SPORTSMAN DRIVERS
MEET OUR DRIVERS
KAYLEIGH HILL-BEAKLEY
​Kayleigh’s mom and dad started bringing her to Bandimere Speedway in 2005 to watch them race when she was five years old. In 2012, she decided to forgo a family vacation to Disney and use the money to share a junior dragster with her sister. After having raced four years in Stock Eliminator in her 1988 Ford Mustang, she made her Super Comp debut in 2023 on the Division 5 circuit in her 2004 Undercover dragster, where she will continue to race in 2024.
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> Category/Class: Super Comp
> Hometown: Thornton, CO
> Birthdate: September 7, 2001
> Vehicle Make/Model: 2004 Undercover Dragster
> Career wins/runner-up finishes: 5/7 finals
> First Start: 2012 Junior Dragsters - Bandimere Speedway
Career Highlights:
> 2017 Division 5 Champion
> 2018 Division 5 runner-up
> 2018 World Series of Pro Mod Winner
> 2021 finished 4th in points in Stock Eliminator at Bandimere Speedway
> 2022 finished 3rd in points in Stock Eliminator at Bandimere Speedway
> 2023 Super Comp winner of Bandimere Speedway’s Jet Car Nationals
> 2023 obtained Advanced ET License
JOE C. MAYNARD
​Joe C. Maynard has been preparing to drive an A/Fuel Dragster for much of his adult life. While piloting a 4,000-horsepower machine in the NHRA is still considered a relatively new goal for Maynard, his lengthy list of life experiences has him well-prepped for his new drag racing venture.
Before becoming involved in NHRA Drag Racing as a co-owner and executive staff member of the multi-car operation JCM Racing in 2021, Maynard served as a member of the U.S. Army for 20 years. The former Chief Warrant Officer Four did eight combat tours where he manned the controls of various military helicopters, performing combat maneuvers as a Black Hawk pilot. His exceptional aviation skills led to his being promoted to an instructor pilot role in addition to receiving multiple air medals throughout his time spent in service. After retiring from the Army, Maynard landed a spot on the season 11 cast of Discovery channel’s Naked and Afraid, where he used his extensive military training and survival skills to navigate the treacherous conditions of the open ocean.
Upon returning home to Clarksville, Tenn., Maynard devoted his focus to turning his passion for knife making into a business, launching Primitive Grind in 2019. Each Primitive Grind knife is hand-crafted and custom-designed by Maynard. His exceptional attention to detail coupled with his dedication to giving back to the veteran community has helped Maynard attract the eye of many high-profile and celebrity clients.
Maynard is no stranger to the cockpit of a race car. Before being bitten by the drag racing bug, Maynard competitively raced at local Tennessee dirt tracks, and in 2020, he was crowned Clarksville Speedway’s Pure Mini series champion. Maynard has attended Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School for both Super Comp and Top Alcohol Dragster, earning his NHRA competition license in both categories. He made his NHRA debut aboard the Samsel Racing Leatherwood Distillery/JCM A/Fuel Dragster at the Lucas Oil Series divisional event at Gainesville, Florida in February 2024 and went on to ‘double up’ at Gainesville Raceway the following weekend when he won both the rain-delayed divisional race and the Gatornationals, the season-opening national event.
SHELBY MAYNARD
Shelby Maynard made his NHRA debut in 2024 aboard one of the first GR Supra Jr. Roadsters, a new type of Jr. Drag Racing vehicle loosely based off the Toyota GR Supra Funny Cars, which can be seen tearing up the track in the NHRA Mission Foods Series. The first of its kind for the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, the GR Supra Jr. Roadster was introduced in 2023. In addition to familiarizing himself with NHRA competition and fine-tuning his driving skills in 2024, Shelby is seeking to become the first Jr. racer to power to victory while piloting the new Roadster body style.
As the grandson of JCM Racing patriarch Joe Maynard, and son of Leatherwood Distillery A/Fuel Dragster driver Joe C. Maynard, Shelby is no stranger to the dragstrip. His ultimate drag racing goals include licensing in Super Comp at the end of the 2024 season and piloting a Top Fuel Dragster alongside his Father, Joe C. Maynard.
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When not racing in Division 2, Shelby Maynard enjoys competition shooting with his school team and being the largest horror movie fan in the world.
