“Race car drivers are not athletes. They’re more than that. They’re warriors. They face death at every corner. An athlete competes, a warrior fights. And, sometimes, warriors die – but they never really die, they just transcend the physical world and become the things legends are made of.”
I’m sure people know by now that my roots have and always will be in the sim racing community. My story isn’t really anything special except for maybe the fact that I’ve had the privilege of seeing my hobby evolve into something of a profession. It hasn’t been an easy road, but I wouldn’t change a minute of it. That said, I’m proud to announce that C2C Racing Designs will be sponsoring a truck, driven by Dylan Duval, in iRacing’s GSRacing Truck Series. With this, I’m also announcing C2C’s entry into the iRacing painting community. I’ve known Dylan for a couple of years now from my league racing days on NASCAR 09. He and I have kept in touch and it’s great that we have a solid foundation for this sponsorship. He’s a fantastic driver, and I know he’ll represent C2C well on the virtual race track.
As for the design aspect, I’m excited to start branching out into iRacing. I know I’m a little late to the party, but hopefully the work I do for Dylan (and anyone else who’s looking for a paint scheme) will speak volumes. I still have some details to work out and website updating to do, but once I iron out all of the details, they’ll be posted here.
I’m thrilled to finally start making the foray into iRacing, though. The painting community there is strong and vibrant, and it’s good to see a community so driven by the creativity and quality of its artists. It’s my sincerest hope that I can join the ranks of iRacing’s finest artists in the coming weeks and months and begin providing drivers with quality designs.
Oh, and rest assured that the real-world work is still very much alive, even if it has been a little slow. If you’re in the Charlotte area anytime in October, keep an eye out for a pink Dodge Charger show car belonging to Comp-Cal. They’re promoting breast cancer awareness at various functions throughout the month, so be sure to stop by and say hello to Brian and his team. We’re still looking for clients for 2012, and once the website updates are completed, hopefully things will be a little bit clearer as to what kind of services we offer.
Until the next update, stay safe and God bless!
It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but as I’m sure everyone knows, life has a funny way of taking you on detours you didn’t really expect. Nothing bad or detrimental or anything, but just a detour that makes you change focus for a little while.
If you’ve ever seen the movie “The Rookie” with Dennis Quaid, there’s a quote that’s repeated every so often in the film. “You can think about what you want to do until it’s time for you to do what you were meant to do.” I often think about that quote and how it applies to my life and my work. Right now, with the exception of doing the renders used to promote the “Cowboys and Aliens” Nationwide car, everything’s dead quiet for C2C Racing Designs. It’s been a little over a year since I had a car of my own on the track, and as of July 19th, I haven’t heard a peep from anyone I spoke with at Daytona.
I’ve been tempted to question whether or not I’m supposed to be doing this sort of thing. I don’t think it’s a lack of desire or determination, but rather a lack of direction. What do I do next? Who do I go to? Is C2C a design firm consisting of multiple artists, or is it better off being a name for my own work? Should I consider working for an established decal company, and should I continue to freelance in the meantime?
After doing this for about a year and a half, I can tell you freelancing is ridiculously tough, particularly in this economy. The amount one has to pay is more important than the quality – and while I completely understand that, it’s hard to make something work. On one hand you want to compromise and come down from the asking price so you gain the client and get the work, but on the other hand, you’re losing half of the profit while still putting in 100% of the effort, and that doesn’t pay the bills. So I’ve been re-evaluating my position and I’ve come to the conclusion that I have to be in this for myself, because I am first and foremost an artist, not necessarily a business owner. And my direction has to change, not from establishing C2C as a business, but as a brand – my brand. I do not want to be viewed by other companies as a competitor, but as a commodity, someone who can be hired and utilized to meet their clients’ needs at a reasonable price with exceptional quality, whether that be as a freelance artist or an employee on their payroll.
In time, I hope I can be the go-to artist for a company or a team, or both, for their design needs. In the meantime, I’m focusing on things close to home, and focusing on becoming better at what I do. I’m developing my skills as an illustrator, not just a layout artist or someone who can create a logo. I’m setting out to be a full-spectrum artist in every sense of the word.
Keep an eye on the page with my work, and check out C2C’s Facebook page. I’m thinking about what direction I want to take this blog as well. I want to see where I’m heading before I make a final decision on that, though. People have been looking intently at this blog and that is a fact that I haven’t ignored.
The last thing I want to say is thank you to everyone who’s stuck with me for the last year and a half. I’ve been receiving a lot of support and it means the world to me to know people do care about what I’m doing here and what I’m trying to accomplish. I’m thankful to God that I have the opportunity to even try, and to share that experience with others. No matter how hard it may be, whether it’s famine or feast, I am thankful.
