In case you’ve never heard of Robbie Pierce, he’s a legendary off-road racer and industry entrepreneur. Less than a year ago ,he sold two massive brands: Impact Racing and MasterCraft Safety. Many had assumed after the sale of those two massive brands that Robbie was planning on getting out of the industry, but after announcing his acquisition of Jimco Racing, one of the most successful manufacturers of off-road race vehicles in history.
Founded by former Navy engineer Jim Julson in the mid-1970s, Jimco is located in the heart of off-road racing’s “Gasoline Alley” near downtown San Diego. Over the years, Jimco has built over 500 race cars, trucks, and UTVs, amounting up to hundreds of wins and championships, making them one of, if not the best in the industry. The company was taken over by Jim’s son, Mike Julson, in 1989, following Jim’s retirement. “The bottom line to this whole deal is that I am stoked,” explained Mike Julson, who will remain active in future Jimco projects, as well as race vehicle testing and tuning.
“What I have learned over the years is that the dream and the opportunity don’t always align, but this time it does,” said Pierce. “This fits my passion and expertise. Since TIG welding my first Class 8 chassis for Autofab’s John Ehmke in 1983, this is what I have wanted to do. Taking over the reins at Jimco Racing just feels like coming home.” Robbie Pierce is known for bringing dying brands back to life, but this time that isn’t the case. Jimco Racing is still one of the leading race car builders in the industry and continues to evolve with the market.