{"id":90400,"date":"2023-11-20T16:18:33","date_gmt":"2023-11-20T16:18:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/a-new-nitro-legacy-maynard-father-son-duo-bring-new-approach-to-nitro-team-ownership\/"},"modified":"2024-01-20T23:51:13","modified_gmt":"2024-01-20T23:51:13","slug":"a-new-nitro-legacy-maynard-father-son-duo-bring-new-approach-to-nitro-team-ownership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/a-new-nitro-legacy-maynard-father-son-duo-bring-new-approach-to-nitro-team-ownership\/","title":{"rendered":"A New Nitro Legacy: Maynard Father-Son Duo Bring New Approach to Nitro Team Ownership"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the multi-generational sport that is drag racing, father-son duos have been front and center on the track over the years. Kenny and Brandon Bernstein, Warren and Kurt Johnson, Don and Tony Schumacher, and Mike and Justin Ashley are just a few of the fathers and sons that have made their mark on the sport together. The latest father-son duo to hit the NHRA Camping World Series, Joe E. and Joe C. Maynard, has had a quieter, behind-the-scenes impact, which suits Maynard Family Racing patriarch Joe E. Maynard just fine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[Editor\u2019s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #184, the State of Drag Issue, in September\/October of 2023.]<\/em><\/p>\n

JCM Racing burst onto the scene a couple years ago, beginning with a sponsorship at Don Schumacher Racing. That led to Joe E. and wife Cathi purchasing a majority stake in the Tony Schumacher-piloted Top Fuel team in the middle of the 2022 season. Their footprint expanded again in January 2023 when they partnered with Funny Car veteran Tim Wilkerson to form Maynard Wilkerson Racing, and yet again in late May with the formation of Maynard Ashley Racing (MAR), a partnership with Justin Ashley, Dustin Davis, and Jim Epler.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n

An Army veteran with a deep background in building successful businesses, Joe E. Maynard oversees the day-to-day business operations of JCM Racing. His son and fellow Army veteran, Joe C. Maynard, has been by his side at every step, bringing his own unique skills to the table while learning others from his father.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since the beginning, they\u2019ve made a point not to micromanage the teams, instead allowing the team members already in place to focus on their own departments. That was their strategy when they took over operations of the Schumacher Top Fuel team, and it\u2019s continued as they\u2019ve partnered with Wilkerson and Ashley on their programs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a big fan, of course, but I oversee all the businesses,\u201d Joe E. says. \u201cWe operate a little differently than a lot of teams in that we\u2019re not owner-drivers. We don\u2019t tell the crew chiefs at all how to do their business. We simply are here to be a resource to them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe adapt to the co-owned teams without trying to tell them how to run the race day part of the operation,\u201d he continues. \u201cWe do support race day. One of [Joe C.\u2019s] biggest functions is race day. He\u2019s out there doing a lot. He\u2019s much better at socializing than I am. He fits it, he looks it, and he brings the Maynard name to all the teams. I like to stay in the background. Behind the curtain, I guess, is my favorite way to operate when I can.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Maynards\u2019 approach to working with their teams is especially beneficial for Wilkerson, who\u2019s been his own driver, tuner, and team owner since he made his Funny Car debut in 1996. Working with crew chief Richard Hartman, Wilkerson has developed a reputation as a consistent competitor who can throw down with the \u201cbig teams.\u201d Partnering with the Maynards has allowed him to take his program to the next level.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing that Joe was adamant about is that he didn\u2019t want me to bend or change or do anything different than I\u2019ve been doing for the last few years because the car performs so well,\u201d Wilkerson says. \u201cHe just wanted to be an addition, not an influencer. He\u2019s been great about that. He lets me do my thing, and together, we\u2019re trying to build a bigger program. He\u2019s a huge part of that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Things are a little different in the Schumacher camp, as JCM Racing oversees the day-to-day operations. Still, Schumacher sees the unique way the Maynards get involved with the partner teams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTim Wilkerson is a guy who for years you\u2019ve always wanted him to win. He\u2019s really paid his dues,\u201d Schumacher says. \u201cFor Joe to go, \u2018Here, here\u2019s an opportunity to go out and have more financial support than you\u2019ve ever had before,\u2019 it\u2019s just awesome. And really, to do the same thing with Justin: Step in and form a partnership and make sure you guys are funded. Everyone\u2019s doing their job.