Allan31

I was born in Connecticut in 1956. My Dad got me building models, mostly aviation, I had all the Aurora WW1 hanging from my ceiling. Many of the Monogram WW2 on the shelf. I built until I was 15-16 years old and in high school. After that I worked on 1:1 scale cars, my first being a '69 MGB.

When was about 9 years old, a friend of the family took us to Lime Rock Park and that was it for me, I had discovered auto racing and there was no turning back but it never occurred to me to build model race cars. It was in 1982 that I got my competition license at the Skip Barber school. I was then crewing for a friend of mine and co-driving his '69 Boss 302 Mustang. After blowing up the Mustang engine one last time we sold the car and I cashed out and bought my first race car in 1989, a '69 Crossle 16F Formula Ford.

I raced that car for 10-12 years. It was while racing the Crossle on the shoe-string budget of the poor starving commercial artist, I looked around me in the paddock and realized I will never have the money to race these Ferraris, Porsches and GT-40's but I can go down to the hobby shop and buy any of them for $12.00. I still have that first race car model, Revell GT-40, 1/24 scale.

Built many race car models. Life got busy and expensive. Sold the Crossle in 2000 or so but always built race car models. Sometimes only a couple a year but always kept my hand in it. Model building and paddling my canoe for me were the  great escapes when things got really tough.

In 2016 my brother was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer. His time was short but his top "bucket list" item was to go racing. We were to buy a car together, a Lola T202 so I could get him out on the track. I got him out there for a few races then he passed. I still have the Lola and have since bought another car, a 1968 Merlyn 11a.

Being in the paddock with the real cars has always given me the details I love adding to my models. The brake dust, the oil stains, the rain streaks. I still build race car models for the same reason. Formula Fords are the best bang for the buck and I can still find model kits for $12.00 on evilbay.

I'm fortunate, I'm blessed and I've been very lucky. I'm glad I can be here with all of you enjoying and pursuing our shared passion of model building.

Thanks for reading this far......