Hamstras and McCoys Becoming Fast Friends

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WASHINGTON, MO (December 8, 2010) - The Hatfields and the McCoys were famous for a feud, while the Hamstras and the McCoys are becoming famous for a fast race car. With less than 10 runs down the track and no test sessions under his belt, Jason Hamstra has already piloted his Andy McCoy Race Cars’ Duster to multiple 3.75-second runs at a top speed of 206 miles per hour in the American Drag Racing League (ADRL) Pro Extreme class.All signs indicate there will be no hard feelings between these families. “Andy and his dad, Stan and Scott, who works there, and his mom Linda - I’ve never dealt with such nice people before and I won’t go anywhere else,” said Jason’s father and crew chief Kevin Hamstra. “They’ve got me hooked.” It doesn’t hurt they build top-quality race cars, either.When the 2009 Pro Extreme Rookie of the Year was looking for a ride after a crash at Topeka totaled his Camaro, there was no shortage of car builders hoping to get the 23-year-old hot shoe in their seat. After listening to what all comers had to say while watching the Hardee’s Gateway Drags in St. Louis, the Hamstras made a visit to McCoy’s shop in nearby Washington, Mo. and made the decision to go with the slick-bodied Duster.“The car has a lot of potential,” the elder Hamstra said. “We haven’t run the car hardly at all and for it to go 3.75 at 206 mph in the little bit of time we have on it I’m real happy with that. It’s actually got more traction than we are used to so we’re going to have to work on it a little bit to get it going. We just need to get out and do some testing which we haven’t done yet.” Andy McCoy is just as impressed with Hamstra.“Jason’s a great driver and we’ve really enjoyed working with Kevin and his wife, Karen,” Andy McCoy said. “We did a lot of work in a short period of time so they could have a car to finish the season. I’m convinced with some track time prior to next season we can get the car even quicker.”Kevin was able to salvage the engine, transmission, rear end and computer system after the crash and had it installed in the Duster. McCoy and company worked day and night to convert the chassis from a nitrous car to a blower car in only five days. The first runs down the track were at Norwalk where they qualified 12th with a 3.756 at 204 mph, but a broken part kept them from eliminations. A quicker 3.752 at 206 mph at the LenMar Motorsports World Finals in Dallas was good enough for sixth but eliminations were washed out by rain. The veteran tuner says he plans to get his son some test time in either Florida or Georgia prior to the start of the 2011 season. “All we really need are a few good test sessions to get the thing rolling,” Hamstra said. “When you’re at a race you just won’t try things because you are trying to qualify and get ready for the race. You won’t try things that you will try at a test session to really make the car run - you just won’t make big changes.”One thing that’s not likely to change is the harmony between the Hamstras and McCoys.To watch Hamstra’s 3.75 in Ennis, watch below, or click here.

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