I’m in a BOOK!!

Go figure…

The Hot Rod Art Book: Masters of Chicken Scratch

As a wide-eyed kid, I’d flip open the latest car magazines and drool over the works of my hot rod design heroes… Guys like Charlie Smith, Thom Taylor and Steve Stanford were (and still are!) the guys I looked up to, hoping to one day at least meet these giants among men. They, and other artists like them were my inspiration to head out and do what I love. Never did I dream that I’d be able to make a career of it, but the world works in an odd way… That, along with long days and longer nights paid off in allowing me to do something I love for a living.

Along the way, I have been beyond fortunate to have made great friends, and meet guys I read about in books as a kid, and all have played a great role in making those Math class dreams a reality. One such friend has been the immensely talented Dwayne Vance, a guy who cranks out work that continually makes my head spin, and who has contributed hours of enlightening and entertaining conversation over the years. When Dwayne called and asked for some samples of my work for a book project, I was floored… When he mentioned the names to appear in it, I was speechless… He rounded up Randy Ricklefs, John Bell, James Owens, Eric Brockmeyer, Michael Miernik, Max Grundy, Jimmy Smith, Justin Chin, Thom Taylor, Larry Wood and Steve Stanford! A veritable Who’s Who in our industry… and he had asked me to be a part of this… Amazing. Just amazing! To walk amongst giants like this, well… I still have no idea what to say, except “thank you, man”. Absolutely priceless.

A peek inside!

…and speaking of priceless, the book will be packaged with an instructional CD by Dwayne to accompany the outstanding look into how he does what he does! Hopefully it finds a spot on bookshelves all over the world, and becomes just what it should be: A valuable resource for countless wide-eyed kids drawing hot rods on folders in classrooms everywhere, gearing up for the day when we “old timers” can read THEIR incredible books.

The book is available for pre-order HERE, and after the official release, you may also order it on my site, as well as a number of other retail sites and stores… Thanks for checking it out.

“Sick Seconds”…

…go ahead… say it out loud a few times… faster now. It just sorta rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?

I was beyond stoked to get the phone call from Denny Terzich regarding the latest bad-boy project getting underway at ProRides… It was an honor to talk with him and make a new friend to begin with, but even sweeter was that his call was the result of another referral… Nothing makes my day like knowing that a client thought enough of me to “tell a friend”! Suffice to say, it’s another drag car, and shares that killer stance and blistering performance we’ve come to expect after their 2007 Drag Week harbinger of speed ‘67 Camaro.

The rendering!

After accomplishing a major record in Hot Rod Magazine’s Drag Week 2007, ProRides is about to embark on a new level of performance never seen before.

Not only did ProRides head to Drag Week with the intention of beating the old record (think mid-low 8 second 1/4 mile times!), but to finish the event, driving 1,000 miles while pulling a trailer. While the bets were being placed that the clean black Camaro wouldn’t even finish the week, the car shook the hot rod and race world by posting a first pass E.T. of 7.64. Truly the pass heard ’round the world! Granted, the ProRides team was as surprised as anyone, and the venture served to underscore the positive results that come from combining great companies and partnerships with a thorough process.

Chassis construction!

After talking to Rob Kinnan of Hot Rod Magazine at this year’s Drag Week, the ProRides crew had the idea of building a 6-second ET capable car to drive the grueling 1,000 mile Drag Week course. Imagine…. a 6 second ET vehicle driving 200-300 miles per day while pulling a trailer!!! Unheard of, and a true torture test for the components involved… While many have claimed they have a street car that is very fast and even some that state in the 6 second E.T. range, it’s obvious that anyone can idle around at a local car cruise or show. The true test is actually driving the car on the street. This is the reason why the “Fastest Street Car in America” can only be crowned at this event.

Coverage of the build will be inside of Hot Rod Magazine’s “Project Garage” section and on their website. ProRides is also working with Scott Killeen of the BuildBook series to document the entire build… and if you’ll be at the show, check out the rolling chassis at PRI, in the SunCoast Racecars Booth, # 363 South Hall. And of course, look for more updates, as well as that crazy grin plastered to my face…