2016 SCCA Mechanic of the Year: Richard Hayes - Speedway Digest

The 2016 SCCA® Mechanic of the Year is Richard Hayes, of the Colorado Region, who is crew chief for Formula F driver Andy Melvin. The honoree is chosen each year by the technical staff at Sports Car Club of America® based on submissions received through a survey completed at SCCA.com or through email invitation.

The SCCA Mechanic of the Year demonstrates a commitment to his craft and to the drivers he supports. Hayes has been an SCCA member since 1993 and displays an unparalleled work ethic. He prepares, transports, coaches and puts his driver in a position to win during every single SCCA weekend.

In their first full season together, Hayes and Melvin have made great strides. After a first-turn incident at Road America in 2015, Hayes repaired the heavily damaged racecar in time for an event the following weekend in Kansas. In 2016 at the June Sprints, the mechanic and driver worked together to achieve an amazing victory, a first for Melvin at the Chicago Region’s iconic event.

As evidence of the bond Hayes and Melvin share, consider the 2015 SCCA National Championship Runoffs® at Daytona International Speedway. While belting Melvin into the racecar, Hayes’ phone rang and he briefly took the call to learn of his mother’s death. He bent down into the cockpit and informed Melvin of the news. The driver then stood up and gave Hayes a huge hug. The duo then got right back to work to put Melvin out on track.

Everyone at the SCCA congratulates Richard Hayes for a job well done.

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.