It’s been a little over a month since my last update, and for that I apologize. I have been working on finding leads and clients for that time with limited success – actually, very limited. It’s been a bumpy ride since Daytona, but then again, I don’t think there’s ever been a time where it’s been completely smooth sailing for us.
I don’t mean to be all sentimental or mushy, but the truth is, there’s been a lot resisting us when it comes to finding clients. That said, you can only push so hard for so long before things begin to bog down, and things have certainly begun to bog down. And I don’t think there’s anything we can blame it on, so perhaps it’s better to chalk it up to circumstances outside of our control.
Daytona was our last big push for clients, and after a month of following up with people and just trying to make something happen, it is unfortunate for me to say that we weren’t able to make it happen. It doesn’t mean we’re going to quit, but for the past several weeks I have had questions for myself that I simply cannot answer. I know we have the talent and creativity. I know we can produce quality work. But I don’t know what else there is to do to try and find clients, and because of that, progress has ground to a halt.
I’m not quitting. Matt isn’t either. Matt’s got his deal going and I’m going to keep working on finding clients for C2C, but it’s going to have to take a backseat to other things.
I still have hopes and dreams for C2C, and there’s still so much I want to accomplish. Yes, I could find a job with a design company that does everything from design to wraps, but there is nothing like seeing my company’s logo on the B-post of a race car like they were with the Herd Racing Nationwide cars and their SuperLeague boat. I hope there are many more cars bearing our logo to come, but as to when that will happen next, I have no idea.
Like I said, I will continue to work on finding clients, but my focus will be on other things. I’ll keep the blog going. I’ll keep sharing my work and keeping the Facebook and web pages updated. You can still follow me on Twitter. And most of all, you can still contact us to do design work for you.
This isn’t the end for C2C Racing Designs. It’s just a time where we have to change focus and do what we need to do to continue moving forward. I’ve put my heart and soul into this business, and yes, more often than not, I’ve paid dearly for that commitment. But so have a lot of people close to me, and it’s time that I begin taking them into consideration. They’ve supported me and encouraged me to keep pushing forward. It’s time I do the same for them and give them my focus.
I have a couple of things for a client that I’m working on that, once it’s all finished up, I’ll share with you. Keep an eye on the Facebook page and the blog.
Thanks to everyone who has supported me and Coast 2 Coast Racing Designs over the past few years.
It’s February now, and you know what that means – race season is just a couple of weeks away. For those of you who have been wondering where I’ve been, I, like many others, have been working during the off-season. I’m not sure what exactly will come from the efforts but hopefully it will be fruitful.
Just before Christmas, I went up to Charlotte to visit with clients and business partners. It was good to be back in race city, believe me – and I hope it won’t be long before I’m calling Charlotte home. My experience up there gave me a lot of confidence and a boost in morale, and it helped me work through January.
In about two weeks I plan on being in Daytona Beach for the ARCA season opener, networking and introducing myself and my company to the race teams there. My intention is to try and get in touch with as many teams as possible while I’m there, so if you’re an ARCA owner or driver who’s been keeping tabs on us, I’ll be passing through your way. As far as new clients go, we’ve gotten a few nibbles, but currently there’s nothing planned for Speedweeks – and this late in the game, we probably won’t have a car for Daytona. But, if things go right, we might have some things going after the season opener.
We have a deal in mind for Nationwide and Truck teams that I think will give teams that are tight on money a chance to have a distinctive paint scheme – a flat fee and no additional charge for revisions. This will only be available for a little while, but if a team gets involved, it will remain the same for the whole year. So keep an eye on the website’s pricing and services page for normal rates and the details on this team deal we’re doing.
I’ll be updating this blog regularly again, so if you haven’t subscribed, I recommend doing so – that’s the best way to keep up with the news. Or, if you’re on Facebook, check that out too. You can “like” the C2C Racing Designs page by following the link on the website (www.c2cracingdesigns.com.) We’ll be posting sample work and other goodies there too.
In some ways, it seems like any other typical Monday during the year. I would usually be sitting on the computer, checking the news on Jayski or NASCAR.com or any other of the many racing news resources out there. I’d probably be getting set for next week’s race, too, analyzing the silly season rumors and coming up with the next course of action in getting C2C new clients and new projects.
But, this week will be different.
I look back on this year – gosh, I can’t even believe it’s been this long already – and I think about all that’s happened. This was our rookie year. Was it a set-the-world-on-fire type of year? No. But it was successful. We accomplished a lot and we learned even more. But still, in retrospect, I look back on the things we did and did not do, and the ways we could have done them differently. There were a lot of things that affected me in ways I never imagined; still others that had no effect on me at all, to my surprise.
