Trackside Performance LLC is entering its 35th year as the exclusive partner for Yokohama Tire Corporation’s extensive North American motorsports and marketing programs.
Trackside Performance LLC is a full service race and exhibit company specializing in motorsports affiliated events. Trackside Performance LLC offers catering to the needs of corporations, professional and club drivers and event coordinators. Trackside Performance LLC also offers 50+ years of combined experience and coordinates over 120 events annually.
Based in its 9,500 square foot facility in Southern California, Trackside Performance LLC operates six fifty foot transporters, a box van, a fleet of trailers and chase vehicles.
Trackside Performance LLC supports USAC PORSCHE SPRINT CHALLENGE NORTH AMERICA, PORSCHE SPRINT CHALLENGE WEST, NITRO RALLYCROSS, CHAMP OFF ROAD SERIES, KOH, SONORA, SCORE, BITD, SNORE, MORE, LEGACY, TROPHYLYTE, PIKES PEAK, 24 HOURS OF LEMONS, SUPER LAP BATTLE, GLOBAL TIME ATTACK, POC, PCA. We also offer contingency programs. If your club is not listed, feel free to contact us to find out the eligibility requirements.
PERSONNEL PROFILES
CHEECH YAMAUCHI: Cheech was hired in 1982 by Yokohama to do market research regarding the possibility of the application of the A001R in US racing. The next year, Cheech, as the sole employee of Orient Speed, introduced the tire into the US market with Orient Speed being the exclusive distributor. Introduced with only two sizes, the tire won in both Showroom stock and Solo II in that same year. So, with Cheech’s efforts and those two tires, Yokohama’s racing heritage in the US began, and the rest is history.
Later, in 1986, Cheech was hired by YRC as an independent consultant, a relationship that continues to this day. During his time, Cheech has been instrumental in numerous IMSA Championships with Ferrari, Nissan, and Dodge, as well as Daytona 24 hour overall wins with Ferrari and Nissan and class wins with BMW and Mazda; in addition to, Le Mans 24hour wins with Honda and Porsche.
Cheech’s rich racing history, and love of racing has made him an integral part of the racing community. Currently, Cheech is the co-owner of TrackSide Performance LLC, which is still the exclusive race tire distributor for Yokohama Tire in North America. Though Cheech has probably spent more of his lifetime at the race track then at home, he still wouldn’t change thing.
VIC CURL: Vic has an industrial arts degree and taught school at both the high school and community college level. While teaching, Vic attended his first off road race. Whenever he tells the story of how he got into racing Vic will say, “I made the mistake of going to the Mint 400 in 1969, just to ‘check it out,’ and got hooked on off road racing for life!”
Vic was recruited by American Motors and Jeep Corporations while he was teaching auto shop in Oregon in the early seventies. During his time at Jeep, he made a pitch to retrofit an old mobile training school (which was a semi truck) to support their off road efforts in SCORE. This was first ever “semi” that went to Mexico in support of off road racing. In addition to making history at Jeep, Vic worked with many icons of off road – Malcolm Smith, Rodger Mears, JM Bragg, the Randall family, Don Adams, and host of others. He also managed the west coast branch of Renault Jeep Sport, which supported road racing as well as their off road racing programs.
In the seventies, AMC/JEEP also created the Celebrity Jeep Races that were put on by Mickey Thompson. After running the Jeep race support into the late eighties, Vic then went to work for Cal Well’s, as manager of “Precision Service Racing Group,” which was the exclusive race tire distributor for Yokohama Tire North America. During that time, Yokohama participated in the Mickey Thompson Stadium Series, and SCORE, sponsoring many race winning drivers such as Ivan Stewart, Rodger Mears, Rod Millen, and many others.
Currently, Vic is the co-owner of TrackSide Performance LLC. In all the years of working in the racing industry, win, lose, or draw, Vic says it’s been the people and friendships, as well as the racing, that has kept it interesting. Vic says he considers himself very fortunate to be able to work in an industry that he is so passionate about.
GINA WITTER: Gina has a Bachelor of Science in Business from California State University, Long Beach. During college, she started working for Yokohama Tire Corporation as an intern in 1989. Seeing how Yokohama Motorsports was growing, she quickly realized that she needed to be in the racing field, and she means literally in the field. She has worked many race events and has held many different positions within the company. Gina’s passion for racing has been, and still is, apparent. For the past 20 years she has been CFO of TrackSide Performance LLC.
BOB ROOT: Bob has been in the Aftermarket Industry for over 15 years working at all levels of the industry. In 1996, he started as an entry level automotive tech at Saleen Performance Inc. in Irvine, California. After six months on the production line, Bob was moved into a lead tech position responsible for specialty car builds. By 1998, he moved to the aftermarket sales division and managed sales, customer service, and technical calls for both retail and wholesale customers. Two years later, he was promoted to Aftermarket Sales Manager, and over saw aftermarket sales and daily warehouse operations.
In 2008, Bob joined TrackSide Performance LLC as an inventory control and accounting representative. He has moved into the role of General Manager of Trackside Performance LLC.