Brothers Randy Hamby (left), Rodney Hamby (center), and Ricky Hamby (right) founded PPM Racing Products with their father, Ronald Hamby (not pictured), in 1999. They grew it from a small backroom operation into a first-class one-stop shop for dirt late model racers.
Foundation for the Future
The Hamby brothers grew up around racing. Ronald steered race cars throughout their childhood. The patriarch of the family also sold NASCAR souvenirs, giving his three sons a taste of the retail world.
“We would be our father’s pit crew before they let kids of our age into the pits,” Rodney said. “One winter, as teenagers, we took a car apart, sandblasted it, painted it, and put it back together.”
In 1999, the Hamby brothers operated a lettering business, doing signs, T-shirts, and embroidery. They looked to expand their operations. In the backroom of that business located within a strip mall, they planted the roots of PPM Racing Products. They bought a Bridgeport CNC mill along with a few other machines. Ricky and Randy then put their expertise as certified machinists to use.
“We had intentions of just being a job shop,” said Rodney. “Ricky got talking with Barry Wright [of Barry Wright Race Cars] and built him some birdcages. Then, Barry said, ‘Hey, build me some J-bars.’ After that, it grew from there.”
From Manufacturer to Retailer to Service Provider
Racers loved the parts they built, because the Hambys understood what they needed.
“I’ve had people tell me that our parts look like we’ve worked on race cars,” Rodney said.
Fast forward 22 years, the lettering business has long since disappeared and now PPM Racing Products is known for more than merely manufacturing parts. They also sell many of the popular brands dirt late model racers enjoy, such as Five Star Race Bodies, Sweet Mfg., Wilwood, and Winters.
“We manufacture parts, and we will continue building new products,” said Rodney. “We’re also adding on companies to distribute their offerings. PPM Racing Products is becoming a one-stop shop for racers.”
PPM Racing Products, renown for machining some of the finest suspension components, also serves another area related to their area of expertise — shocks. Led by Randy, they service just about every shock brand available on the market.
“When we first started in the shocks, we connected with QA1,” said Rodney. “They were just starting out. Randy and I went up to their Minnesota location and took a shock class. The next thing we know, we’re doing shocks for QA1, Ohlins, and other manufacturers.”
Who They Serve Well
With a well-rounded offering of products and services, PPM Racing Products unabashedly serves their core market, the dirt late models. You can find their products on many of those types of cars as well as a sponsor for series such as the American All-Star Series.
“Our vast amount of knowledge is in the dirt late models,” Rodney said. “We’ve found our niche.”
These days racers don’t have to only call or visit PPM Racing Products’ Rockwood, Tennessee, location. They can also check out their mobile-friendly website to shop from the convenience of anywhere with an Internet connection.
Source
PPM Racing Products
Rockwood, Tennessee
865-354-9669
ppmracingproducts.com
Outside Groove Note of Transparency: Outside Groove is a sponsor of the American All-Star Series. The American All-Star Series paid for the production of this article. The content was subject to the approval of the PPM Racing Products.
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