First, let me congratulate Jimmie Johnson on yet another Cup Series championship. No matter what your stance or personal opinion of him, he knows how to win the Chase. He, Chad Knaus, and Rick Hendrick have something good going that few teams in any sport rarely ever find and use to its full potential. To say that we may never again in our lifetime see the feat of five consecutive Cup Series championships is a very real possibility. Johnson has secured his place in NASCAR legend, and I believe he will continue to do so long before he decides to put away the steering wheel and retire.
This season has been so much of a roller coaster for all of us here at C2C. It was made up of moments of sheer & absolute frustration and moments of pure elation and hope. I felt immense pride and utter heartbreak and every emotion imaginable in between. I learned a lot about this sport that I love and I discovered some things that I kind of wish I didn’t know. I’ve made friendships that will last a lifetime and seen the divide grow larger between myself and former friends. I’ve questioned my faith and grown in it as well. And, probably most important of all, I’ve learned a little bit more about my purpose in life.
I think back to January, when Dana Tomes got in touch with me about C2C designing their race vehicles for this season. I’ll never forget (and I wish I still had it) the voicemail he left on my phone. Mind you, this was when I was still adjusting to the shock that people were taking interest in having us do work for them. Hearing him talk about their plans for Nationwide in that 2-minute clip of audio on my phone was so surreal, and in many ways, it still is. Part of me thought I was way in over my head. Maybe I was. Maybe I still am. But Dana believed in me enough to give me that chance.
I remember how hyped up I was about Daytona, having a paint scheme debut with Herd at the mecca of motorsports. He and I spent hours going over and revising the design, which was basic, but at the time that was all we could do. It was exciting, the buildup to that first race. It was the realization of a dream that I had long held since I started doing this as a hobby. To me it was greater than my high school graduation, that’s just how immense the event was to me. I’ll never forget jumping for joy at the mere sight of the rear quarter panel of the 75 Dodge at the outset of the first Nationwide practice session at Daytona. I know Jerry Punch was the guy walking by it, but I can’t remember what he said – I just knew my car, even though it was a tiny piece of it, had made it onto national television. And in that brief, shining moment, my dream came true.
My wish, though, was that I had been able to do a better job of designing that car. It didn’t come out the way we had imagined. I took it a little hard at first – I expected to come out swinging, full force, with unbridled creativity. What we got wasn’t great. But this is where I learned the first of many hard lessons I would wind up learning this year: you can’t expect to set the world on fire when you’ve just stepped foot into it. I hadn’t figured out the technique yet. In a world dominated by professionals, I was still very much a novice, even if my peers in the sim painting community thought I was good at what I did. But an even more important lesson was learned as a result, and that lesson was there is always room to improve and perfect.
Apart from Herd, I was lucky enough to be introduced to Ted Musgrave and his wife, Debi. Both of them have been extremely supportive of C2C’s endeavors. It’s interesting, because at the outset of this journey I didn’t expect to wind up working with them as closely as I have this year. In their struggle to find sponsorship, we’ve been right there beside them, helping them out. For me I think it’s an exercise in loyalty and commitment – as both a fan and someone who admires the heck out of Ted, I want to see him back out there throwing down with Todd Bodine, Mike Skinner, and Ron Hornaday. And if what I do makes it possible for him to go back out there and do what he does best, then I’m honored for the opportunity.
We got pretty close to putting him back in a truck full-time, too, but sponsorship talks fell through late in the game. It’s a true testament to the state of the sport when it’s a struggle to find a major sponsor for a former NASCAR Truck Series champion. But that’s the goal for this off-season: to put him in a truck for the season next year.
In April, we got our second shot with Herd to design their paint scheme for their sponsor, DuVita. We had already gotten the scheme idea nailed down in late January, but it was waiting to see what kind of financial situation Herd would be in before we committed to the design. There had been another scheme that was to be run at Auto Club and Las Vegas had they qualified, but obviously that never materialized. So Dana and the Herd Racing guys set their sights on Nashville.
In a way, the pressure was on to make this scheme perfect – which would have been as close to the actual rendering of the car as possible. I was so tense about it because, when I designed the car, I didn’t make the graphics as vector art. That was the case with the Dodge, too, and why it turned out the way it did. So, I painstakingly redrew all of the graphics by hand, remade some of the logos for sponsors for that race, and sent it off to Herd’s graphics printing folks.
