Pertronix acquisition and also as come aboard as a sponsor for HMR. The famous JBA Performance Exhaust brand became the company’s newest addition in December 2008.

 

Clint is 34 years old and the car driver. He attended the Frank Hawley Driving School earning a Super Gas and Super Comp license on his first visit then later updating to an Advanced ET license. Clint has grown up around the high performance industry and counts the late John Lingenfelter as one of the most influential people he has ever met along with the legendary Ken Duttweiler who builds the team's engines. Clint went to Cal State San Bernardino on a golf scholarship later transferring to Cal Poly Pomona to study animal sciences. He currently works in the dairy industry as an independent Breeding Consultant for ABS Global and lives in Tulare, CA. Clint is already recognized by many as one of the "best leavers" in the business has been nicknamed "The Milkman". He has eleven career Pro Street race wins in eighteen final round appearances and in 2010 set both a national ET and MPH record.

 

Jake is 31 years old and the car's crew chief. Wise beyond his years, Jake's progress as crew chief has been extraordinary.  Jake started drag racing driving the HMR Junior Dragster in the early nineties, winning the Division 7 Championship "Wally" in 1995 and also earned a Super Gas and Super Comp license at the Frank Hawley Driving School along with his brother. Jake graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in December 2004 with degrees in Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering. Jake ran the dyno operations and did engine development for Speed-O-Motive, a leading performance engine builder, until moving on to NHRA's Technical Department in September 2007 as an Electronic Specialist.  Jake Hairston left the NHRA Technical Department in December 2010 to accept a position with Coughlin Brothers Racing as their new Director of Racing and lives in New Albany, OH.  Jake will also be tuning Troy Coughlin’s Jegs twin turbo Pro Mod car at all the 2011 NHRA Pro Mod races.   Jake looks to the likes of Dick LaHaie, Warren Johnson, David Reher and Ken Duttweiler for his inspiration.