A recent conversation with an old friend got me thinking about my own gearhead life and I quickly realized that most everyone I’ve wrenched with, bled with, raced with, and screwed around with cars with has hung up their spurs. Life throws all of us curveballs and a zig zagging series of obstacles and challenges it seems that when these things happen many people use that as the moment they walk away from the hobby. No matter what happens, that’s not on the radar for me.

Looking at the guys I hung with in high school, they’ve all gone on to have families and most have not seen the inside of a drag strip for years. The guys I raced with in college have by and large found other stuff to do that does not involve fast, loud cars, and the same story echoes true with my dad as he’s one of a few guys in his social circle from back in the day that has hung on.

In fact, running into my old high school friends and telling them that I am still neck deep in this stuff, announcing races, wrenching on Buford, having adventures hunting tow trucks, and generally having zany fun with Chad,  they all look at me sideways and can’t believe it. I guess it is a phase I’m never growing out of.

How about you? Are you the last gearhead standing in your social group? Am I the minority or have you lived through the drop off in participation at the race track, with a project car, etc? The Allman brothers sung, “No One Left to Run With”… is that your song?