JCM Racing to Introduce Leatherwood Distillery to NHRA Fans at St. Louis
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (September 26, 2023) – As the NHRA Countdown to the Championship intensifies, JCM Racing is proud to welcome a new associate marketing partner, Leatherwood Distillery, to its roster. Leatherwood Distillery branding will appear on Tony Schumacher’s SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel dragster and Tim Wilkerson’s SCAG Power Equipment/Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Funny Car beginning with this weekend's NHRA Midwest Nationals near St. Louis.
“This new partnership brings together two of my favorite things – sipping Tennessee bourbon and watching the JCM Racing cars go down the track,” said Joe Maynard, team owner, JCM Racing. “I’m really excited about what Leatherwood Distillery is doing and what they represent. I couldn’t be prouder to introduce this brand to the NHRA community at St. Louis and beyond.”
Leatherwood Distillery, a Clarksville, Tenn.-based distiller of bourbon, rye, moonshine, rum, and other spirits, was founded by retired Green Beret Andrew Lang. While serving in Afghanistan, Lang built a homemade still that he would use to clean water for drinking. When he wasn’t purifying water, he would distill moonshine using locally sourced ingredients like corn, wheat, rolled oats and dried molasses. After retiring from the Green Berets, Lang started distilling craft spirits back home in Nashville. He then launched Leatherwood Distillery, where he distills spirits like 911 Apple Pie Moonshine, Check Point Rye Whiskey, Jalapeno Lemon Rum, and Vanilla Whip Moonshine.
“As an Army veteran myself, I was inspired by Andrew’s story and I knew I wanted to get involved,” said Maynard, who recently acquired a co-ownership position in Leatherwood Distillery. “I’m a fan of their spirits, like the Snake Eater Bourbon, but it was Andrew’s story and his support of veteran-focused charities that really pulled me in. We share a lot of similar interests, so it made sense to get involved with the company and bring them into the fold at JCM Racing.”
Leatherwood Distillery’s products are available at retailers throughout Tennessee, as well as at the distillery in Clarksville. The distillery also offers tours, tastings, and live music. Fans outside of Tennessee can order Leatherwood Distillery spirits through the brand’s online store.
Photos courtesy of Auto Imagery
“This is an incredible opportunity to share our story and our products with a whole new audience,” said Lang, Leatherwood’s founder and head distiller. “I’m looking forward to continuing our work with Joe Maynard and the Maynard family, who have already done so much for the Clarksville community. We invite fans to come see us next time they’re in the area.”
With Leatherwood Distillery on board, JCM Racing drivers Tony Schumacher and Tim Wilkerson will head to World Wide Technology Raceway just outside of St. Louis for this weekend's NHRA Midwest Nationals, Sept. 29 - Oct. 1. Schumacher, who grew up a few hours north of the track in the Chicagoland area, is a two-time Midwest Nationals winner and three-time runner-up. Wilkerson, who’s based in nearby Springfield, Ill., has a win and two runner-up finishes at his home track.
For more information about Leatherwood Distillery, please visit https://leatherwooddistillery.com/home.
About JCM Racing:
Established in 2022, the Maynard family’s JCM Racing organization is a multi-car NHRA team owned by Joe and Cathi Maynard, along with their minority partners Eric and Kim Lehman. JCM Racing takes pride in operating as a family unit with son Joe C. Maynard and daughter-in-law, Andrea Maynard, also having an ownership stake and leading the team in executive roles. The executive staff operates out of Clarksville, Tenn., while the racing headquarters are located in Brownsburg, Ind.Headliners for the JCM Racing team are the SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel dragster driven by Tony Schumacher, the SCAG Power Equipment/Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang Funny Car piloted by Tim Wilkerson, and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster campaigned by Justin Ashley. As an eight-time world champion and 86-time event winner, Schumacher is the most decorated Top Fuel driver in the history of the sport. Wilkerson is a 24-time Funny Car winner and an industry anomaly as he serves as both the driver and tuner of his 11,000-horsepower machine. While still considered a newcomer to the Camping World Series, Ashley, the 2020 Rookie of the Year recipient, has already earned a reputation as one of the best 'leavers' in the Top Fuel category. NHRA Hall of Famer Don Schumacher, father of Tony Schumacher, is a minority owner of the SCAG dragster, while Tim Wilkerson Racing (TWR) co-owns the SCAG/LRS Mustang with JCM Racing. The Maynard Ashley Racing (MAR) operation is co-owned by JCM Racing and Max Out Motorsports. Between the three entities, JCM Racing owns seven national event wins to date.
JCM Racing also operates a driver development program, which currently lends support to three entries in NHRA’s Sportsman categories. Wyatt Wagner competes in Super Stock, Kayleigh Hill is a Super Comp racer, and Waylon Bennett tears it up in the Jr. Drag Racing League. Through the driver development program, JCM offers young talent the opportunity to hone in and perfect their driving skills as they work toward a career competing in NHRA’s professional ranks.
For more information, visit @jcmnitro on Twitter and Instagram, @JCMNitro on Facebook, and JCMNitro.com.
