One of the hardest things about dusting off a project that has essentially sat unattended for the past 6 years, is getting a bearing for where you are and what needs to be done next. I tend to get a little analysis paralysis thinking about where to start back on getting this race car done and back to the track.
The Project Currently
So, just to recap, here’s where we left off:
Back when I was still in Alabama, my good friends over at Johnston Body Works had done a ton of work helping me out to get all of the fiberglass body work lined up and the turbo inlets molded. They did such an awesome job with everything, and it looks fantastic. But, I still needed to finalize some other elements on the car before it was ready to be painted. Plus, I ended up moving away, so the car left before I was able to save up to have them finish the rest of the paint job.
Then life happened. A lot of it, actually. So much of it, that I wasn’t quite sure where to begin in dusting this project out of the basement and back onto the radar. Luckily, I have a great partner that can unlock my paralysis with the voice of common sense and reason. We compliment each other well in that department.
I met Alex in 2010, long after my last drag race, and almost a year removed from anything to do with the race car. Of course, he knew I raced, but he had never actually SEEN the car, nor had any idea where I was at with it or what needed to be done to kick start motivation from the depths of deep jadedness. It was actually one of the things I liked about him, that after so much public judgement and interference in my relationships previously, he loved me just for “individual ME” and not “racing me”. Although he is quite gifted mechanically, and is a Master Technician for Harley Davidson, he had very little exposure to drag racing previously, and didn’t really pry much into my past or my racing program. Plus, being jaded myself, I didn’t really talk much about it anymore either. I let it fade away into the background while other priorities in my life took precedence.
But although you can leave racing, the racing never really leaves YOU. So, after moving back to Florida, I started getting the racing itch again. I started talking about it more. Alex and I both enjoy riding together, but as we met the local crowd, we started getting invites to different shows. My almost 2 year old son has proven to be a chip off both old blocks, and LOVES anything and everything to do with cars. Being back around this scene really made me remember the great times I had, and it was Alex that reminded me that they are not over, that they don’t have to be just memories.
Next Steps
Since the car has been stored down here for quite awhile, Alex got to see it for the first time too. With his own projects (a ’67 Chevy C-10 pickup he’s resto-modding) and multiple bike builds, he quickly saw areas we could get to work on without needing a big sponsorship check to help pay for. When he quizzed me on what was holding up the paint job, I pointed out that it needed taillights and headlight provisions as well as a rear wing. Within minutes, he found a set of donor taillights and made some phone calls to local friends he had made that could give some direction with mounting them into the body. Where I hadn’t known where to begin, he drove right in and got the ball rolling. Suddenly, this project doesn’t look so daunting, and I’m really excited that he’s shown such an interest and responded with so much support.
I am really thankful for his efforts and looking forward to this adventure!
Women in Motorsports Examiner