Billy Harper is President of Harper Industries, Inc., and a Race Car Driver. Even an astute entrepreneur needs interests away from the day-to day job of running a successful business. For Harper, automobiles and drag racing caught his attention as a youngster growing up on a Kentucky farm. With an innate interest in the mechanics of machinery, Harper constantly thought of ways to make things perform better and go faster. His curiosity of mechanics eventually led Harper to become involved in drag racing, at the age of 16, initially focusing on racing events near his home in Paducah, Kentucky.

In 1978, he purchased a 1968 factory produced Super Stock Hemi-powered (Super Stock A Automatic) Plymouth Barracuda in which he raced regionally, winning many of the events he entered. Five years later, Harper purchased a 1970 Hemi powered Plymouth Barracuda which he raced in the Super Stock D/Automatic class. With this car, Harper began participating in national events, winning his first major contest in 1987 with a class victory at the famed Texas Motorplex in Dallas. Harper moved on to the professional ranks with a 1968 Pro Modified Barracuda and is now running a venomous 2000 Pro Modified Viper.