And it begins…

It was only a couple months ago that my 2012 drag racing season came to a close. Yesterday, it cranked back up with the first test and tune of the year, held at Brainerd Optimist Drag Strip. Unfortunately, the turnout was weak, but it worked out well for my friend Josh, who made numerous passes in his turbo Maverick. The questionable weather, and the big race in Valdosta put a damper on the turnout, but it was a great chance to get out for the first time in a while. Check out my full gallery of pictures here: http://byrdphoto.smugmug.com/Cars/Brainerd/Brainerd-Opening-Day-2013

Swap ‘N Shop

I love swap meets. Big or small, swap meets give me a chance to see some cool stuff, and possibly buy it if the price is right. My dad raised me to go after a good deal, so I’ve been going to swap meets with him for as long as I can remember. From the good ol’ days at the Corvette Expo (when it actually had a great swap meet) to our most recent adventures, my dad and I enjoy hunting down a good deal.

Best of 2012: Drag Racing

Alright, I’m running behind on this stuff, but here we go! My favorite drag racing photos of 2012!

Small block, stock suspension car doing its thing. Shot at the Bounty Race at I-40 Dragway.

2012 Highlights from my Dad’s Shop

My dad has done paint and body work for about 40 years, so he’s probably painted 10,000 cars in his career. From quickie jobs to full on restorations, he’s done it all, and continues to turn out great work on a regular basis. I thought I’d put together a post about his 2012 build highlights to show off some of his (and Wally Smith’s) handiwork. Check it out.

My dad’s longtime friend, Bill Sims is the owner of this ’59 El Camino. He’s owned it for many years, but my dad freshened it up this fall.

One out of Three Ain’t Bad…

I guess I set my goals a little too high for 2012, as I told myself that I would have a garage built, build a turbo setup for the Corvette and swap a 5.3 into Christina’s Camaro. Yeah, I know…unrealistic. But, I did reach one of the goals, as I now have a garage, ready for action.

Where I’ve Been, Corvette Edition

So, I listed off all those events in my previous post and you may be wonder how many of those events were for work and how many were for pleasure. To be perfectly honest, I see every one of those events as work. It’s hard for me to differentiate the two, which has its ups and has its downs. Either way, 2012 was a special year for me, because I drove the Corvette more than ever and had a great time doing it. The car is in need of several repairs and upgrades, but hey, that’s what this stuff is all about. Here’s where the Corvette has gone this year…

The first show of the year was just down the road in Graysville, TN. Here, my car is parked with Bill Sims’ roadster, which had just been finished at my dad’s shop.

Where I’ve Been

As if I don’t have anything better to do, I’m going to list off the places I’ve been in 2012, as a reminder of this super crazy year. Get ready…this is gonna take a while.