If you’re lucky enough to find a mentor like Dennis in this business, you almost can’t help but be successful. Listen to what they tell you. Take their advice. Put it to good use. You’ll be all the better for it.
Oh, and P.S.: having a good supportive wife helps, too. The fact that Sue didn’t try to stop me from launching Gas Monkey in the first place, even though she doubted what I was doing, was a real bonus for me in the early days. The fact that she put up with my weeks on the road, and the endless long hours and money problems and everything else, was incredible. The fact that she remained my friend even after we’d divorced, and was there for me at the very moment when the TV show I’d dreamed about finally came my way, meant the world to me. In fact, if it wasn’t for her support, you might not know who I am, and I might not be writing this book!
If you’ve got a good woman backing you up, don’t lose her, man.
Just as this book was getting ready to go to print, I flew down to Cabo to surprise Dennis on his birthday. Sue and I had been hanging out a lot in the weeks and months before that trip, so she came along, too. There I was, toasting my best friend and mentor, when I decided it was time to do right by my other best friend in the world, too. Right then and there, on that weekend trip south of the border, Sue and I got hitched again.
I’d tell you more . . . but that story could fill up a book all on its own.
AND IN THE END . . .
Well, I guess that’s it. For now, anyway.
I suppose I should come up with a good ending here, like one of my favorite flicks from the 1980s might have. Hmm . . . I got it! How about a moral-of-the-story type of ending?
The moral of this story is that after all’s said and done, after all of the rebellious cross-country adventuring and bucking the system and making my own way in my life and career, what I really did is pretty simple: I followed my dad’s advice. I found a good-paying job with great benefits and a great retirement package. It’s just not what most people think of when they think about that kind of a “job.” Instead of clocking in at some nine-to-five behind a desk and working for somebody else’s profit, I’m clocking in for however long it takes to work to create my own pay. I’ve got all the benefits that come from doing something I love. And I’ll be buying myself my own gold watch when it’s time to retire, if that time ever comes.
I’m not relying on anyone else to fulfill my destiny. I lean on others and I benefit from the expertise and skills of the amazing Gas Monkey family around me, for sure. I’m fortunate to have all of the Gas Monkeys in my life. But in the end, my success is up to me. And so far, I’m kicking ass!
The Gas Monkey empire is growing like crazy, and trust me, you’ll flip out when you see what’s coming in the next few years. My plans are gigantic, man! Bigger than anyone (other than me) can imagine.
You know what’s really exciting, though? In the end—and I’m talking the real end here—none of this is really about money. I love money, don’t get me wrong. But what I want to build through all of my Gas Monkey endeavors is the legacy of a massive, unstoppable machine. A machine that gives back. A machine that can provide for those who can’t provide for themselves. The legacy of all of this crazy success I’m building is that I want to be able to take the opportunity that I’ve been given and to give it all back.
That’s exactly why I launched the Gas Monkey Foundation. You can check it out online, but basically what we’re doing is taking donated cars from people all over the country and selling them at auction to make money for this nonprofit organization I set up. Donating cars is easy. People fill out a form online, and we send someone to pick up their old used car (no matter what condition it’s in), and we give them a donation receipt for the value of the car so they can save some serious money on their taxes. The Foundation then donates the money to established charitable organizations that will put the money directly to good use. I’m aiming to raise millions of dollars with this endeavor to put into Alzheimer’s research, protecting the environment, saving wildlife and fighting human trafficking. I want to use this fame and notoriety that Gas Monkey and Fast N’ Loud have built to do all sorts of good things in the world. And I’m doing it through the buying and selling of old cars! What could be better?
As I sit here looking around at all of these people who are benefiting from and enjoying the brand I’ve built, I know I’ve achieved something great in life already. So honestly, I don’t care if I die broke. As a matter of fact, if you’ve got to go you might as well spend every penny you’ve got and have one hell of a party of a life, am I right? To me, the greatest feeling of all will be knowing that the money I’ve made and the businesses I’ve built have gone on to help a hell of a lot of people.
Just as long as I can afford to die with a bottle of Miller Lite in my hand, I’m f—king good.
So, until next time . . . Rock on, people! Whooo!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book would not have been possible without all of my Gas Monkey fans. So first and foremost, thank you!
Thanks also to Aaron Kaufman, who joined in on this unpredictable ride when all I had was a crazy idea and a dream. He’s been living that dream with me every day since. This book also couldn’t have come together without the assistance of a whole bunch of really great people, including the crew of Gas Monkeys who kept things going at the garage while I took the time to get it done. Specifically, there is no way this book would have happened without the above-and-beyond efforts of Christie Brimberry and my sister, Daphne Kaminski; not to mention Lauren Parajon, who helped a lot with this book.
I want to thank my editor, May Chen, and the whole team at HarperCollins, who showed their support for this book from the start. My literary agent, Cait Hoyt, for taking care of business and hooking me up with such a great team. My coauthor, Mark Dagostino, for traveling to Dallas and helping to turn my rambling memories into the words you see on these pages. And to everyone at Discovery for helping to move my Fast N’ Loud story from the screen right into your hands. I also want to thank my manager, Antranig Balian, and my television agent, Hans Schiff, for always having my back.
Big thanks to Craig Piligian, president and CEO of Pilgrim Studios, for his perseverance and dedication to Fast N’ Loud, and for getting this thing sold to Discovery. I also want to thank the people at Pilgrim who work on the show daily, most notably Eddie Rohwedder and Rebecca Graham-Forde.