It wasn’t until a little after midnight on March 24th that I got an e-mail from Dana with the subject line reading: Congratulations!! The first line said it all: “Your car design was a hit. We had a massive party tonight and you got the compliments my man!” The attached photos told the story in detail. It turned out beautifully. Not perfect, but it was a far cry from my first attempt. I felt vindicated, like I had proved I was able to step it up and exceed expectations.
As was the case with Daytona, when the Herd gang unloaded at Nashville, I was always checking on NASCAR.com to see what was happening in practice. When the second session ended and Brett had managed to eke out the slowest lap time, I started to worry. As it turned out, bad luck emerged victorious again after the ignition system and wiring in the car was completely fried after the crew performed emergency surgery on the fuel cell rack. There was nothing that could be done. It was just another part of racing, another hard lesson to be learned – nothing is ever as easy as people make it look. The hit Herd took because of it crippled the Nationwide program for the rest of the year.
That’s not to say all was lost. JD Leedy, the one who sponsored Herd’s Daytona car, contacted me about doing some design work for EyeEarn. They had expressed interest in motorsports, but wanted to take it slow. The series chosen was the Pro All Star Series southern division, the driver, Michael Gaier.
The third car I would do for Herd was the EyeEarn Ford, and after critiquing and going over the DuVita design with a fine-tooth comb and picking up on the inherent flaws in the design, I went to work on something that was simple but dramatic, easy on the eyes but would grab attention. About two months later, in June, I saw the finished product. And it was a stunner – to me anyway.
Michael and I have become pretty good friends since JD first introduced us to each other, and I’m thankful that he did because Michael’s probably one of the most level-headed racers I’ve met. He’s also very particular about his car, which is something that makes working with him such fun. I’m a very detail oriented person, and while I understand some people are pretty mum on design details, Michael doesn’t hesitate to let me know whether he likes something or doesn’t like something. So when I got his stamp of approval on the design, I knew it had to be good. But seeing it in pictures was astounding.
Maybe I’m biased, but it stood out from the rest of the field in a subtle way. There was a perceptible difference in the way that car looked and the way the others looked. Some were extremely bright with colors that clashed or took away from the overall design, others were plain and simple (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.) But Michael’s car had a look all its own.
But like the last two designs, bad luck struck twice more. In its debut at Ace Speedway, Michael got spun coming off the fourth turn on lap 5, breaking a track bar mount and effectively ending his night. Weeks later at Orange County Speedway, Michael managed to make it through up to lap 80 or so before the rear end gave out, and again ended his night. With the cost of maintaining and repairing the car mounting, the sponsorship shifted to the Legends car, which had pre-made graphics already on the car. Yet another lesson was learned: money, not gas, makes a race car go round.
Disappointing though it was, a web show called Weekend Warriors TV came out and covered the EyeEarn late model’s debut at Ace Speedway, and shot a feature about the car and Michael. (See it here http://weekendwarriorstv.com/home/2010/06/08/episode-14/) It was a big deal, and being a creative and sentimental person, I loved seeing the artistic and creative way they portrayed the car.
As this was going on, Dana came back and announced he was running full-time in the APR Superleague’s F3 series, the sanctioning body for one of the country’s largest powerboat racing series. It was a stretch for us – we hadn’t necessarily anticipated getting into boat racing, but we took the challenge head on. I took the back seat on the design (though I did draw up the template) and let Andrew Barca turn it out. He did a great job, and by the end of the season for the Superleague, Dana had finished 7th in points and won Rookie of the Year honors.
For a few months, nothing seemed to be happening on the design front, so my focus turned to the business aspect of it. I felt like I had wasted a lot of time waiting to see what would happen with sponsors and designs, and as a result, jumped in late in preparing for the 2011 season.
I took the opportunity to be at Darlington for the truck race in order to make contacts and do some kind of networking. Being in the pits was about as close as I was going to get to doing that – I knew if I really wanted to get things done, I needed a garage pass, but I had no such luck. Not this year anyway. But I made due. Looking back, I realized that I had the right idea, but I was going about executing it the wrong way. I was going to crew members, not the PR or marketing people (save for one, who I will get to in a minute.) I was still thinking linearly, like a fan, seeing the unwritten chain of command. It wasn’t until just recently that I realized that the track was not necessarily the place I needed to meet people at. But, while I was there, I met a lot of nice folks who seemed genuinely interested in the work I had with me. I even had a nice conversation with a couple on pit road – spent a good half-hour just talking to them, and I realized that, despite the calculated attitude a lot of the team members walked around pit road with, they were just normal folks with a passion for racing. It was such a relief, to me, to know that these people were big fans of the sport too, and they weren’t afraid to wear it out on their sleeves.
