Paul Jay
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Paul Jay brings over 40 years of racing experience to the KMPR team. At the age of 15, the Milwaukee native 'borrowed' his mother’s 1968 Pontiac Catalina and took it to the local drag strip. With trophy in-hand, he never turned back.
Passionate about the history of motor racing, Paul is a noted historian on Offenhauser engines as well as his hero, 1926 Indianapolis 500 winner Frank Lockhart, whom he could have (author: should have) written the book on. Among his other personal favorite masters of speed are Jimmy Caruthers, Chuck Yeager and Dean Thompson. Paul also has a keen interest in BWM and Vincent motorcycles, as well as sidecar racing, primarily from the mid-to-late 1960s. 'PJ' also collects quarter and half midgets. Paul spent nearly a decade in the Air Force as a loadmaster in Norway, Germany, New Zealand, North Dakota and other remote classified regions of the world. During his time in New Zealand, he took to racing Minis, which resulted his second stint in bringing home trophies. Upon his return to Milwaukee, PJ ‘stooged’ for various USAC midget and sprint car drivers, including Jimmy Davies, Jr., Danny Boorse, Tom Snyder, and the late Kevin Doty. In recent years, Paul purchased and restored a 1982 Chevrolet Malibu station wagon and raced it at the Great Lakes Dragaway. A 10.4 second run followed in what was otherwise a non-nitrous sleeper. Paul is a full-time mechanic, tuner, agitator, load master, fabricator, welder, painter and crew chief for the KMPR team, and we are most lucky to have his many talents as part of our staff. Paul’s other position in the KMPR team is that of driver for the team’s 1972 All-American Racers Indy Eagle-Offy #7225, the former Penske Racing car Mark Donohue raced at Indianapolis in 1973. |