Roger mentioned (above) a discussion we had about where we got started and my comment that I was there in the early days of hot rodding. Here is what I told him:

"My "indoctrination" started very early. My parents were racing fans and they started taking me to motorcycle, sprint car, midget, and stock car races almost as soon as I was out of diapers. The earliest ones I can remember were when I was about 4 years old. So that started my interest in cars and racing. I also had 3 older sisters. If you were from central Indiana you would undoubtedly be familiar with the Ennis brothers. Ron and Don Ennis were identical twins who were certified car nuts and early hot rodders. To this day they are considered the "rodfathers" of the area (Ron died of colon cancer about 3 years ago. Don is 82 and still cranking out hotrods). My oldest sister went to school with them (they graduated in 1956) and I saw their cars many times when I was a little kid - that started my infatuation with hot rods, loud cars with no fenders. My other two sisters' boyfriends discovered my interest in cars and they would frequently give me their hot rod and custom car magazines (probably so I would get lost and they could play kissy-face). I would gaze at those magazines for hours, memorizing the details and dreaming of the day when I could have a car of my own to customize. My youngest sister (5 years older than me) was engaged to a guy who had a flathead powered '32 five-window that ran E/Gas and I got to go to the drags with them a few times (1959 -'60). Ron Ennis finally took me for a ride in his roadster when I was about 12 and that hooked me forever. So, when I say I was there it's true. I wasn't building cars yet (that started in 1968), but I read everything car related I could get my hands on and I had some personal experience with the Ennis brothers, my sister's fiance, and, by their acquaintance, some of their rodding friends. I would just quietly listen and absorb their comments and stories."

I drove my first race in a go-kart in 1961 (age 13) and started building my first hot rod in 1968 (age 20). I built and raced my first stock car in 1969 (age 21). Since then I have raced go-karts, built and raced stock cars, drag raced, and raced in Electrathon. I have also built 28 or 29 hot rod/street rod chassis since that one in 1968. I have no intention of quitting building or racing as long as the Heavenly Father allows me to keep my mental and physical abilities.