Bonding time with grandpa is at the race track

“I’ve always been into cars. It’s always been my hobby. I’ve had five or six different cars over the years that have just kind of been toys to play with. Right now, I have an ’89 Mustang that I’m completely redoing. I’m not going full-blown race car with it. It’s just something that I can take to the track to play with, but also still drive on the street.

“Both my grandfathers used to race, so that was something in my life growing up. My grandfather on my dad’s side has a ’66 Mustang that he’s taken to the drag strip for a long time. Ever since I was a kid, I’d go with him to help check the tire pressure, cool it down, prep for the track.

“He doesn’t compete like he used to. He’s getting older and can’t do it as much. He’s been trying to get my dad to take over and get into it. But my father’s afraid of it. He doesn’t want to break the car or anything like that. My grandpa told me, ‘This car was meant to be driven.’ I mean, it’s racing. You build it, race it, break it, fix it. Then repeat.

“It becomes a real love-hate relationship. It can break the bank. And it can become a strenuous task at points. If you’re not passionate about it, you’ll fall out of it easily.

“It’s been a strong bonding thing for us. Most of the time I’m with my grandpa, all we talk about is cars. A lot of people go fishing with their grandpas. For me, it’s always been at the track. I have a lot of great memories.”

— Ryan Nugent