MEET RONIN

Joel Payne is a mechanical engineer working on giant telescopes on the Big Island by day, and racecars at night. Joel holds a CA Professional Engineering license and an MBA from UCLA. He divides his time between adventures with his family, building off-road rigs, and serving as Ronin's chief vigilante superhero designer. Joel prides himself on his attention to detail and his ability to understand how things work. His 429 ci LS2 FC Rx7 has won its autocross class multiple years running and was inducted into the v8rx7forum's hall of fame: norotors.com.

Mike Lenhardt is the purveyor of perception perfection at Lenhardt Optometric Group. He enjoys long walks with his dog, building gazebos out of telephone poles, and inhaling powder-coating fumes. Mike prides himself on outside-the-box thinking and its application in hot-rodding. Mike's collection envies the pros: some of his favorites include an engine swapped '65 Impala, '59 Cadillac on airbags, a 5-speed turbocharged minivan, an LS1/T56 turbocharged 69 Suburban, and a destroked LS7 powered widebody FD Rx7. Follow the progress of his build here: norotors.com. Mike's daughter, Leah Lenhardt, has also assisted the Ronin team with graphic design & website development. You can find more of her work on Leah Lenhardt's Portfolio.