Father like son/
Glenn Hutchison grew up in Sacramento California. He attended and graduated from Encina High School. Glenn was a most unusual youngster. His father, the legendary engine builder, Rex Hutchison was to be an inspiration for him to follow.
Rex and Lorainne had two children a son, Glenn, and daughter, Pam. For the most part, they were a ‘Leave It To Beaver’ family living in a modest home with a garage full of expensive racing engines. Glenn was there when his father started building racing engines professionally and literally grew up at the Auburn Blvd racing engine plant.
After 50 years in the same location, the racing engine facility has become an icon in Sacramento. Glenn also became an icon much like his father, ‘Sexy Rexy’. Blessed with the charm and good looks of a racer, Glenn would travel a different path to the highest level of professional motorsports.
Glen will eventually chase motorcycle championships in Europe. He also won in drag boat racing as a two-time world champion setting many world records as his father had. He would endure and survive some of the most incredulous and frightening crashes in drag boat racing history. One in particular at the world finals for all the marbles was astonishing. Glenn also raced Top Fuel dragsters sometimes putting that rail on two wheels. Fear is not in the Hutchison vocabulary.
Boys in The Hood/
Glenn grew up with many friends some of whom will also rise to the highest levels of professional motorsports as the hall of fame inductees albeit in different racing series. It seemed his neighborhood was full of motocross racers, dragsters, sprint cars, champ cars, altereds, rails, and street racers. Looking back it was quite an active neighborhood for racing of all sorts.
People and racers like John Schumaker, Shorty Levinton, and ‘Gas Ronda’ were Rex contemporaries. Gas would always have his super shiny shoes on and dressed very well. The funny car driver and Revell Kit Model car built by many little boys, Gas Ronda was actually a dance instructor and those were tap dance shoes he was wearing. These are some of the characters who knew the family and frequented the facility.
Glenn’s friends learned early on he was going places in motorsports. He was seldom around after 14 or 15 years old because he was racing professionally in Europe. His friends would get the word or see him on television racing speedway on those big European dirt tracks. He was chasing championships at an age most could only dream about.
Drag Boat Racing/
Glenn would eventually follow his Drag Boat Hall of Fame father entering his first boat race at 19. These were high powered Hemis blown on gas, ‘Bad Company’ capable of speeds in excess of 150 miles per hour. At 20 he moved to a full sponsorship with ‘Sinfuel’ blown hydro setting the record at 192.27 and later moving that to over 200 mph.
At this time he was piloting some of the most powerful drag boats conceived and built. From a spectator’s perspective, these boats were frightening to watch and unpredictable for the driver as well.
Glenn would blast down the quarter in 5 seconds bouncing on the liquid 1/4 mile blasting 7 tons of water into the air. It seemed to his boyhood friends it was at unimaginable speeds. Glenn would go on to break many worlds records an earn sponsors and boat rides from the best in the business.
Lorainne, his beloved mother would always worry about her only son but was reassured by his fathers’ knowledge and his own spirit. The Hutchison’s were a tight-knit family with each family member helping build a worldwide business.
Rex FootSteps/
Glenn’s friends knew when he returned from racing across Europe he was not the same young boy that had left months earlier. He was an introspective individual that was starting a career in motorsports. Glenn now had responsibilities to his young family and his father’s racing engine company.
Glenn excelled in the development of unique, special fuel systems with his good friend Pete Jackson. These were specifically designed for exotic racing engines used in high-level motorsports. He would begin his career as an engine builder under the direct tutelage of his legendary father. Glenn excelled and was completely immersed in building the most complex and exotic racing engines in the world.
Continuation Of A Legacy/
Glenn Hutchison is now the president of Rex Hutchison Racing Engines worldwide. He still hand assembles exotic creations of every make and manufacturer. A hands-on leader his father would be proud of.
The company is still one of just a small hand full of master builders of high powered racing engines. Some of these employees will go to top fuel racing teams in funny cars and dragsters. Some will excel in NASCAR others will go on to new and great ventures in other forms of racing.
Machinists from Rex Hutchison Racing Engines in Sacramento are sought after in all forms of racing. Machinists like, “Mel Heidt was one of the first employees that Rex Hutchison hired when he opened the doors to the mother ship at 4526 Auburn Blvd in Sacramento. He is a brilliant machinist and a long-time friend of the Hutchison family. Mike Green will become the crew chief of the Don Schumacher Army-sponsored top fuel dragster coveting a massive win percentage in top fuel drag racing among 27 wins. Terry Manzer will become crew chief of the WWE funny car team, his brother Tony will win the 2000 Indianapolis 500 with Juan Pablo narrowly missing wins in 3 more at the brickyard. Gary Armstrong of ARE, Armstrong Racing Enterprises will become preeminent in dry sumps working in many series of motorsports. Gary Wilson will head TRD in California making the Joe Gibbs team and the other Toyota Racing Development teams all winners. Just ask Carl Edwards. Derek Vaselenuick also worked for RHR and his father built engines for McLaren and the Alabama Gang, Donnie and Bobby Allison in the ’70s and ’80s. Dan Murphy was hired 30 years ago by Rex and will eventually become VP of Operations Worldwide for RHR, Bob Bunker the Folsom Flash will proceed to build the world’s fastest all steel 55 with his wife Dixie and crew chief world champion Gary Ormsby’s top fueler. As the Folsom Flash, Bob Bunker will retire with the highest wins to loss percentage in drag racing history.
There are machines and the men who run them. At Rex Hutchison Racing Engines they are the cream.”
Now Glenn’s son and Rex’s grandson are taking the torch and moving the bar. Rex Hutchison Racing Engines is still preeminent in the field of racing engine programs, machining and assembly. The company founded by Rex and Lorainne is still competing in many motorsports series throughout the US.
There seems no end in sight for this very special company and its many employees.
The Hutchison Family will continue developing racing products and power plants under the next generation to the level of excellence an approval of Rex and now Glenn himself.
Glenn’s 4 children Natasha, Gregory, Dylan, and Shyenne including his 4 grandchildren, Braden, Steve, Tatiana, and Colton are behind him for this challenge of his life.
Star Shot/
A new chapter is emerging from the Hutchison Racing stables. This will be the biggest project ever attempted by the Iconic Racing Facility in California. Glenn’s 4 children Natasha, Gregory, Dylan, and Shyenne including his 4 grandchildren, Braden, Steve, Tatiana and Colton are behind him for this challenge of his life.
This project is the XX-015 program.
Glenn Hutchison is going to attempt the biggest challenge he’s ever endeavored, to lift the World Water Speed Record mark over 330 miles per hour. Cad drawings, proposals, engineers and aerodynamic gurus are coming in to help with this dynamic endeavor.
Von Richards, RHR Business manager “The program is developing 30 million dollars in funding for the record-breaking attempt by the many time champion.”
“Hull designs, engine combinations, airfoils, hydrofoils and lifting bodies are all on the drawing table at this conceptual stage of development. This attempt will by far be Glenn’s biggest challenge in motorsports. The collective pride of the elite engine builders staff and machinists at Rex Hutchison Racing Engine will be riding with him.”
Glenn’s motto is, “time plus effort equals results.” Nothing could be truer than that for this extremely dangerous challenge sanctioned by Union Internationale Motonautique
An astonishing 85% of all men who have attempted this record sanctioned by Union Internationale Motonautique have perished trying. Donald and Malcolm Campbell, Lee Taylor among many others have failed in their attempts. It’s considered the deadliest record in the world. The champagne tasted by only a few men.
Former two time World Champion Glenn Hutchison has sipped champagne and will endeavor for one more.
Luck favors the prepared, go get it Champ!