Jay Haire Interview.

Have you ever planned a birthday party? Did you find the task stressful? Now, try to imagine planning an annual event, like a birthday, but you're inviting all of your friends, plus friends of friends while trying to get some big name attractions to party at someone else's place. Enter Jay Haire, he has had the task of Mr. Party Planner for ITR Expo the last couple years. Whether it be CMP or Mid Ohio, he has picked some nice party spots. He's brought in big attractions like HPD and their Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Civic, plus an Ariel Atom with an HPD motor pushing 275hp at 1,300lbs!! This year Jay has one-upped himself. He has scheduled the party at Road America and invited RealTime Racing along!! Not to mention, long time Expo sponsor, King Motorsports might show up to party! Take a selfie of yourself and yell "Cheezthis" because who wouldn't cheese with this much excitement!! Well, enough of what Jay has done, lets talk about Jay before we move on to the interview. Jay has a ITR sedan that he tracks, he also wears a sombrero while at the track, and Jay is married on and off of the track. Jay's wife Lauren might get more excited about Expo than Jay! Alright, lets get to know more about Jay!


BA: What was your first car and what ever happened to it?

JH: I learned on my dad's '83 Chevy S-10, which was a 4 spd V6. Learning to drive manual on that challenged me at times but also made every following car seem easy. I have a stronger appreciation for that truck now than I did then. I have heard that it still runs!


BA: What got you into racing or into cars in general?

JH: Many things, including mutual interests from friends and reading car magazines growing up. My grandfather worked as a mechanic, and I think some of those genetics found their way to me.

Where I grew up, I enjoyed driving out of town on rural roads during summer nights. I found it very therapeutic.

It all went downhill from there, ha! 

BA: What has been your favorite car to drive on track?

JH: I have the best memories in my old 95 Integra GS-R. I experienced the most in that car and had a healthy confidence with it. I learned how to handle kinks, rainy surfaces, stay on the throttle, and how to repair things before heading home.

However, the current Integra Type-R sedan is a real blast! The sedan chassis is incredibly stable. Although some corner workers (and fellow drivers both on and off track) look at me funny, it’s a better car than the GS-R. Plus, with right-hand drive, I’ll never mis-shift into 2nd on 3-4 shift! That’s a huge money saver right there.

Someday, I would like to own an S2000.

BA: What is your favorite track that you have driven?

JH: I have not driven places out west such as Laguna Seca, yet. Mid-Ohio, VIR, and Grattan are a lot of fun, but Road America intrigues me lately.  I like them all! One thing to note, when at Road America, do not get "Plymouth'd" at night. You can ask Lance about that one, ha.

BA: What do you enjoy most about racing or the car community in general?

JH: You know Brad, so many things come to mind. We all have made some great friendships, attended weddings, and helped each other out when needed. That goes for both at the track and outside of it.

I can say that we have all made some genuine friendships out of it that extend over 10 years, and yet, we’re all making new ones each year too.

As far as being on a track, it never gets old to me. It also keeps my driving skills sharp off the track, which I need to survive the other drivers during my daily commute.

BA: First off, thanks for all that you do for ITR Expo!! How many Expos have you been to now?

JH: I'm happy to do it if people enjoy it. It's a nice reward to see the event succeed and genuinely appreciated each year! It means a lot to me when people say thank you. I never take it for granted.

This year will be my 12th! That’s scary to think about.

BA: Can you give the readers a small glimpse into what you do for ITR Expo?

JH: That question kind of scares me. It forces me to think about everything I do, ha.

In short, it’s a part-time job for most of the year and kicks into a full-time role when the event is near. Behind the scenes, there are a lot of extra things we all work on that make the event better. I could ramble on about all of those, but it will make heads spin, including my own.

It’s easy to rent a track, the rest of it is not if you want to make it an annual event. We owe a lot to the community who continue to support it.

BA: What are some of your favorite memories from Expo?

JH: The first moment was Expo 10 at Autobahn when Gary Robinson, who was the Manager of PR for Acura, flew in for the event. He was the nicest guy, but the best part occurred at the banquet. He gave a fantastic presentation including the Type-R’s history and future. For some of us long-term Expo planners and attendees, it was a huge accomplishment to us.

During the last two events at Mid-Ohio, I’m grateful for being able to thank everyone at the banquet. It’s a great moment because it goes both ways. I cannot put that into words.

Plus, you proposed to your future wife at one of those, Brad! How awesome is that? (I'm such the romantic!-BA)

BA: You've driven at Road America, what do you like most about the track?

JH: Road America is very different from most tracks. I challenge people to try other tracks instead of sticking to the same few they always attend, and most of our group has not been there yet.

The place itself is huge, and the track is fast! It contains a good mix of elevation, speed, heavy braking, a carousel, blind uphill crests, and amazing scenery. I find it enjoyable both at full-speed and touring lap pace.

I’m really excited to bring ITR Expo there and believe it’s a true bucket list track.

BA: You always get some cool cars to Expo. This year is no different and I'm not trying to sound like a 13 year old girl going to see One Direction. But, "RealTime, like, OMG, are you serious??!!" (Laughs)

JH: Haha, we have had some great cars over the years including the Ariel Atom Special Honda Racing Edition last year, the HART cars in 2012, and both King Motorsports RSX Challenge and World Challenge Mugen RSX. This year, King is working on something new but still in the works!

To step it up even further, we’re working with HPD and RealTime Racing to make this year very unique, and Peter Cunningham has been awesome to work with so far. Stay tuned for that announcement! This is new for ITR Expo and will make this year’s event a true cannot miss!