We’ve spent the week in Moab, Utah…mecca for all things with wheels.  This week is Easter Jeep Safari, so the place if filled with…you guessed it, Jeeps.  Not just any four wheel drive, in this case, it is brand specific, Jeeps are everywhere.  On the trails you can find a few Toyotas, a few purpose built vehicles, but not so many compared to the Jeep.

We have a friend in Moab who has a little spread, a 1600 square foot house with a 2000 square foot shop and lots of yard.  This is where we’ve been parked.  Grandpa’s Garage is the host to many of the industry parties that are going on.  Raceline Wheels, Dana, Spicer, Superlift, Genright…and others, hosting parties right in what is now our backyard.  We are parked at the driveway, so we’re claiming it too.  It’s a great week to talk to anyone you might know in the industry.  Most of these people I’ve known for a while and since I’ve never really been awestruck by people or personalities, I forget to be impressed by them, until someone comes along who is.

Enter my friends from Austin.  They are here to race with us on Saturday so we invited them in to the Raceline party on Thursday night.  A few introductions here and there and all of a sudden, there are smiles as big as the sky in Moab, stars twinkling from eyes, it’s pretty impressive to see.  “I got to meet JT Taylor!”  The look on my face must have said, “so?”  I forget that JT is one of the true American badasses.  He is an OG13; races Baja, races everywhere, there are Youtube videos devoted just to JT.  I know JT because he gives great hugs and has an awesome smile, we’ve eaten tacos together in Ensenada.  In my world he’s another racer boy.  Of course, I love all the racer boys, but I hadn’t identified JT as different from the others.  My friends sure did though.  It was heartwarming to see them meet one of their heroes, someone who put our style of racing on the map.  I need to remember that we all need heroes, thanks JT for the reminder.