SHOP TALK: The Simple Things
As we welcome 2017, I’d like to thank everyone for their support over the past year. It’s truly been an honor meeting so many fellow gearheads and having the opportunity to share all of your great stories. We are looking forward to connecting with more new faces this year and with the help of our members, showcasing more amazing cars. We want to feature your rides and racing accomplishments, so please don’t be shy…visit our Reader’s Ride page and send in your photos and stories. We are also excited to announce the launch of a new column that will focus on Automotive Shops and the talent that makes them a success.
News flash! We are on Instagram now and will be sharing lots of great photos each week with all of our followers, so please check us out @908motormag.
A huge part of our success in 2016 was due to all of the great sponsors we have. Their support enabled Project Big Red to take on a new life and become an EXTREME makeover. We can’t wait to unveil this brand new beast with all of you this spring. Special thanks to Aeromotive, Leindecker Racing Engines, Performance Plus Connection, Pro-Systems, Moroso, MSD, Rossler Transmissions, Scorpion Racing Products, GSD Coatings, ATI, Scoggin Dickey Parts Center, RCI, Design Engineering, G-Force, Spectre Performance, NRG Innovations, RPM Performance Products, Holliday Canopies, Convenience Collision, The Hole 9 Yards, CheckeredFloor.com, BendPak, and everyone who had a hand in making this possible. I am grateful for your help and humbled by your faith and trust in me. We look forward to featuring your new products/services and sharing all of the data we gather.
As winter begins to make itself fully known here in the northeast, it is the simple things I tend to miss the most. The longer days, and how it’s still light outside past 8:00 PM….our outdoor fire pit and spending time with family and friends around it…taking my daughter to our favorite local ice cream parlor…walking to the pond with my wife and daughter to catch some Bass…the hustle and stress of loading up Big Red and EVERYTHING we could possibly need into the car hauler for a fun day at the track or a show…the smell of the concession stand and the roar of the cars at our local drag strip…holding in the line lock button and doing a burnout in the water box….the camaraderie of the racers and watching them push their cars to the limit. And lastly, the thing I miss the most is the sound of my Mom’s voice and giving her a hug and kiss.
But instead of dwelling on the past and the things I miss the most, I look forward to the things that lie ahead. The 2017 car show and drag racing season is just around the corner and there is much to look forward to! I heard Big Red’s new engine run when it was on the dyno the other day, but I can't wait to hear it sitting in her freshly painted frame rails, nor can I wait to test and play with all of the new parts Big Red has on her. I can't wait to play with the new data logger and become a lap-top tuner. I can't wait to set up the new custom awning we have for our car hauler and share some good food and good times with some good people under it. I can't wait to see all of the new cars this year and see how busy everyone was over the winter. Perhaps the most important thing I am looking forward to is taking my daughter for a ride in the new beast and show it off at our favorite ice cream parlor.
You see my friends, it’s the simple things we either miss or look forward to. Life is full of "real" problems and "real" worries. Our cars have the ability to take us away from the stresses of life, even if it’s just for a few brief moments. Whether your freedom comes in a 9-second pass, a trip to the local cruise night, or a 4-hour drive through the countryside, always remember that it is the simple things we tend to miss the most. So be sure to make the most of our few months of fun, and be grateful for every breath we are blessed to take.
Keep wrenching,
JT
