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Laughlin Performance is located in Gray Court, South Carolina and is regarded as one of the top race car and chassis builder in stock car racing today. Mike Laughlin sen. (founder) is credited with the vast majority of safety and performance innovations to enter NASCAR in the last two decades. In the early 1980s Mike Laughlin founded Laughlin Racing Products which quickly became known for its innovative approach to marketing and manufacturing high performance racing vehicles. Mike Laughlin has fielded cars in the USAR ProCup Series, Busch Series, and the ARCA Series. Mike is noted for his ability to work with young talent and has worked with such outstanding drivers as Jimmy Spencer, Jimmy Hensley, Greg Sacks, Robert Pressley, Butch Lindley, Gene Morgan, Andy Santerre, Doug Heveron, Patty Moise, Shawna Robinson and Jeff Fuller. By 1995 Mike Jr. had progressed to the NASCAR Busch North Series and was preparing to move up to the NASCAR Busch Series. In November of 1996, tragedy struck as Mike Jr. was involved in one of stock car racing's most spectacular fires. Mike Jr. was severely burned in a crash in the final Busch event in Homestead, Florida. After six months of intensive physical therapy to restore mobility to his injured hands, Mike Jr. returned to competition on July 19, 1997, at Greenville-Pickens Speedway and recorded a dramatic victory in front of thousands of screaming fans. The 1998 season was a busy one for Mike Jr. and Laughlin Racing. Competing in the highly competitive USAR ProCup Series, the team recorded 12 top 10 finishes in 20 events. In 1999, Mike Jr. recorded a victory and three second-place finishes while running a limited USAR schedule. He also ran a limited schedule in 2000 and 2001 as his duties at Laughlin Performance demanded more of his time. In 2002, Mike, Jr. competed in selected Busch Series events for Jimmy Spencer and also drove for USAR car owners, Don Sprouse and Stave Husketh. The Laughlin Race Team returned full-time to the USAR ProCup Series, finishing 10th in points for the 2003 season. In 2004, when Laughlin returned to the USAR ProCup Series, Mike Laughlin competed in cars prepared at their shop in South Carolina. Their past performance in the USAR ProCup Series provides ample evidence that Laughlin is a competitive force in the racing world. Mike sen. sold Laughlin racing Products to Ortec Racing and retired but in 2007 Mike jr. started out on his own with a new company Laughlin Performance, Inc. His fearless, hard-charging driving style is in direct contrast to Mike, Jr.'s off-track personality. His youthful enthusiasm and smiley face t-shirt have made him a favorite with fans young and old. Mike, Jr. and his wife, Carolyn, live on a farm in Laurens, SC, which he manages for a wildlife habitat. Mike, Jr. still thrives to improve the products and to keep his customers running at the front of the pack. Mike, Jr. is no stranger to the front of the pack and he compiled an impressive record in various stock car series, including the USAR ProCup Series. Mike Jr. started at Southern dirt tracks as a teen and quickly graduated to the asphalt on the famed Greenville-Pickens Speedway. Laughlin Performance, Inc. personnel are known for their innovative approach to capitalizing on the enormous appeal of stock car racing. Laughlin Racing was the first race team to bring industrial sponsorship to NASCAR. Laughlin Racing was also at the forefront of bringing the hunting industry into racing. In 1996, Mike Laughlin donated the advertising space on the team's race cars to the National Wild Turkey Federation.
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Laughlin Performance, Inc.© 2007 |
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