New Daytona Prototype Products

Background Information

Max Crawford, along with his wife Jan, created Crawford & Crawford Composites, Inc. in 1988 to fill a need for engineered high-quality parts for sports car racing.  Crawford & Crawford Composites, Inc. now services, engineers and manufactures newly designed and replacement parts for motor sports clients. The products, including chassis, carbon fiber wings and ducts and wind tunnel models are designed and developed in the company’s Denver, N.C. facility.

“In the early 1980’s there was a definite need for lighter and more durable parts in sports car racing,” said Max. “We began experimenting with composites for a Porsche 962 at John Fitzpatrick Racing”. 

As a result of those first entrepreneurial efforts Crawford Composites was the first American privately owned, non-aerospace company to build a complete carbon fiber composite car in 1990, the Mazda RX7-92P that competed in the IMSA series.

Since 1990 Crawford Composites has become a major producer of structural laminates such as wings and chassis.  The company has remained on the cutting edge of technology through work with aerodynamics and the development of a wind tunnel program.  Crawford Composites produces a full range of products, ranging from carbon fiber brake ducts and cold air boxes to custom designed products that are manufactured to suit the customer’s individual needs.  Most recently Crawford Composites completed the in house design and production of a prototype Sportscar, the Crawford SSC2K. 

All of the pieces comprising the new Crawford Race Cars’ SSC2K chassis, except for the brake rotors and calipers and engine, are designed and engineered by Crawford Race Cars while all of the composite components are manufactured by Crawford & Crawford Composites, Inc.

“The composite business is the backbone of this organization,” said Jan.  “Going from concept to reality is our specialty. We still employ the traditional methods required to manufacture hand made prototypes when necessary and also maximize technology available today. Thanks to surface scan technology, solid modeling software and CNC machines the evolution and development of components seems limitless.”

Crawford & Crawford Composites also manufactures components for historic race cars.  Other customers include teams from the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Busch Series – Grand National Division, CART FedEx Championship Series, Indy Racing Northern Light Series, Sports Car Club of America, Pennzoil World of Outlaws and United States Auto Club.

“Our job is to take on a project from start to finish at a realistic cost,” said Max.  “Crawford Composites and Crawford Race Cars are technologically advanced and automated.  Automation saves time, money and is more accurate.  Moreover, it is not the customer’s job to sort out every detail of production.  We handle everything so the customer can concentrate on the function of the end product. 

“It’s the pursuit of excellence and quality in technology that drives us.”