Car Enthusiasts Giving Back
Mike
At 13 years old, the world of sports cars drove down Main Street of my little hometown three times each summer. Some had been made into race cars to take on the challenge of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and others were driven by enthusiasts coming to watch the races. I was hooked and started buying car magazines to gain a better understanding of these machines and, most of all, to dream.
Now, some 60 years later, I have been married 52 years to someone I have made into a car enthusiast, and we are the parents of two adult children, both with little interest in cars, but great with computer technology. In those 60 years, I have had the good fortune to own a number of sports cars, to drive them enthusiastically, and to tweak their performance, not only for driver education at Mid-Ohio, but other sports car tracks, all east of the Mississippi River.
While I was partially retired for five years, and now totally retired for seven, my career as an educator for 37 years was focused on the success and welfare of children. With my avocation being all things automotive, it seemed like a good life balance. Now I’m ready to put my avocation into serving children again by fundraising for causes that serve those with health challenges.
Mike
At 13 years old, the world of sports cars drove down Main Street of my little hometown three times each summer. Some had been made into race cars to take on the challenge of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and others were driven by enthusiasts coming to watch the races. I was hooked and started buying car magazines to gain a better understanding of these machines and, most of all, to dream.
Now, some 60 years later, I have been married 52 years to someone I have made into a car enthusiast, and we are the parents of two adult children, both with little interest in cars, but great with computer technology. In those 60 years, I have had the good fortune to own a number of sports cars, to drive them enthusiastically, and to tweak their performance, not only for driver education at Mid-Ohio, but other sports car tracks, all east of the Mississippi River.
While I was partially retired for five years, and now totally retired for seven, my career as an educator for 37 years was focused on the success and welfare of children. With my avocation being all things automotive, it seemed like a good life balance. Now I’m ready to put my avocation into serving children again by fundraising for causes that serve those with health challenges.
Mitch
I’ve driven a lot of miles during the last 50+ years. Certainly not as many as some lifetime long-haul truckers, but probably more than any national sales representative over that same period of time. You see, I only use air travel when my destination is outside a 6 hour drive time. Under that allows for additional meetings in between points and is usually within an hour of the time required if flying. If given the choice, I will always take to the open road. Those drives have provided me with a bevy of stories about the open road and provided me with first-hand knowledge of how cars have improved over the last 50 years.
My work required me to have vehicles that would be suitable to use when entertaining clients, but it also made me want to invoke an adage I subscribe to: If you have to drive, make it enjoyable. When given the opportunity, I chose the four-door sedan that was made for performance in its class, and that made all the difference for spending so much time on the road.
It also helped with deciding which cars to buy for our family of six. I’ve lost count now of the number of cars I have purchased or recommended to our children to purchase knowing which ones were reliable for over 200,000 miles if maintained properly as I have always done.
My brother and I both grew up in a small town that had a world class sports car course close by. Even before being old enough to attend the races, I remember sitting with my friends on the park bench at our town square on race weekends watching the myriad of exotics cars drive by on their way to or from the races. MG’s, Triumph’s, Jaguar’s, Porsche’s, Datsun’s, Alfa Romeo’s and even the occasional Ferrari or Lamborghini. The stuff of boyhood dreams. I vowed to someday have a car that would deliver the type of excitement that those cars did for that little boy all those years ago.
I now have such a car, and the day is soon coming when I can take to the open road in it, not to make the next sales call, but to enjoy both the remarkable and quirky things that one can find along America’s highways. The aspect of using a trip on Route 66 as a fundraiser for causes that will help improve the future lives of both young and old will make it that much more meaningful and memorable.
John
Growing up in Ohio during the 1950s and 60s, I loved all things connected to CARS. I intended to be an engineer, designing and racing sports cars. I followed European road racing closely, especially the Shelby American team racing their Cobra sports cars against Ferrari. Sadly, I stunk at mathematics, so I never achieved an engineering degree. However, 25 years ago I DID succeed in building my first Cobra replica, and drove it on some of the same American tracks my heroes raced on in the 1960s. I’m still building cars, still love the Cobras, and still drive them everywhere I can around the country and on available race tracks.
The past few decades of my life have been devoted to my wife of 50 years, our daughters, and my job. The blessings and good luck received in our lives are legion. Now, as a retiree, I have the time to devote to doing some good for others. In my car-building hobby, I’ve met wonderful folks who have suffered misfortune and health problems, and can use some help. That’s a big reason why my car-crazy cousins and I have developed a plan to combine our love of cars and driving around this fantastic country with raising money for the worthy charities detailed on our website. Maybe we can help make life a little better for some folks we’ve not met yet!
John
Growing up in Ohio (the heart of the Midwest) during the 1950s and 60s, I loved all things connected to CARS. I intended to be an engineer, designing and racing sports cars. I followed European road racing closely, especially the Shelby American team racing their Cobra sports cars against Ferrari. Sadly, I stunk at mathematics, so I never achieved an engineering degree. However, 25 years ago I DID succeed in building my first Cobra replica, and drove it on some of the same American tracks my heroes raced on in the 1960s. I’m still building cars, still love the Cobras, and still drive them everywhere I can around the country and on available race tracks.
The past few decades of my life have been devoted to my wife of 50 years, our daughters, and my job. The blessings and good luck received in our lives are legion. Now, as a retiree, I have the time to devote to doing some good for others. In my car-building hobby, I’ve met wonderful folks who have suffered misfortune and health problems, and can use some help. That’s a big reason why my car-crazy cousins and I have developed a plan to combine our love of cars and driving around this fantastic country with raising money for the worthy charities detailed on our website. Maybe we can help make life a little better for some folks we’ve not met yet!