This post is a tribute to my Dad, Steve Fosbinder. He has been the best Dad a girl could ask for.
I have many many wonderful memories of my Dad but one that stands out most in my heart was when he taught me how to drive.
As a traveling salesman my Dad went all over the state of Nebraska to do his job. One summer he took me with him on one of his road trips and we had a BLAST. He taught me how to drive in our jet black Eurosport wagon that we affectionately referred to as the "Batmobile".
It had tinted windows and that was cool.
That summer I learned how to drive on the "Brown Lee Road" in rural western Nebraska. It was Aaaaawwwwweeesome. I will never forget that.
I am pretty sure I inherited my love and NEED of speed from my Dad.
I like to drive fast but have learned over time that the little white signs with numbers (see above) are NOT JUST SUGGESTIONS.....
Aaaaheeem....moving on...
Life does not have to adhere to a speed limit and my Dad is a great example of living life by following your passions. At 66 years old he has restored two classic Nova Cars that have both won several awards.
Not to mention the totaled Ford Mustang Convertible that he bought for me the year before I turned 16 and restored it to near mint condition.
And you want to know what else is super cool??? My Dad RACES his cars!!
VROOM VROOM!!!
I am so proud of him, he will never know how much. This past year he completed the restoration of the red Chevy Nova Nomad and began to enter the drag race scene.
I felt this was a story worth telling so I contacted the local newspaper in my hometown of Fremont, Nebraska and they agreed....this guy is COOL.
Here is the story they published on MY DAD on Thanksgiving....November 25, 2010!
Fremont man enjoys rebuilding, racing cars
by Debra Jacobson (click HERE)
Racing opened doors for Steve Fosbinder.
Cars have been the Fremonter's hobby for 60 years.
Fosbinder's father, John, steered him toward car restoration.
"My dad was a mechanic during World War II. He worked at garages in Uehling and Oakland," Steve said.
"At age 4, I watched. By 7, he let me start doing stuff," he added.
Later the family moved to Fremont, where Steve graduated from high school in 1963.
He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Janet, for 45 years.
"He used to race a 1954 Ford. Racing was in his blood," Janet said. "Back in the early 1960s, we went racing every weekend."
Steve was one of the first in Fremont to own a Chevrolet Corvette.
"He didn't tell me - just drove up in a hunter green Corvette," Janet said.
He cruised through life, but took some time off to raise a family.
"Steve always had his eyes to the sky and his nose to the ground. He hung on to his dream - even after three daughters and four grandchildren," Janet said.
"Age does not have to put limits on realizing our goals," said the couple's daughter, Trisha Shamp of Minnesota. "My dad gave up a lot for his three girls - but he never gave up his love of cars."
"When a family comes, you put things on hold," said Charles Puls of Fremont.
A racer with more than 50 years experience, Puls is owner of C T Engine and Chassis Builders.
Puls has raced with Steve and helped him get back into it.
These days, Steve rebuilds Chevrolet Novas.
He has a red 1963 and a black 1967 model.
"It's a stylish clean little car with a lot of class," he said. "In 1966, the Nova held the class record. The black car took me four years to build - it was completely wrecked.
"I built it as a show car; too big of a motor to drive on the street," he joked.
Unaccustomed to showing off, he will automatically drag out a trophy at the drop of a hat.
The red car resembles a station wagon.
"They didn't make two-doors," he said. "The only way was to do it myself - I cut the doors out."
He replaced the four doors with two larger ones.
"I made it look like a nomad," he explained.
Steve was able to wander around scooping up parts while traveling for his job.
"When selling for Valmont, I stopped at junkyards," Steve said.
He discovered the 1967 Nova in Iowa about 10 years ago.
"He built two cars from nothing and they are both nice," Puls said. "He has an eye for detail and takes the time to do it right."
And both have seen a shift in racing over time.
It seems Steve's got the timing right.
Dad, I hope you like your racing cupcakes. You are my BEST IN SHOW!
Linking to:
The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays
Linking to:
The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays