Pine Valley Raceway
THE TIMING IS RIGHT FOR PINE VALLEY RACEWAY TO REOPEN UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP
Austin Hayward and his father, Buck, plan to breathe new life into Pine Valley Raceway by overseeing the operation of the facility.
LUFKIN, TX – Pine Valley Raceway will welcome a combined 65 years and three generations of drag racing experience within the father and 
son duo of Buck and Austin Hayward, as they oversee the operation of the quarter-mile Texas facility this season. Facility improvements include the return road and renovation of the bathrooms, but Hayward’s top priority is providing a safe track surface and reliable timing equipment to reignite the once-competitive nature of Pine Valley.
The Hayward family roots, or in this case, wires, are deeply grounded in the most technical aspect of modern-day drag racing: the timing system. Buck’s father, Art Hayward, was president of Chrondek timing systems and served as the NHRA Electronics Director for 30 years while teaching his son the tricks of the trade. Buck then passed his knowledge to his son, Austin, through various work with Memphis International Raceway, RaceLegal, Barona drags, as the former IHRA Electronics Director, and currently an exclusive installer for Portatree Timing Systems.
Austin combines his knowledge of timing systems with his passion for the sport and has already developed an impressive resume at a young age. He has served as the Competition Director at Houston Raceway Park, including developing a successful bracket racing program, a profitable private testing platform, and being named the NHRA Division 4 Track Manager of the Year for two years straight. Austin currently serves as the NHRA Timing System Specialist where he travels to all NHRA national events to calibrate the system and troubleshoot any issues that may arise.