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While the younger Maynard has had some experience in business, he admits he\u2019s still learning a lot. He\u2019s immersed himself in the business operations of JCM Racing while specifically working on sponsor relations and B2B connections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, my big focus is with MAR trying to get into the business side of it,\u201d Joe C. says. \u201cThe team\u2019s running good. There\u2019s no sense in just shaking up a box. I\u2019m just learning the different aspects of that to make everything run smoothly and trying to integrate MAR and our business team to facilitate a future that looks good on paper and on the points.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ashley agrees that the Maynards have been a beneficial addition to the team dynamic already in place within his Phillips Connect pit area.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve only been together a short period of time \u2013 just a few months \u2013 but in that short period of time, you can really see a difference in our program,\u201d Ashley says. \u201cNot only in terms of performance on the racetrack, but in terms of performance off the racetrack too. The premise behind our relationship with them was really to provide growth and stability, and that\u2019s what they\u2019ve done.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn addition to peace of mind, we\u2019ve been able to work together on the business-to-business side and open up a lot more opportunities for partnerships and different sponsorships,\u201d Ashley continues. \u201cIt\u2019s already made an impact, and I think you\u2019ll continue to see it make an even stronger impact throughout not only the remainder of this year, but really throughout years to come.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

JCM Racing does not follow the multi-car team model that was so successful for the last 20 or so years in nitro racing. The Maynards have a hand in these three teams, but they all operate independently of each other. Ashley sees it as a positive because teams like his and Wilkerson\u2019s have the resources and support of a mega-team but the autonomy of a single-car team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe more cars the better, but they\u2019ve done it in a little bit of a different way than we\u2019ve seen in the past because they\u2019re allowing these teams to not necessarily be under one big conglomerate, but operate independently at the same time,\u201d Ashley says. \u201cI think that\u2019s the best approach because it\u2019s the best of both worlds. You have that stability and the opportunity for more cars to be involved in NHRA drag racing, but at the same time not be under this one big umbrella and all be dependent upon each other. I think they\u2019ve found the right balance, and I think it speaks volumes to their approach on the business side and how it\u2019s going to continue to help the sport as a whole grow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is 180 degrees from the JFR [John Force Racing] and DSR and Kalitta legacies,\u201d Wilkerson says. \u201cThey were all under one roof and commanded by one leader in reality. We have some co-op leaders. We\u2019re not having to fight with each other over dollars. At the same time, we have some cohesion together where if any of us need help, we can talk to each other. That kind of thing I think is still a good thing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike nearly all of the other team owners in the nitro ranks, the Maynards have never driven in the classes they now compete in as owners. Joe and Cathi have been longtime fans of the sport, and as Army veterans, they were especially fond of Tony Schumacher since his days driving the U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster. Their success in business allowed them to get involved as team supporters and now team owners. That business background informs the way JCM Racing is operated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe started a company that got pretty large, and then I sold out part of it, so what I bring to the business side of it is the processes, cashflow operations, and all the things like that,\u201d Joe E. says. \u201cI don\u2019t know if every team has that. I think a lot of guys are doing that as a side to being the driver and\/or crew chief, and so I bring a full-time presence to that.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen my job is to take those lessons I\u2019ve learned and the knowledge I have and pass it on to Joe and Eric [Lehman] and the rest of our executive team here,\u201d Joe E. continues. \u201cSo I think maybe we have a fresh set of eyes. That\u2019s what I\u2019ve been told by other owners. We\u2019re seeing the business side of this completely different than other people are. It is very much a sponsor-driven operation, but I look at sponsors more as partners than I do as sponsors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The most obvious example of that is Maynard\u2019s relationship with Scag Power Equipment, which signed on as a sponsor on Schumacher\u2019s dragster in 2022 and expanded as a major sponsor of JCM Racing through the 2025 season. That also includes sponsorship of Wilkerson\u2019s Funny Car. Scag has taken an active role in the partnership, holding meet-and-greets at power equipment dealers and hosting employees at races.