Tour of Race Shops and Fabrication History

day, you you couldn't buy like now you can buy painted aluminum. So, if you have a red car, you just buy a red painted aluminum. So, we had black, so we bought a black painted aluminum. Well, back in the day you had to use sheet metal. You couldn't use aluminum. So, he would fabricate it all and hang it up in here and shoot it black. So, yeah, we did it all here. One of the best cars he ever had, he built it in the floor. No jig, just built it in the floor over there. >> So, you said he ran some Grand National stuff. How did you become so bonded to modifieds in particular? >> So, in 1978 or 9, he got colon cancer and he had to scale back. And he started He grew up racing Bowman Gray in the hobby division and stuff like that. So, after Grand National when he got sick, uh he scaled back and he started driving for the makers. And in 1980, he won his first modified race at Bowman Gray. So, after that, he just kind of that's what he stuck with was modifieds. So, we had the old smart tour back in the day and then the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour um Friendship Speedway when they paved it. Um we ran there on Friday nights. So, anywhere there was a modified race, we went. And then I when I started driving, we were racing together and then I think there was a year or two that Jason ran modifieds and we all three ran together. And then uh when my dad retired, that just left me and Jason. And then uh I guess Slate's about on his third year now. Slate started running modifieds. So, man, I'll be the I'll be the first to tell you um I've been fortunate enough to drive a late model, a modified, cup car, truck. Um there's nothing like a modified. So, it's it's hard to get away from them once you get in one. >> Why? What's the sensation? >> Just cuz they're man, they're look at them, you know? I mean, When got um open wheels, you got 600 plus horsepower, 2650 lb, you sit Now, with no ride height rule now, we're an inch and 3/8 off the ground. Um, there's just something about these cars, uh, that that once you get in one, it's hard to it's hard to for anything else to satisfy you. And I think we've proved that, you know, with Bobby Labonte coming back to the modifieds and being successful, and Ryan Newman is full-time with the smart series now. So, I I told Bobby I joked with Bobby back when he first got in one of my cars, and I told him he was messing up. I said, "Cuz once you get in this car, you won't want to drive anything else." >>…