JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Hunter Brown and his younger sister, Haley, used to spend their Saturday nights at the race track helping and cheering on Eddie Humphrey. Now the Jacksonville siblings will race each other for the first time in Saturday’s Spring Duel at New River All-American Speedway.
Hunter Brown, a 26-year-old truck driver for his dad’s company, and Haley Brown, a 22-year-old a procedural room medical assistant, have both purchased Bomber cars and, with the help of Humphrey, are ready to strap in the cockpits of their race cars in the NASCAR-sanctioned division.
The older Brown will be making his second career start just a couple weeks removed from a runner-up finish in his debut after purchasing an Acura Integra previously driven by Wayne Phillips.
“That was wild,” Hunter said. “That was definitely not expected. I wasn’t even planning to race Saturday to be honest with you. We were just shaking the car down. Eddie told me to take the car to the track, we went to practice, car felt good during practice. Then I went out and qualified third and he said, ‘There was one thing to do now is race.'”
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When New River All-American Speedway operated under the Coastal Plains Raceway banner in the 2000s and early 2010s, Hunter attended the races to help Eddie Humphrey as Haley cheered Humphrey on.
“Whenever I was younger, I used to help him,” Hunter said. “Just being around it, I wanted to do it. I started building a car, and it was going too slow, so I went and bought one. That’s pretty much it.”
Watching her older brother compete gave Haley the drive and desire to race, as well. Haley purchased a Toyota Celica, which is the most common car in the four-cylinder class in the Eastern North Carolina racing scene.
“I sat in the pits when I was younger with Eddie Humphrey when I was 8,” Haley said. “That’s when I first started going to the round track and used to always watch him race. As soon as he won, I would always run up there to be in the winner’s circle with him. [Hunter] went and bought a car, and I saw him finish second, so I decided I was going to be in the winner’s circle, too.”
SCHEDULE UPDATE: We have made a few adjustments to our race day schedule for Saturday.
Legends will run first, Bandoleros third.
Complete schedule is on our website. pic.twitter.com/f56t7Uz8LU
– New River All-American Speedway (@newriverswy) March 28, 2023
After a runner-up finish on March 18, Hunter is returning to the track with confidence and has his sights set on victory.
“I’m going to go out there and drive the wheels off of it,” Hunter remarked. “I’m going to do everything I can to be back where I was at. It’s going to be fun, have a little competition in the family going on, a little bumping and rubbing.”
Haley has more subdued expectations for her debut, with her focus being on logging laps and finishing the race. She does, however, hope to eventually outrun her older brother.
“Girl power,” Haley said. “We’re going to give it all we’ve got.”
While Hunter wants to win, he also said he will be there to cheer on his little sister if she outruns him.
The two siblings will compete in the 25-lap Bomber feature, which is part of Saturday’s 10-race card at the Spring Duel, which is the third NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series event of the season at New River All-American. The Spring Duel is headlined by the season-opening doubleheader for the Grand National Super Series and twin races for Super Trucks and Chargers. Legends, Bandoleros and Champ Karts will also be in action.
Tickets are available online at newriverspeedway.com/tickets and at the gate (cash only) for just $10.