- Racing -
From our President, Dan Braun

" As Mark Blume is busy doing his Manager type duties, we asked President Dan to share his ideas on racing. We gave him license to write whatever came to mind, and we thought that his reflections were worth sharing with you, our reading audience"

Racing – it seems to get into everyone’s blood at least once in their life time. If it is the Kentucky Derby, Indy 500, or the tour de France, the competitive juices start flowing and we are captivated by the experience of winning or at least competing in a race.

 For me it was the first time my brothers thought they could out run me to the nearest point. Naturally being older brothers there wasn’t a chance that I would come in even close to them, but it got me started and later it was my determination that pushed me to the level of at least even and maybe even winning one or two from them.

 From then on there was this competitive thing inside of me every time I was challenged to be faster then the next person, I had to find away.

This passion went to my two wheeled bike and then on to the sweet little 409 Plymouth with the ¼ race cam inside that I would gladly pull up to everything I could just to see if I could shut them down. You all know that feeling………..

This pale blue ex-FBI pursuit car that looked like your Dad’s four door family sedan that had a bad tune up, could get up from the start and haul. It had plenty of opportunities to run with an eager teenager behind those smoking wheels and pipes as I would hit it and hold tight to the wheel. Won more then I lost and had a hard time selling the car for what I considered my grocery getter. A 64 GTO convertible. It didn’t take long to start souping the goat up to where a trip to the store was enjoyable, well at least until the kids actually came and it was a different driver behind the wheel.

 When I was heading up Penda we sponsored the Monster Truck races or events which were noisy with mud flying every where. We also sponsored the Country Farmer who would load up his multi engine tractor and compete at the tractor pulls around the Columbia county area. Then came an off road truck we raced locally, the roughest ride that you could possible want, but the most enjoyable to watch as it would fly over mud bogs and turn corners on two wheels.

 And then to the big event, co-sponsoring Kenny Schrader’s AC Delco truck in the NASCAR style races. WOW this was racing going only a few seconds slower then the NASCAR cars it was an awesome experience. But that was Penda.

 Hankscraft is not retail orientated like Penda was, but when we had the opportunity to hook up with James Swan racing the number 97 car, all the competitive juices started to flow again. Now in our second year James has that competitive no prisoner type attitude. Once the race starts he becomes another person that just doesn’t want to lose. My kind of guy – so come out to a race and enjoy getting those competitive juices flowing once again by rooting him on as the Hankscraft car hits the finish line.

- Dan Braun