Young Guns: Hot Rodding’s New Heroes, May 1995 Issue of Hot Rod Magazine

The May 1995 issue of Hot Rod magazine profiled J.R. Granatelli in "Young Guns: Hot Rodding's New Heroes," a feature on young leaders in the performance aftermarket. According to Hot Rod's online archive, the piece featured J.R. alongside John Hotchkis.

Running Paxton at a Young Age

According to the profile, J.R. was a vice president at Paxton Products by age 27 and reworked the company's automotive division. Hot Rod credits him with opening new distribution, raising sales, helping develop three new superchargers and creating the Granatelli Signature Series (GSS) Camaro, a red and black car built to show off Paxton power. The magazine reported that in its full 485 hp form, the GSS/R could run 12-second quarter miles and reach 190 mph.

An Early Business Streak

The article traces his drive back to childhood:

• As a kid he played race driver in a warehouse full of retired Granatelli IndyCars.
• He traveled with his father on business trips and picked up deal-making by listening.
• He topped his school in candy fundraiser sales in sixth grade.
• In seventh grade he put $500 into a Junior Achievement project selling a pollution control device, which grew into GranCor, a $2 million business before he finished high school.

He wanted to race, but the profile says his mother pushed for school. He attended MIT and then earned a mechanical engineering degree from Arizona State University.

Building Granatelli Motor Sports

Hot Rod reported that when his ideas differed from his father's plans for Paxton, J.R. started Granatelli Motor Sports, which became Paxton's top supercharger distributor. He returned to Paxton in 1989 to run sales and marketing, moved distribution from small shops into national chains such as Super Shops, and doubled sales two years running. In 1992, SEMA named him its youngest Young Executive of the Year.

His Advice

The profile describes workdays that began at 5:30 a.m. His message to young enthusiasts: "It's all about aptitude and desire. Follow your passion."

Read the full article at Hot Rod