The Family That Races With The Parts They Sell

Choosing what supplier to buy parts from is almost as important as choosing which parts to purchase. For some, supporting family-owned businesses is important; for others, it’s imperative they support fellow die-hard racers and enthusiasts. Michigan Motorsports, however, combines the best of both as the family-owned business was founded by racers and is committed to stocking high-quality, affordable performance parts for LS and LT engines.

Established in 2012 by Dan Baber, an avid automotive enthusiast specializing in Chevrolet’s famed LS engine platform, Michigan Motorsports has become one of the nation’s leading LS/LT retail parts suppliers.

Prior to starting his own business, Dan spent 25 years working in the performance aftermarket industry where he gained crucial hands-on experience, knowledge, and insights through lots of racing, performance engine builds, and plenty of LS engine swaps. In 1999, he was heavily involved in building and racing his nitrous-injected and LS1-powered Pontiac Trans Am, aka “The Raptor,” all across the Midwest.

“I ran another automotive company owned by other people, and seeing the opportunity of the LS market motivated me from a personal standpoint,” said Dan, whose passion for advancing LS performance inspired him to start the business, and he did so alongside his wife, Easter. The couple first started with a handful of select LS parts that Dan had used on cars he was building at the time. “We had Amazon and eBay stores at first, then built out our website with its online store, and really made a big leap forward in 2014 when we fully committed to growing the business.”

Easter was a special education teacher who worked in the Michigan Public School system for twelve years before she chose to leave her career in 2017 and instead focus her efforts full-time on Michigan Motorsports; Dan also left his full-time job that same year. Together, the couple and their three sons, who have all played key roles in the establishment and growth of Michigan Motorsports, have built an LS and LT legacy.

“At the time, no one was putting together simplified kits or collections of parts that go together,” added Easter. She noticed that, as her sons were learning about racing and performance, they were sometimes overwhelmed by the selection process. “Asking questions can be intimidating, from a customer standpoint. We wanted to keep things simple by taking the guesswork out of it and answering all of our…