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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
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