BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame has announced the election of retired U.S. Auto Club western vice president Tommy Hunt and Silicon Valley attorney Jesshill (Duke) Love to its Board of Directors.
Hunt is a lifelong member of the motorsports industry and currently promotes open wheel events at historic Calistoga Speedway in Northern California. Love practices law as Of Counsel in Gray*Duffy’s Redwood City, Calif., office and is a member of the firm’s real estate practice group.
“Our team continues to grow, adding a variety of experience and expertise both from within and outside the motorsports industry,” said West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame Chairman and CEO Ken Clapp. “The election of Tommy Hunt and Duke Love exemplifies and furthers this synergy.”
Hunt worked in his father’s business, Joe Hunt Magneto, while attempting to develop a career as a race driver. Upon Joe Hunt’s death, he took over the family business and ran it until 1986 when he was hired by USAC as their West Coast Director. In 1988 he was made USAC Vice President of Western Operations.
During his tenure with USAC he formed a road racing series with the Russell School and later F-2000, the Ford Focus Midget Series and Western State Sprint Series. He was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2015 and currently serves as the group’s Vice President and board member.
He has promoted events at Calistoga Speedway since 2008. Hunt’s son, Tony, is a nine-time USAC Sprint Car champion and was among nominees for the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020.
Love’s wide-ranging transactional expertise includes real estate development, finance, lending, asset management, asset purchase and sales and commercial leasing. He has formed hundreds of real estate partnerships and has an extensive background in real estate syndications, syndicating more than $300 million in structured real estate projects in the last decade.
As lead counsel in hundreds of successful cases, Love has represented clients in matters involving real estate partnership resolutions and dissolutions, easements, fraud and real estate-related matters.
In addition to practicing law, Love is a career entrepreneur. He is acting CEO of HomeSmiles Inc., a growing regional home maintenance franchise operation. Love obtained a B.A. from Connecticut College, an MBA from Golden Gate University and J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law. Love’s son, Jesse, currently competes in a variety of open wheel racing series and – in 2020 – the ARCA Menards Series West.