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Scag partnership is one of JCM Racing\u2019s biggest success stories in their early history. It\u2019s a part of the father-son duo\u2019s collective effort to build and maintain relationships with sponsors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a cold-call guy, but once I get in the door, I typically do well in negotiations and generating interest,\u201d Joe E. says. \u201cRandy [Gloede, president and CEO of Scag] and I were just talking about that this weekend. In one hour, it went from talking about them sponsoring a team to shaking hands on a full deal. So that\u2019s what I do well, and then [Joe C.] does pretty well at building it. I\u2019m just the germinator, if you will, not the Terminator. [Joe C.] is the Terminator, I\u2019ll be the germinator.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The father-son dynamic plays into the Maynards\u2019 working relationship, and the two have had to learn how each other handles decisions and negotiations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s harder on him than me,\u201d Joe E. says. \u201cThat\u2019s the truth because I\u2019m fast with decisions and I\u2019m demanding and I look at him and he\u2019ll think, \u2018Crap, he\u2019s looking at me like he did when I was a little kid. He\u2019s not happy,\u2019 which is not true. It\u2019s just the look I have, but it\u2019s been harder on Joe to run the business side of it. He has all of the natural personal skills, but it\u2019s me teaching him more of the big business. He knows how to run his own business, and he\u2019s a lot nicer guy than I am, so it\u2019s harder on him than me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe C. agrees that it hasn\u2019t been easy. While the two learn the unique business that is nitro team ownership, Joe C. is simultaneously learning the general business lessons that his father has learned over the course of his career.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI may not have all the information that I need and I may not know the questions to ask to get that information,\u201d Joe C. says. \u201cYou don\u2019t know what you don\u2019t know. So, when those times happen, that\u2019s the hard part because I get to the point where I feel like, \u2018Damn, he just pulled the rug out from under me.\u2019 But then he explains to me, \u2018Well, this is what you need to know. If you\u2019d have known this, then you would\u2019ve had the information, you would\u2019ve made this decision.\u2019 I\u2019m like, OK, well, then the next time something comes along, I have that in my toolbox to say, \u2018By the way, I need this information first.\u2019 Just yesterday, we had a phone call and there were some tools that I needed that I knew to ask for. So, it\u2019s getting easier for sure.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not all terrible. It\u2019s not even partly terrible,\u201d he adds. \u201cIt\u2019s a learning process. Eventually, I will be sitting in that seat and my son will probably be sitting in this seat. The only way for me to do that is to go through this gauntlet, and we don\u2019t have years to do this, or endless zeros to just cover up mistakes. That costs us. We don\u2019t have that. So, I\u2019ve got to learn, and it\u2019s just a trial by fire.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, the Maynards have multiple father-son duos in their network to learn from. One of those is Tim and Daniel Wilkerson. Though Daniel is now the crew chief for Chad Green\u2019s Funny Car team, he came up through the ranks learning from Tim as a driver, tuner, and team manager. Both have a business background as well, with Tim owning a successful automotive business and Daniel being an accountant by degree.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve learned a lot from being with Daniel and Tim on how to manage our relationship because they do a good job of being even against each other out there, but when you\u2019re with them, you realize they are a father and son team,\u201d Joe E. says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the challenges that might come with this new endeavor, the Maynards and their partners have quickly found success. Schumacher won the 2022 NHRA Northwest Nationals, the Maynard\u2019s debut race as team owners. Wilkerson raced to victory in late May at the Route 66 Nationals, Scag\u2019s home race, just a handful of races into the Maynard Wilkerson Racing partnership.