David Hinton Is Driving HSR To The Winner’s Circle

Like any successful racer, David Hinton, President of Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR), knows how to navigate the turns and get into the winner’s circle. David Hinton has set up HSR to take the checkered flag with fans and drivers alike.

We caught up with David as HSR prepared to return to where it all started for them: The Mitty at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The world may be slowly emerging from the specter of COVID-19, but HSR has its sights set on an enviable slate of racing.

During our conversation with David, one point was abundantly clear: The goal of HSR today is the same as it was from its inception in the mid-70s.

HSR strives to celebrate the race cars of the past.

In many ways, their events are like a time machine of bygone racing sights and sounds. HSR is a celebration of the rich history and excitement created by these purpose-built racecars that competed at iconic race tracks worldwide.

The racecars are so authentic and the racing venues so fabled that often racing legends show up to drive the cars they previously raced. It’s of little wonder that HSR weekends take on an automotive festival atmosphere.

Following is an edited transcript of our conversation with David Hinton before the Spring’s Mitty race weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Enjoy!

Growing Up With Jaguars

Rod Worley – Editor – David, what was it like growing up around your father’s automotive restoration shop in the UK?

How did those experiences shape your early life?

David Hinton – President of HSR – Rod, it was a little different childhood than most, I would imagine. My dad had a Jaguar restoration shop in the Uk.

He was probably one of the first to start restoring E-Types in the ’70s. He started with the Series One E-Type Jaguar and then the Mark 2s and the XKs.

Naturally, we weren’t driving around in Ford Cortinas or old Volkswagen Gulfs. We usually went to school in an E-Type or an old Mark 2 or something similar.

So it was very different, but it was very enjoyable. Those early experiences set me on my path. 

Eventually, I opened my own restoration race car business and, with HSR, put on events.

Early Race Influences

Rod Worley – Editor – In your late teens and early 20s, what were some of the sports cars you aspired to own? 

Also, who were the race drivers you were following during those formative years of your life?

David Hinton – HSR Racing – As far as cars go, I’ve always been a Jaguar person. I think I’d always dreamed about owning my XK and certainly the E-Type.  

I’ve also always been a huge Aston Martin fan, and you know, hopefully, one day, I’ll end up with a DB4 or DB5. 

I think my all-time favorite car is an Aston Martin DB4. 

Now about your question of race drivers that I followed in my early teens, I think it was definitely James Hunt. I loved his charisma, his out-of-the-box way of living life. 

He was probably my number one driver as a kid. And then, as I got into my late teens, I became a bit of a Derrick Bell fan. 

Derrick was a great British sports car driver. He won the Le Mans 24 Hours five times, the Daytona 24 three times, and the World Sportscar Championship twice.

So, for Formula One, it was James Hunt. When it came to sports cars, it was Derrick Bell.

Learning To Race

Rod Worley – Editor –  When did you first get a chance to compete on a road course? Can you tell us about that experience and what you were driving?

David Hinton – HSR Racing –  By that point, I had moved to the United States to work with my Dad. He owned Leaping Cats Racing in Boyton Beach, Florida.   

While I was there, he asked if I wanted to attend a road course driving school, which of course, I did. Ironically enough, the driving school was the Walter Mitty Challenge at Road Atlanta.

I took the course at Road Atlanta back in 1987, driving a 1961 Mark 2 Jaguar sedan. There I was, learning the ropes on a road course in a four-door sedan.

Fan-Focused Experience

Rod Worley – Editor – Since you acquired majority ownership of Historic Sportscar Racing in 2012 in partnership with the late George Tuma, how has the HSR fan experience evolved?

David Hinton – HSR Racing – Our value proposition has always been strong from the fan’s perspective.

We provide access to the paddock area, which allows fans to talk with their favorite drivers, get autographs, and see these magnificent automobiles up close. 

It’s one thing to watch these historic race cars compete on the track, but quite another to see them up close. With many forms of modern racing, it’s not possible to admire them and talk to the drivers.

In terms of technology, we recently added an app that you can download to your iOS or Android device. This app puts all the event’s information and actions at your fingertips.

Events Added For Drivers

Rod Worley – Editor – Setting up track venues and organizing race weekends must be a continual focus. Have you added more races to the schedule over the years?

David Hinton – HSR Racing – We have worked hard on improving the event schedule. When we took over in 2012, there were only five races on the program.

From the driver’s perspective, we focused on more track time and better racing. We’ve also added unique events to the race season.  

The HSR Classic 24 Hour at the Daytona International Speedway is an excellent example of events we’ve added.  

At this event, we run six groups representing six different eras of sportscar racing. Group A starts with cars from the 1960s, followed by Group B, which is cars from the 1970s.

We go all the way up to present-day race cars. So, in six hours, you see a rolling history of sportscar racing in America.  

It’s a unique racing style because each group races for 40 minutes and then comes off the track for the next group.

So, in 24 hours, each group races two sessions in the daylight and two sessions at night. This way, they’re not putting a considerable amount of wear on their vintage cars, but it creates an exciting atmosphere of racing.

An Event For All Race Fans

Events like the HSR Classic 24 Hour at the Daytona International Speedway draw legendary racers and teams worldwide.

Some of the notable drivers over the years include Jochen Mass, Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan, Gijs Van Lennep, Jurgen Barth, Andy Wallace, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Eric Curran, Leh Keen, Scott Sharp, Jim Pace, Jeff Zwart, Cooper MacNeil, Shane Lewis, Jack Baldwin, and Mike Skeen to name a few.

Even the late Paul Newman and his Datsun 300ZX were often seen competing at HSR events. Corvette fans will be interested to know that Jordon Taylor has also competed in these races.

Thanks to David Hinton and his team’s hard work and vision, HSR has made a solid move to the forefront of American sportscar racing. Major Historic Sportscar Racing events can now attract over 300 entrants and tens of thousands of spectators.

These weekend events offer race cars competing from 1950s-era production and sports cars to former IMSA and Trans-Am racers, NASCAR stock cars, and current production Porsches.

Regardless of the racing sportscar era you enjoy, David Hinton, President of Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR), knows how to navigate the turns and get both fans and drivers into the winner’s circle.