I’ll also never forget the crew for the two Rick Ware Racing trucks, who, when I presented my portfolio to them, were not only immediately drawn into it, but were just as polite and friendly as anyone I’d ever met. One thing you need to understand about me is I’m extremely shy, and it took everything in me to even break the ice. It’s so unlike me to do that kind of thing. But they were absolutely some of the nicest folks I have ever had the privilege of meeting.
The PR person I mentioned, well…let’s just say it was a blast from my past. I used to be friends with this person for a long time, and I knew that this person was working for a particular team that has both a presence in Trucks and Nationwide. It was an awkward meeting. I had hoped against all hope that I wouldn’t run into this person because of that awkwardness, but lo and behold, I did. I gave this person some of my work and went on my way, but it bothered me for the longest time afterwards because, while we used to be such good friends, it was nothing but business now.
It’s never easy for anyone to have a falling out with friends. It’s especially never easy when you have to put up a front in order to do your job. But nothing compares to having to put up that front in front of the person you had a falling out with. I won’t go into any details about the matter, but for a few weeks following that chance meeting, I did a lot of self-examining and decided that it was just the way it was going to have to be. There were no ill feelings, and there still aren’t. But it will be tough not to feel a little sad. That’s another lesson I learned: this sport changes you.
That aside, the next big event, and indeed the most recent, was the partnership between C2C and Comp-Cal. Brian Wittkamp, the owner of Comp-Cal, has been extremely helpful in every aspect of improving our design process and getting things to transfer over quickly to vinyl so that his company can do the wrap. On top of that, the experience and the knowledge of the sport that he has is incredibly beneficial. If you’re making a list, add this lesson to it: you don’t have to do difficult things on your own. The only thing holding you back is a simple request for help.
Looking back on the last eleven months, I see what this sport has done for me and to me. It’s changed me in ways I can’t even begin to describe. I’ve come out of a solid shell of anxiety and shyness to put myself and my work out on the line. I think – no, I know – I’ve done some things that have alienated some of my longtime friends. Not intentionally, but…chasing a dream has a price. And if that person I mentioned is reading this, I didn’t understand then, but I do now. I know the price that we all have to pay in order to do this. It doesn’t matter if you’re building motors, hanging sheet metal, painting the car, or designing it….we’re all having to give a piece of ourselves and those around us in order to make it in this sport. It’s tested my faith in God, my friends, my family, and myself.
But, it’s also given me something worth more than its weight in solid gold: purpose.
I had a long conversation with my buddy, Tom Hunsicker Jr., the Friday before last, about how I was feeling about the state of the sport – and in general, my own reasons for being in it. I wondered if I could really hack it, if I really had what it took or if this entire year was one big fluke. After about an hour or so of talking, I realized something quite profound: my purpose in this sport is not simply to design race cars. It’s not even about me. It’s not ambition that drives me.
Ambition, while good for those looking to advance their careers, is something that cannot be expected to sustain you in the pursuit of your dreams. Purpose with ambition, however, will. But, that purpose must be something near and dear to your heart. Purpose defines us and gives us a reason to hold on even when the final thread is unraveling. Purpose tells us there’s a reason for suffering and purpose gives us a sense of contentment with where we’re at in our pursuits.
I thought my purpose was to help others, but instead, I believe, it’s actually to serve others. Helping means you’re trying to fix something. Serving means you’re giving freely of yourself in order to make a positive impact on people or circumstances. And I realized that, right now, God has me in the lives of the people I work with because I have the power to make a positive change in their lives. Maybe it’s rekindling the passions they have for this sport. Maybe it’s to give them hope for tomorrow. Maybe it’s just simply altering their life’s path in a direction that brings them closer to God. But I know it’s not about me. God gave me a gift, and it’s more than drawing shapes and patterns on a drawing of a race car.
All of what has happened this year – my rookie year in racing – has made me a better person. I’ve drawn closer to God, and I’ve realized a lot about human nature and my own nature. And as we head into Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year, I encourage you to take the time to be thankful for all that you have, to give with all your heart, and to start brand new.
My favorite memory of this season goes back to February, the day Nationwide qualifying got rained out and the night the truck race was supposed to be held on. Up until that point, I had never seen real, REAL snow. It was bitterly cold and raining where I was, and I knew it was bad news for those in Daytona Beach. But what was amazing was, around six in the evening, the rain changed to snow. And it snowed all night – we had at least a foot of snow in some places. I’ve lived in the Lowcountry of South Carolina all of my life and never saw more than half an inch of snow – but that night I was literally trudging in it, playing in it like a little kid. Imagine a 19-year-old guy, still very much a fan, who was still riding high off the knowledge that he had designed a NASCAR Nationwide Series car, playing in the snow like a little kid again. And then think about how perfect that moment must have been.
