Steven Hinton Jr
Steven Hinton Jr. 27-year-old pilot and 6 time champion of the Reno Air Races from Newport Beach, California. The son of two-time Unlimited Gold champion air racer Steve Hinton Sr., Hinton Jr. grew up volunteering at his family’s Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, CA,. Steve-O earned his pilot’s license at the age of 17 and that same year was offered a position on the crew of the Strega Air Racing Team, assisting with aircraft maintenance, among other tasks. Hinton also obtained his mechanical experience working at airplane restoration and engine shops. AUTHORIZED EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT: G-F8F N-P51 SPITFIR YAK-11 YAK-3 YAK-9.
Hinton Jr. won his sixth consecutive Unlimited Gold championship in 2014, taking the P-51 Mustang Voodoo from the pole position win the 2014 Reno National Championship Air Races. Hinton, also called Steve-O to distinguish him from his father: Steve Hinton Sr., became the youngest pilot to ever win the Unlimited Gold in 2009 at 22-years-old flying the modified P 51 Strega to victory. Tiger Destefani, who owns Strega, had retired, after winning Unlimited Gold in 2008 and gave the pilot's seat to Hinton. In 2014 Destefani returned, piloting Strega because he thought he was the best pilot to challenge Hinton Jr's winning streak.
History
Having first soloed in a World War II-era P-51 Mustang at just 19 years of age, he made his racing debut at the Reno National Championship Air Races in 2008 where he was named "Rookie of the Year".
Steve Hinton Jr., is a 2005 graduate of Corona del Mar High School and the six-time defending Reno National Air Races Unlimited Class champion. Hinton, 27, has grown up in the cockpit. Hinton Jr’s grandfather started an airplane museum in Chino in 1957 and it became a family affair. "My dad runs the museum and he also has a business that restores airplanes."
Hinton Jr’s first trip to the Air Races was at 2 weeks old and he watched his father race for years. His father would sit him on his lap and but he couldn't see over the dash, but he would just help him steer. He legally started flying at was 15 and started working toward his pilot's license. At the age of 18, Steve started flying Strega.
Originally, Steve intended to fly in the Air Force. Although his father fully supported his decision to become an air racer. Stevo's first Reno Air Race was in 2008 - he flew the P-51D Mustang "Lady Jo" and the P-51D Mustang "Sparky" that year.
Hinton Jr. made history in 2009 at 22 years of age when he flew his P-51 Mustang, "Strega", to victory becoming the youngest-ever champion at the Reno National Championship Air Races at 22 years of age, breaking the prior record set by his father Steve Hinton at age 26. Strega, that year, in the Gold Unlimited Race flew at an average speed of 491.822. Hinton Jr. went on to win his second Unlimited Gold championship title the following year.
2013 Hinton Jr. made a switch from the Custom Built P 51 Mustang "Strega" to the Custom Built P 51 Mustang "Voodoo", Voodoo's crew chief did much of the work done to modify it into a racing machine. "Steve-O" says that Voodoo is "more efficient and labor-intensive," than Strega.