Our Team:
We have a combined automotive repair and customization experience of over 50 years
Jimmy Boyington - Jimmy grew up in St. Petersburg, FL, starting racing go carts at 6 years old and moved up to oval track racing late model cars at the age of 18. Jimmy has been building engines since he was 16 years old, always having a need for speed and enjoys the challenge of making things faster. In 1985 Jimmy stepped up to dragcar racing at the age of 23. Jimmy has always had a passion for racing and hot rods. In 1990 he opened the original Suncoast Engines in St. Petersburg, Fl. In 2017, Jimmy purchased Eagle Race Car from Stan and combined the 2 shops at our current location here in Largo, Fl.
Stan Budke - After high school Stan served in the U.S. Air Force for 4 years as a Pararescue Jumper, spending 9 months in Viet Nam. He started a trucking company and returned to a passion of drag racing which he took a break from while in the service. Raced in various drag racing classes until 1990 as a driver and builder in both NHRA and IHRA. After getting out of the driver seat, Stan opened Budke Racking in Alexandria, Ky, until 1998 when he decided to try some time at retirement but decided he didn't like golf. Stan opened Eagle Race Car in 2001 which is the same shop we operate today known as Suncoast Custom Engine.
Stan retired in 2023 to enjoy his golden years with his wife Kathy! We thank him for ALL of his knowledge that he shared teaching us! We wish him well!
Amanda Brumley - Amanda has been with us for 2 years. She is from Ohio, a single mom of 4 boys and comes from a family of auto mechanics. Her passion started at a young age working on old school muscle cars. She has developed meticulous skills from custom fabrication to wiring. She is also our shop expert on after market AC installations.
Anthony Preston - Anthony is our shop "Bull" as he will tackle any job set in front of him with determination on getting the job done to perfection. He started R&R at 12 years old, helping his uncle with classic cars. He has been involved in both oval track & drag racing. Anthony brings his multiple skills
in fabrication, restoration and his passion for high performance engines with him.
Jeff Sweet - Jeff graduated from Green County Vocational School with certification in auto body repair & paint joining the US Airforce where he applied his skills for 4 years. Jeff came to Pinellas County in 1980 from Ohio, doing detail work for local dealerships. In 1990, he started working in the parts department until 2005 when he became a counter pro for CARQUEST and NAPA, semi retiring in 2019. We have worked with Jeff several years as a vendor and we were excited when he joined our team!