For me, that night, all was right in the world. I stayed up that entire night, watching it snow, thinking about where the rest of the year would take me, a world full of possibilities and dreams yet to be realized. That night, I felt as if God were standing behind me, a hand on my shoulder, telling me that beauty is everywhere, that the simplest things are often the things we tend to overlook while we go through the motions of the day, or while we get lost in the pursuit of glory or fame. We complain so often about the weather without even seeing the simple beauty behind it, the glory and grandeur of the Creator giving us the simple gifts of dreams, and then giving us the faith and courage to chase them with all of our hearts. But sitting there on my back porch, watching these little white flakes of snow falling and glowing in the streetlights, it was like he was saying “No matter what happens, always, always take the time to see the beauty in what you do, and appreciate the meaning in all things.”
December 19th will mark one year since I began doing this professionally. It’s amazing because I remember praying so hard the night of the Sprint Cup awards banquet last December, tears in my eyes, asking God for the chance to do this, to chase this dream. And He gave me my heart’s desire. That Christmas will always be special for me, and it makes me wonder what this holiday season holds.
It means so much to me to share this with you, the reader. You must understand, I don’t see this as a job. This is my mission in life. If I touched your heart, then I’ve done what I’m here to do. This is not about me, though. This is about you. This is me trying to show you that even the simplest things mean something so profound sometimes. This is me trying to show the side of racing that you don’t always get to see. And this is me telling you, that if you want something bad enough, give it to God, ask for courage, and chase your dream with all of your heart. And don’t let anyone tell you it will never happen. So long as you keep hope, and so long as there is breath in your lungs, as long as you hold onto that dream, one day it will come to pass.
I want to give a big THANK YOU to Tom Hunsicker Jr., Dana Tomes & the crew at Herd Racing, Brett Rowe, JD Leedy, Ted & Debi Musgrave, Jayson Kaplan, Michael Gaier, Brian Wittkamp & the team at Comp-Cal, Matt Rolfe, Andrew Barca, Jake Berry, Manuel Ortiz, Chris Little, & all of the people who have stood beside me, encouraged me, and believed in what I’m doing. This would not be possible without you guys, and I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to have in my corner.
Here’s to 2011.
I want to take a moment to side track away from racing today. For those who may not know, today is the 40th anniversary of the plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 Marshall University football players, coaches, boosters, and fans. Normally I don’t mention things like this because a lot of it has no bearing on what I’m doing, but, if you have followed C2C since the beginning of the season, you’ll understand the connection we have to Marshall – in more ways than one.
The obvious connection is through our work with Herd Racing, and their association with Marshall University. I will confess that I’m not a football fan in the normal sense of the word. I support the football team of my old high school, and in the never-ending struggle of Gamecocks vs. Tigers, I fall on the side of Clemson. But I’m by no means a football fan. However, when we began working with Dana Tomes and Herd Racing this year, I was captivated by the story behind their number and the team.
I’m even more so captivated by Marshall University’s football program. To know that they lost everything – and I mean everything – came back, rebuilt, and “rose from the ashes” speaks to me on a lot of levels, many of them personal. I can easily say that, for our first real client, Herd Racing was a perfect fit.
There are difficult moments in everyone’s life that challenge our definition of who we consider ourselves to be. A lot of times, these events are tragic and devastating, and other times they’re painful to bear the weight of with any sense of purpose. But those moments can be something more than just setbacks or obstacles. These moments in our lives can redirect us in our journey to our destiny. And while the crash was indeed a tragedy, it has given to Marshall, and all those who are apart of its legacy, a unique purpose. They are not simply a college with a football program. Huntington, WV, is not simply a small town with a big college. Marshall students are not simply part of an academic body. That moment in Marshall’s history has given it an identity all its own, and a fierce pride in the Thundering Herd runs deeper than mere sports or academics.
The same applies to Herd Racing, and the same applies to how I feel about working with them. Maybe it’s just my personality, and maybe it’s just because they were willing to take a chance on me, but there is a deep-rooted loyalty and appreciation for them, and by default, Marshall. It goes beyond mere business.
I know a lot of people try to be impersonal and calculated when it comes to business, but I think that’s also why there’s such a deficit of passion in racing these days. I can speak from experience when I say I’ve seen what happens to people who get into racing as fans, start working in it, and wind up losing their passion because they didn’t find the beauty and meaning in the little thing this sport has to offer. It’s things like the Marshall story and the background Herd Racing has that makes me even more passionate about what I do.
