Charlotte, N.C.--Ask Alan Gustafson, crew chief for Kyle Busch and the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST NASCAR Nextel Cup Chevrolet, to describe himself, and the response is a modest, "I'm a pretty ordinary guy."      

Springfield, Mo.--Remanufacturing is becoming sexy.  That remanufacturing is becoming "sexy" is the forthright observation of John P. "Jack" Stack, president and CEO of SRC Holdings Corp.

Cape Girardeau, Mo.--In the world of engineering, a "Double E" is shorthand for someone who has a degree in electrical engineering. At Parks' Automotive, a reference to "Double E" might very well stand for "education" and "efficiency," two key components of a successful business for Owners Amy and Bryant Parks.

Branson, Mo.--The Hemmings Branson Vintage Rally on June 11-15 raised more than $30,000 for Unlocking Autism and the Autism Society of America.

St. Louis--Ask Kurt Siems, president of Concord CARQUEST Auto Parts, to name the key ingredients of a successful retail and wholesale parts operation, and without hesitation he will cite two things.  "It's inventory and people," he said.

Smithton, Ill.--In 80 years, Meckfessel Tire and Auto has come a long way from trading chickens for tires.  That, of course, was in the middle of the Great Depression, just after Henry Meckfessel opened a small tire shop in Belleville, Ill.  Today, Meckfessel Tire and Auto still operates from that same Belleville location, albeit in a much-expanded and modern facility.

In 1973, in search of affordable transportation, Bernardo and Ines Martinez acquired a 1972 Alfa Romeo Berlina from Bobcor Motors in Buffalo, N.Y. Today, they still own the car, but instead of hauling kids and groceries, as it once did, it serves as one of Bernardo Martinez's vintage Alfa racers. (See Part I of this story.)

In his day job, Bernardo Martinez is a vascular surgeon who specializes in endovascular and endolaparoscopic vascular surgery at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo, Ohio.

As a surgeon trained in a field in which robotics plays an increasingly prominent role, one might expect Martinez to say he races for pleasure and relaxation.

St. Louis--The St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club honored area motorsports figures at its 42nd annual Banquet of Champions Jan. 24.  Among those honored were regional and national champions from drag racing, oval-track racing, and road racing.
Special guests included IRL driver and St. Louis resident Jeff Simmons and Butch Cooley, an Arnold, Mo., city councilman and a veteran St. Louis and Midwest oval-track racer.

St. Louis--The sky may have been cloudy at the Horseless Carriage Club of Missouri’s 48th annual Easter concours d’elegance April 12 in Forest Park, but visitors found enough highly polished brass and chrome, not to mention mirror-perfect paint jobs, to brighten any car enthusiast’s day.

Elkhart Lake, Wis.--The annual Kohler International Challenge with Brian Redman here at Road America has become a must-attend event for many fans of vintage and historic motorsports. Drivers also relish Road America’s fast and technical four-mile track that sweeps through the rolling Wisconsin countryside.