I would like to thank the inventors of Miller Lite for making the end of my long workdays a whole lot better.
And I especially want to thank my dad for helping to make me everything I am today.
All of these things were given to me by God, so I’m thankful for the crazy life and family God has blessed me with.
PHOTO SECTION
I wanted to be Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit even way back then! I’m pretty sure that cowboy hat was a Christmas present. COURTESY OF RICHARD RAWLINGS.
That’s me with my sister, Daphne, who’s modeling a dress from Funky Designs. At one point that company provided dresses for Dance Fever with Deney Terrio, which means we were like two degrees of separation from TV fame even as kids! COURTESY OF RICHARD RAWLINGS.
I think my dad was shocked that I actually graduated high school. COURTESY OF RICHARD RAWLINGS.
Some guys peak in high school. Clearly, I was not that guy. Check out those Zodiacs on my feet, though. Those were pretty stylin’ back in the ’80s! COURTESY OF RICHARD RAWLINGS.
That’s my wife, Sue, on the back of my ’97 Harley Davidson Softail chopper, during one of our many road trips. COURTESY OF RICHARD RAWLINGS.
That’s me in the middle with my buddies Dennis Collins (left) and Jay Riecke, exhausted after a rally. COURTESY OF RICHARD RAWLINGS.
That’s the old Gas Monkey rig in all her glory, parked in front of the famous Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Aaron and I practically lived in that thing during the first few years we spent building GMG’s reputation. COURTESY OF RICHARD RAWLINGS.
A pe
ek inside during Gas Monkey Garage’s earlier days. COURTESY OF RICHARD RAWLINGS.
Here’s me and Aaron on our first full day of filming for Fast N’ Loud, looking to turn rust into gold in a field full of old cars and trucks. COURTESY OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS.
I managed to get that new sign designed and hung on the side of our tiny rented shop with just five days notice before the cameras arrived and Fast N’ Loud started shooting. COURTESY OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS.
That’s the original Gas Monkey logo, on the back of the very first car Aaron and I ever built. I was able to buy it back recently, and I keep it in the garage now just outside of my office. PHOTO BY MARK DAGOSTINO.
This here’s another early Gas Monkey build that I was able to buy back for my personal collection—a rat-rod style Model A. PHOTO BY MARK DAGOSTINO.
That’s me and Aaron with the ’71 Kingswood station wagon that we turned into a dragster. We sold that car to Ugly Kid Clothing, and it was right in line with the anti-bullying stance of that whole brand: we took that ugly duckling of a car and showed the world just how cool it could be! COURTESY OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS.
Aaron and I ran the Bullrun in this Chevy Caprice we built. We called it the Crap-Piece ’cause it never finished a race. Ever. We had more tow bills than build bills on that car. COURTESY OF RICHARD RAWLINGS.
My Harley, right where I park it in the garage these days, next to one crazy-looking chopper I picked up for myself on eBay one night. PHOTO BY MARK DAGOSTINO.
One of Aaron’s proudest moments—taking his Falcon to the top of Pike’s Peak. COURTESY OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS.
I keep this $200 Pinto just to remind myself that any car can get turned into a hot rod. How many Pintos do you see on the road today? They’re so uncool, they’re cool! COURTESY OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS.
Blowin’ off steam while burnin’ some rubber in the GMG parking lot. COURTESY OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS.
Blowin’ off steam while burnin’ some rubber in the GMG parking lot. COURTESY OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS.
A before-and-after of the VW shorty. Fans loved this chopped and squeezed little van. Truth is, it may be fun to look at, but it’s not really safe to drive over 25 MPH. The thing could tip right over! COURTESY OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS.
Aaron built this bike for a tire shop back before we were on TV. I later bought it back just to keep it in my personal collection. He fabricated just about every part of it from a vision in his head. No drawings, no computers, nothing. That’s pure talent right there. PHOTO BY MARK DAGOSTINO.
A close-up look at the custom paint job on my Harley. PHOTO BY MARK DAGOSTINO.
I keep this framed collection of photos on the wall right next to my desk, featuring multiple views of my gold ’65 Mustang 2+2 fastback—the car I got shot in! COURTESY OF RICHARD RAWLINGS.
Here I am up on stage with a Miller Lite in my hand, talking to a packed house full of fans at the Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill, right here in my home state. I tell you, folks: Life don’t get much better. Whooo! COURTESY OF RICHARD RAWLINGS.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
RICHARD RAWLINGS, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, developed a passion for automobiles from an early age, attending professional car shows with his dad and buying and selling multiple vehicles in his teens. A veteran of transcontinental road rallies, he has won the Gumball 3000 and the Bullrun twice, and he broke a world record in the Cannonball Run that had stood for twenty-five years. He is the owner of the world-renowned hot-rod shop Gas Monkey Garage and the star of Discovery’s hit series Fast N’ Loud.
MARK DAGOSTINO is a New York Times bestselling coauthor and a former senior writer at People magazine. Although he’s never competed in a road rally or built a hot rod, his very first car was a Chevy Camaro, and his favorite road trip ever was a solo cross-country drive in a Porsche he purchased for $5,000.
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CREDITS
COVER DESIGN BY EMIN MANCHERIL
COVER PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
COPYRIGHT
FAST N’ LOUD. Copyright © 2015 Discovery Communications, LLC. Discovery Channel, Fast N’ Loud, and related logos are trademarks of Discovery Communications, LLC, used under license. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
ISBN: 978-0-06-238786-8
EPub Edition MAY 2015 ISBN 9780062387882
1516171819OV/RRD10987654321
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