Performance Fabricating Inc. began as a simple dream in the mind of a 12 year old who was hanging out with drag racer Mike Heim of Little Rock, Arkansas in the early 1960s. This dream and the love and passion for racing became stronger when the Heim Brothers earned the #1 competition spot in the old Drag News "Mr. Eliminator" ranking after their 392 powered "23 T" defeated the "Powers and Riley" AA/FA Fiat.

In the late '60s and early '70s Grady Henley, founder and President of Performance Fabricating Inc., was a regular crew member for the Heim Brothers while they competed against the likes of Chris "The Greek" Karamesines, "Kansas John" Wiebe, Candies and Hughes, Marvin Graham, Paul Longenecker, Don Garlits, Gary Beck, and many other greats from the past. Grady honed his welding and fabricating skills in the back of the old Heim Brothers packing company. It wasn't long before he began fabricating components for "The Pusher," the Heim Brothers' new Top Fuel Dragster.

Henley's mentor and teacher passed away, so he then moved to Louisiana and opened his own welding and fabricating shop. Grady started doing odd jobs for local racers and began construction on his own "23 T" from the ground up. As luck would have it, Super Stock and Drag Illustrated editor Steve Collison was in the area doing a story on the "Super Gas" Races, and dropped by Grady's shop to visit. Grady informed Steve that he intended to have his "23 T" featured in his magazine. As Grady tells it, dreams do come true and his "first" "23 T" dragster later appeared on the cover of "Super Stock" and "Drag Illustrated," along with a three-page color spread.  

As business continued to grow, "Performance Fabricating" was created and incorporated in 1994 with the help of engineering consultant Leon Drake, who specializes in CAD/CAM design, aerodynamics, and CNC operations. Grady has and continues to focus on quality, technical support, and good old fashioned "personal service." PFI is located in beautiful Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, and continues to specialize in nostalgia front engine dragsters, supercharged outlaw altered chassis, super quick chassis, and composite components. Most importantly, we work as hard as possible to keep product production in house.