OXFORD — After several years of working on race teams, building cars for others and working to make them faster, Shaun Hinkley decided it was time to get back behind the wheel. He’d tested the waters of Street Stock action on a couple of occasions in the past, but at the time, it didn’t work out.
In 2014, Hinkley started driving in Oxford’s recently-created Bandit division, discovered just how much fun it was, and became hooked. On top of that, he placed third in the final points.
This summer, he’s moved into the Rebel class on Wednesday nights with another crown on his mind. Since Oxford’s Wednesday night Acceleration Series program didn’t start until June 15, he and his good friend Dustin Salley split time in the Bandit class this spring, with three feature wins between them.
“I’m fortunate to have earned a pair of Bandit wins already this season, but it’s actually the Rebel class I’m after in 2016,” Hinkley said. “After I won a race in the Bandits, I wanted Dustin to have some fun. I let him run the car, and won the feature on May 14. Now my focus has shifted to the Runnin’ Rebels.”
In 2015, Hinkley earned the Bandit points championship with consistency more typical of a seasoned veteran. The level of competition has risen steadily each season, yet the Oxford native proved his skills.
“I won three features, but missed a shift a couple of times going for the lead in the last few laps. We could have earned a few more, but I can’t complain. I think I took home 10 trophies last year.”
As he turns his attention to a highly-competitive Rebel class this year, he knows there are more than a handful of drivers capable of preventing him from achieving his goal. Yet Hinkley’s easy-going nature and confidence put him in the right frame of mind.
“I’d really like to give it a good shot,” he said. “The Rebels are a lot like the Bandits when it comes to talent level. If you have a strong run in either class, you’ve outgunned the best and have done a good stroke of business. If you come away with a top five in Rebels, it makes you feel pretty good.
“You look at guys like Jamie Heath, who’s always strong, and Cody Childs, who looks fast in practice and will be a contender all season. Dustin is the defending champion and will be poised to earn another title this year. I have my work cut out for me in this class, as well.”
Salley has matured a great deal behind the wheel, and almost made it look easy in Rebels during 2015. Yet ask him about competing against his pal Hinkley, and he says there will be nothing easy about 2016.
“Shaun’s dedication to racing is absolutely incredible ,” Salley said. “He bends over backwards to help people out. He’s done it to me, and he’s helped our entire team. He strives to get better week in and week out. If his car is off during practice, he comes in and starts working hard to cure the issue.
“His skills are solid, I feel strongly that he’ll win a few more championships before he’s done. The man can adapt very quickly and would be fast in any type of car out there. I have nothing but respect for him.”
Hinkley started in racing 16 years ago as a mechanic and fabricator. He and fellow Oxford native Shawn Knight started out together, and have worked together for many years. He also worked on Chris Kennison’s team when he raced in the old Pro Stock division.
“I’ve been around the place (Oxford) for a long time, but I was always out back turning wrenches,” Hinkley added. “I think my experience has been an advantage as I progress in driving, but these front-wheel-drive cars are a little different.
“My biggest advantage is having good friends like Dustin I can go to with a problem. Chances are, he can relate to my issue or situation and can provide a suggestion to help me out. Having access to that kind of knowledge is invaluable.”
Kyle Hewins is another highly-respected name in these kinds of cars. He and Hinkley have built roll cages for several teams and work very well together. It’s all about forging working relationships with key people; no different in racing as it is in life. While guys like Heath may divulge a little bit of information, they don’t give away all of their trade secrets.
“I’m just fortunate to have so many good friends like Dustin and Kyle to provide information and discuss my racing program. We all have a great time competing; that whole extended family thing is what keeps most of doing this. We just work hard to keep people safe and help keep racing affordable.”
As for future goals, Hinkley is content racing where he is for the moment. He doesn’t have dreams of racing the PASS tour or even in a Super Late Model; he’s having such a great time in the four-bangers.
“I’m pretty happy in these cars because they are so affordable and a lot of fun at the same time. I still get to play around with a Super Late Model a little bit helping Shawn (Knight), which I enjoy. I also have two little girls, a three-year-old and a five-year-old, and they love to come watch me race. The only problem is, they expect Dad to bring home a trophy every night.”
This week’s schedule
Oxford Plains
OCS, MacDonald Motors Night, Saturday, 7 p.m.
Wiscasset
Group 2, plus NELCAR Legends, Saturday, 6 p.m.
Beech Ridge
Pro Series 125 / Wildcat 50, Saturday, 7 p.m.
PASS
At Lee USA Speedway, Friday
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