Barry McMahan

Michael Earnhardt

Barry McMahan's methodical approach to tuning and racing has made him one of the most effective Crew Chiefs in the AMA paddock. A former WERA and CMRA club racer, McMahan graduated from MMI in 1989 and landed his first job as a professional mechanic in 1990. In 1997, McMahan gave up his own riding aspirations and took a job in Gulfport, Mississippi, where he split his time between working on Jet Skis during the day and racebikes for Team Hammer development rider Josh Hayes at night. The gamble paid off when McMahan was drafted into full-time service working for Team Hammer at the beginning of the 1998 racing season. His trial by fire started with McMahan building and maintaining Tray Batey’s 840cc, GSX-R750-based AMA Formula Xtreme racebikes.

During his years with Team Hammer, McMahan has worked with and won F-USA and AMA races with Josh Hayes, John Hopkins, Blake Young, Marty Cragill, Geoff May and Vincent Haskovec, as well as winning AMA Championships with Hopkins.

In 2009 McMahan left Team Hammer to run the Geico Powersports RMR Buell program and won the AMA Pro Racing Daytona SportBike Championship with Danny Eslick. For 2010 Team Hammer’s new Contract Services department landed a deal to provide a turn-key Suzuki-based racing program for Geico Powersports RMR Suzuki, including building and supplying race-ready Suzuki motorcycles as well as handling, maintenance, repair, spare parts, transportation, logistics and a crew headed by McMahan.

Personal Stats

Born: 1968

Personal Status: Married to Karen

Original Hometown: San Antonio, Texas

Now Living In: Toney, Alabama

First Job As Motorcycle Mechanic: 1990

First Job As Race Mechanic: 1997

Started With Team Hammer: 1998

2010 Riders: Danny Eslick and Elena Myers