We are not simply in this sport to make a living. We are here to enrich the sport with our passion. It is absolutely critical for those of us who ARE working in racing to find something to keep the fires of passion for racing alive. Otherwise, what’s the point of being involved in it? For me, it’s the stories like those behind Herd Racing that continue to fuel my desire to be in this sport. And it’s the story of Marshall University that serves as a reminder that, no matter what happens, if you stick to it long enough, and you give everything you’ve got to something, it may not happen this year, next year, or even the year after next, but someday, the dream will be realized.
Let us remember and reflect on that tragedy that happened 40 years ago today, but let us also look at ourselves and look at the moments that have reshaped and affected us in ways that maybe we don’t fully understand yet. Because it’s those moments that define us and make us who were are. And though the Marshall plane crash was tragic, it gave the town of Huntington and Marshall University something that it would not have gotten had the event not transpired: uniqueness and individuality.
In the past two years I’ve been through a lot. I had to say goodbye to a very, very good friend of mine, and though it wasn’t a death, it seems like I’m still mourning the loss of that friendship with that person almost two years later. I’ve never been one to get over things like that easily. And I suspect I will struggle with their departure for many years to come. But, I understand the purpose in it. I understand that had that person not left my life, I would still be behind in my own personal growth. I’ve come a long way in a year’s time, but I still have a lot to learn and to do. I don’t know if I’ll get C2C in a position of prominence this year, next year, or the year after that. But it’s the knowledge that I have to press on, if not for myself, for my family and friends and my future, that keeps me going every day.
I encourage you, as we draw closer to the end of the racing season, and as we go into the holiday season, to look back and reflect on the year. If you feel like you’ve lost your passion for something, and this can be anything – marriage, family, your job, a hobby – find a reason to get fired up about it again. Remember the things that have shaped and made you who you are, and understand the purpose behind why it happened.
And if you’re going through something now that troubles you, or you don’t fully understand, rest assured that there is a purpose, and that God never allows anything to happen that He does not provide His peace to get us through.
I have some good news and some bad news to share, though the good news definitely outweighs the bad news.
First things first though, I am in the process of unpacking at my new apartment. It’s going smoothly, and it’s starting to feel a little more like home. My dog, Dixon, is enjoying the new patio that overlooks the highway – though to be honest every once in a while, late at night, I’ll hear some kid in his little sport compact peel out of the parking lot across the street…pretty annoying, but I’m getting used to it.
As for the news, well, I’ll keep it brief on the bad news: EyeEarn and TripleClicks are no longer funding Michael Gaier’s late model. The last I had heard on the matter was that they were re-evaluating the sponsorship agreement and, based on the request for a new design for Michael’s car for 2011, I assume the agreement was found lacking. However, the good news is, as I’m sure you noticed, is that a new sponsor has stepped up to fill the void left by EyeEarn.
That company is called Motorspost, and essentially Motorspost is an alternative to Craigslist’s automotive section. You can list anything with an engine on their website, whether it be cars, boats, or planes. They’ve got some great deals as well, and I believe (if they haven’t already sold) there’s a pair of classic Thunderbirds on sale. Heck, they even have a section for race cars. If you’re in the market for a new car, check out www.motorspost.com and have a look around.
On the design front, I can’t say with any sense of confidence that we’ve gotten any looks from other teams, and with teams and sponsors unveiling their schemes for 2011, the odds of them considering us for their designs are getting a little lower. That’s not to say all is lost; on the contrary, we didn’t get a tap from Herd Racing until late January. Any time between now and Speedweeks could wind up being big news.
Speaking of Herd Racing, I don’t think I mentioned it, but Dana Tomes not only finished in the top 10 in points in his rookie season in the APR Superleague, but he also scored Rookie of the Year honors. Take into consideration the fact that before this summer he had never driven a powerboat and it’s easy to see that it’s quite a feat, especially for a first-year team. It’s a great honor to be able to say C2C Racing Designs was part of that accomplishment.
On the NASCAR side of things, I’m not sure what their plans are for 2011. I know Dana and the gang are hard at work on getting their boats ready for the 2011 Superleague season, but again, I’m uncertain on their NASCAR plans. Regardless, we’re committed to helping them out in any way possible.
Between unpacking, following up on leads, discussing things with Brian at Comp-Cal, and taking care of personal matters at home and at work, you could say I have a good little bit on my plate. Obviously unpacking is a short-term thing, but it’s just an example of what I’ve been doing lately. Designing cars, even if they’re fantasy schemes, is almost therapeutic.
I will say that in the coming weeks I will have to make a few difficult decisions in matters concerning C2C, but it will be for the better, both in our ability to handle clients and designs and in being able to focus our resources and talents in those specific areas. I plan to bring the new website online (which will be featuring the new logo that you see here on the blog) and start posting new content between now and Thanksgiving. The new site will be more streamlined and require less updating than the previous one, but any updates on news and things of that nature will likely be found here on this blog.
