When my dad brought home this Chevy C10, I was not a fan.  I was 10 years old, the bed was rusted out, and I could not see how in the world it might ever become my dream truck.  But last month, this dream truck placed in the top 10 out of over 250 vehicles at the Wyatt Spann Memorial Car show.  It has not only become my favorite vehicle, it was also instrumental in my decision to become a motorsports engineer.

My dad and I have been working on this truck for the past six years.  We built the engine, hand-built the bed, installed an automatic transmission, electric cooling fan, power steering, and power breaks.  We did a 5-lug conversion for a 1981 C10 which had to be rebuilt, cutting off the old brackets on the original 6-lug differential to weld them to the new one.  The welder who helped us, Hayden, became my boyfriend of two years.

My dad, Chad B., a lifelong automotive technician and now automotive instructor, has taught me how to love a classic truck back into health, repair after repair. Each job gave me more confidence to pursue a career in automotive.  I will graduate in December with my Machine Tool Technology associate degree and will head to the University of Alabama and then the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for Motorsports Engineering. Working with my dad on this truck has given me the knowledge, confidence, and passion to become an automotive professional and to pursue my dream of running a performance racing shop.