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Scag folks are pretty new at this also,\u201d Wilkerson says. \u201cWe spend our entire weekend entertaining distributors and dealers and end users for Scag. That\u2019s really what the program\u2019s built around. To actually be able to win a race at the same time, I was really happy that we got to do that at Chicago because we\u2019re really calling that Scag\u2019s home race. All the upper echelon of Scag, the CEO and marketing folks, they were all at the race on Sunday when we won, so that was really a fun deal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As of this publication, Ashley has scored six wins this season, including a double-up at the Thunder Valley Nationals, which also hosted the completion of the rain-delayed New England Nationals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That early success has been rewarding for the Maynard group, which also includes minority partners Eric and Kim Lehman. But they\u2019re also determined to keep that success going into more wins, and eventually championships and long-term, sustainable growth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea for me is to build whatever we build into a self-sustaining operation that Joe is well-equipped to turn that into the legacy for his great grandkids or his grandkids,\u201d Joe E. says. \u201cBut we all love racing. It all comes down to this. We like being out here. Eric loves being out here, probably even more than we do because it\u2019s just his lifelong passion. So it\u2019s fun for us to build things to help other people, and I think that that\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to do here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Schumacher is a firm believer that this is just the beginning for the Maynard family\u2019s involvement in drag racing. Proof can be found in the JCM Driver Development Program. More than just a sponsorship, the program offers numerous resources and training tools to Jr. Dragster drivers who are accepted into the program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese programs they\u2019re coming up with for these Jr. Dragsters are super cool,\u201d Schumacher says. \u201cAll these years, no owners have stepped up and said, \u2018What about these kids?\u2019 Are they going to work their way up into Top Fuel? Who knows. But to give them the opportunity to feel like they have a shot as a youngster, it\u2019s super cool what they\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Through his regular interactions with the Maynards, Schumacher sees their desire to help more teams accomplish their goals. As someone who\u2019s been in the business of burning nitro for more than two decades, he\u2019s offered Maynard advice on how to deal with the influx of people looking to get their piece of the pie.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think he\u2019s ever been the kind of guy to say he wants to have a DSR eight-team deal, but he will help people that are out there,\u201d Schumacher says. \u201cOn one hand you want to say that. On the other hand, you don\u2019t want every team in the world calling him. I told him, be aware when you start to dabble in this, you\u2019re going to have everybody calling and asking if you can help. Be aware that it\u2019s coming. No different than when we had the Army deal or even Scag. You bring a deal in and everyone\u2019s going to reach in and try to grab a little bit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Schumacher realizes Maynard doesn\u2019t necessarily need any pointers when it comes to choosing who he brings into the fold. He\u2019s been impressed with Maynard\u2019s moves to this point, and he doesn\u2019t expect that to stop.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom what he\u2019s done so far, it\u2019s been outstanding,\u201d Schumacher says. \u201cI\u2019m so glad he picked a guy like Justin [Ashley] because he picked a good, young, humble, butt-kicking driver with Mike Green as a crew chief \u2013 people I\u2019ve worked with before. He seems to pick quality people, and I think that\u2019s a blessing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, if you\u2019re out there and you\u2019re a quality person looking for something, you know Joe Maynard is out there keeping his eye on you,\u201d Schumacher continues. \u201cJust do your job. He\u2019ll find you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n

Auto Imagery photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The post A New Nitro Legacy: Maynard Father-Son Duo Bring New Approach to Nitro Team Ownership<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated | Drag Racing News, Opinion, Interviews, Photos, Videos and More<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the multi-generational sport that is drag racing, father-son duos have been front and center on the track over the years. Kenny and Brandon Bernstein, Warren and Kurt Johnson, Don and Tony Schumacher, and Mike and Justin Ashley are just a few of the fathers and sons that have made their mark on the sport […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,78117,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-drag-racing","category-race-pages","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90400"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90400\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91207,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90400\/revisions\/91207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}