Also, if you haven’t checked out my work, click the link at the top of the page. I’m trying to keep it updated with some sample stuff in case those interested in working with us need some convincing. This is just my work of course, but if you want to see the work from the other half of C2C, check out Matt Rolfe’s MRD Facebook page. For those who don’t know who Matt is, he’s basically been the guy riding shotgun for this endeavor. If you know Ricky Rolfe, a regular at Oxford Plains Speedway and an American-Canadian Tour driver, this is his son. If you think my designs are good, Matt’s stuff will blow you away.
Well, I think this should bring everyone up to speed on things. I’ve got some stuff to do before I head to bed, so I best get to doing that. Have a good weekend everybody.
Due to some circumstances (which I will discuss in a moment) I have not been able to update this blog for a period of time. Rest assured though that there is plenty of news that I have to share but I cannot go into full detail due to time constraints.
For the past couple of weeks I have been moving. No, not to North Carolina or anywhere in and around the Charlotte area (at least not yet), but I have been relocating to another area locally. I’m in the process of merely moving furniture and possessions over to this new place that I will be calling home, which is why my focus has not been on C2C or racing for the past few weeks. I should be into the new place by the end of next week and all settled in a little after that.
On the website front, that’s taking a little longer than I had expected. Factor in the moving and you can see I haven’t had much time to work on it. We’re in the process of redesigning our logo for 2011 as well. Everyone has felt that the flags were good for the first year, but for 2011 and beyond, we’re looking to do something a little easier to spot and identify. Everyone felt that the flags were also a little busy too. Once we settle on a final logo, we’ll begin posting it on the site, here on the blog, and on the Facebook page.
As for the actual business, we’ve been working with the folks at Comp-Cal a bit, helping them out with renders and the like for their clients. Our first render was of their #85 Charger show car that they have been using to advertise their services. I always like to say that the best way to appreciate someone else’s work is to try and replicate or arrange it exactly the way they had it, and I can say that their show car is one sweet-looking ride.
As I’ve been saying, these next few months are going to be critical to what we do for 2011. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed about my marketing kits from Darlington, but with or without clients coming from that, I believe we’re going to have new clients for the 2011 season. All of the events of the past month and a half have been building up to the off-season. We’re better prepared now than we were at the start of the 2010 season, and frankly, we’re in a position where we can prove it, too.
Look to hear something here in the next two-three weeks on what’s going on. In the meantime, I have some boxes I need to go put in the car. Have a good one.
Guy Driggers
I’m pleased to say that, during the past week and a half, we were able to clear one of the major hurdles I detailed in my last blog post. It was probably the biggest concern I had going into these final four months of 2010, and I thank God that we were able to leap over an obstacle with the rest of the 2010 season in front of us.
I am extremely proud and excited to announce a partnership between Denver, NC-based COMP-CAL and Coast 2 Coast Racing Designs. With Comp-Cal’s backing, this partnership will allow C2C to provide its clients with quick design turnover and quality work when it comes to wrapping the race car with the finished design. This means C2C will be able to use a design and work with it from start to finish. It is a great opportunity for both companies and it is a huge leap in the direction Coast 2 Coast Racing Designs is looking to go in.
I cannot wait to begin working with Brian and his team at Comp-Cal. They’ve been around since 2003, wrapping everything from Cup Series race cars to trucks, vans, you name it. Being able to hone and refine our own process by learning from them will be an even bigger advantage as well, especially being a new company. We’ve improved greatly since we first started, but there’s always something to be learned, some skill yet acquired or perfected that will aide us in our efforts.
The backing of Comp-Cal will allow us to aggressively pursue new clients as we approach the off-season, mainly because we now know we have the talent, ability, and the means to take a design from concept to completion and deliver results efficiently. My hope is in the coming weeks and months, we’ll bring in clients and start having a larger presence at the track in 2011.
On top of this, Matt and I have been working on drawing up new proofs for design purposes. We’ll soon be starting on the Nationwide COT, but in the meantime I’ve been drawing up firesuit, crew uniform, and even driver helmet proofs. We want to do more than just paint schemes – we’re ready, able, and willing to do all of it, from helmets to haulers, firesuits to twill jackets.
I really feel like we’re gaining traction now. I know it’s taken a while to get to this point, but the past few months, though tough, have been some of the most productive and, indeed, the most eventful. The people, the connections, the resources and knowledge, it’s all falling into place. If things keep happening the way they have been, 2011 is shaping up to be a breakout year for Coast 2 Coast Racing Designs.
