I think it’s safe to say we all have a story. Whether you’re blue collar, white collar, middle class, upper class, or something else, there is a story in all of us. Each persons story makes them unique. The great thing about your story or my story is no matter how similar or different we are, we landed in the same forum with the same passion.
I’ll throw in the disclaimer now that if you’re after a story based on 10 second runs and massive modifications to a car, you’re probably going to be bored. This is more of a reflection for me on the past few years, and what got me to the car I have today.
My story starts in February of 2010 when I special ordered a Chevy Camaro SS. I looked real hard at the Dodge Challenger SRT-8, but the Camaro was a little less expensive and performed a little better. Megan Fox didn’t hurt the cause either...
After ordering my Camaro I waited anxiously until it arrived, just a few days before tax day. It was a dark grey (they called it Cyber Grey) with the racing stripes. It was a great car, but a little hard to see out of. All in all, it was a fun car. And Holy Hell it was fast!
As I was preparing my last few rides before winter I noticed tingling in my left thigh. Two short months later, and almost exactly one month after my 30th birthday, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I knew we would have to make some adjustments to the budget, but my wife wouldn’t let me sell the car. Well through the months I felt guilty for having the car, so in November I traded my Camaro and my 2004 Ram in on a 2012 Power Wagon (exactly one year from my diagnosis). While not a terrible thing, it freed up some money and I still had a new vehicle.
Through the grace of God, my Wife, Family, and some really close friends, I’ve managed to stay healthy and have not had any relapses. Deep in my soul though, I always felt like something was missing. I wanted a sports car again. But who has an extra $70,000 just lying around? So in 2016 I started looking at Charger Scat Packs, because for less than $40,000 you can get one hell of a fun car. Well nothing happened in 2016, but in October of 2017 I found myself sitting behind the wheel of a brand new left over 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat.
October 7th, 2017 will always be a day that sticks with me. With watery eyes and shaking hands I pushed the start button on a Hellcat. My Hellcat. When something happens that you never think will, it’s hard to take it all in. But there I sat, all 6’8” of me fighting back tears. You see, I had just flown from Montana to pick this car up. My best friend picked me up at the airport in Texas, and was planning on driving as far as Denver with me before going back home. The events that lead up to October 7th will always be a mystery and a blessing. A few days earlier I hadn’t planned on driving a new Hellcat home, but I was about to.
People dream about a lot of things. Owning a Hellcat was what I considered a far fetched, never going to happen dream. But like I said before, the grace of God, my wife, Family, and amazing friends, I’m standing where I am today.
So if you’ve stuck with me so far, thank you. I feel like this forum is a family place, and somewhere I felt I could share my story. As time goes by I’ll throw pictures in from different adventures, and if you’re interested you can tag along.
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