Jim Hairston (Owner)

Jim, a 46 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 led 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 Vice President Sales & Marketing 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 has come aboard as a sponsor for HMR. The famous JBA Performance Exhaust brand became the company’s newest addition in December 2008. In May 2015, Pertronix acquired Spyke Inc., a leading producer of rotating electrical and ignition products for the Harley® motorcycle and VW air cooled engine markets. Jim has been married to his wife, Kathy, for 43 years.

Clint Hairston (Driver)

Clint is 40 years old and the car co-driver. He 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. 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 agricultural industry for Mission AG Resources and lives in Exeter, CA. Clint is already recognized by many as one of the “best leavers” in the business has been nicknamed “The Milkman”. He has fifteen career Pro Mod race wins in twenty-seven final round appearances and has qualified #1 fourteen times over the last 9 years. Clint was the runner-up at the 2009 SCSN, Semi-Finalist in both 2011 and 2012, Quarter-Finalist in 2013 winning the 2015 event setting a track record of 5.759 ET in the Pro Mod class. Clint was the Pacific Street Car Association 2010 Hughes Pro Street Champion and NMCA 2012 Pro Street runner-up finishing 4th in NMCA Pro Street in 2013. Clint won the Pro Mod Slammer eliminator at the Midwest Pro Mod Ennis event in March 2018. Clint will be teaming with Eric Enders as co-drivers of the Elite Motorsports/Pertronix Performance Brands 2018 RJ Race Cars Pro Mod Chevy Camaro. Erica will be competing at the NHRA events with Clint taking the driving duties for the Midwest Pro Mod Series and the Street Car Super Nationals. For more information about the Two Time Pro Stock World Champion visit www.ericaendersracing.com.

Jake Hairston (Crew Chief)

Jake is 37 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 left the NHRA Technical Department in December 2010 to accept a position with Coughlin Brothers Racing as their new Director of Racing. Jake tuned Troy Coughlin’s Jegs twin turbo Pro Mod car at all the 2011 NHRA Pro Mod races before moving to Mooresville, NC in December 2011 to assist Nick Ferri and Roy Simmons in Pro Stock engine development at JNR Racing. Jake and Nick Ferri left JNR in December 2012 for Elite Motorsports in Wynnewood, OK starting up a new engine building endeavor . Their engines powered Erica Enders Stevens to the 2014 and 2015 Pro Stock World Championship. Elite Performance has now moved into the Pro Mod world partnering with Hairston Motorsports with a new RJ Race Cars 2018 Camaro. Jake’s 521 CID CFE twin turbo engine combination will power the car at NHRA and Midwest Pro Mod races with Erica Enders and Clint Hairston sharing the driving duties.