Winter in Cleveland doesn't exactly make you think about summer motorcycle riding, does it?  I didn't think so either, but that's when the motorcycle show is held at the IX Center in Cleveland.



I guess if you're in need of a bar bike, this No 7 themed bike is perfect.  Great imagination, helped by the nice folks at Jack Daniels?

I love Dave Despain.  I've been watching him for years.  You always know where you stand with Dave, no grey area.  If he likes, it he tells you, if he doesn't, he tells you too.  A fine honest broadcaster.

In a previous Wind Tunnel show, Dave was talking about Danica's racing career, and how it's time for her to "put up or shut up".  I'll be honest, I am not a Danica fan.  I feel that her career is based on her looks and marketing skills, rather than her prowess with a steering wheel.  I know that today a racer needs the whole "package", looks, driving skill, and marketing skills.  Danica has two out of three of those in large volume.  The third....not so much.

If you don't agree with me, go back and look at Danica's Indycar career.  Sure, she won an oval in Japan.  It was inherited.  As a former racer myself, I'll take an inherited win any time, the earned wins were always hard to come by.  How many times do you remember Danica hounding another driver for position?  I don't mean just following another driver looking for a way past, but hounding the leading driver with aggression.  I mean like Simona did to Kanaan, THAT was hounding.  Hasn't happened with Danica has it?

Dave is absolutely correct.  Danica HAS TO put up or shut up now that she's in NASCAR.  I understand that her early exit from this year's Daytona 500 wasn't her fault.    If she doesn't "grow a pair", she'll be making more early exits from races and costing her car owner more money than she's worth.  Will Indycar miss her?  Now that Indycar has Rubens, probably not.

I've recently taken delivery of a life long dream project.  An Oze Rod Shop '37 Ford Roadster kit car has been delivered to me for assembly (you will find their web site link in our Web Links menu).  I've watched these kits for a few years now, and finally my dream has become a reality...sort of.  Actually, you will be watching my dream become a reality.

Some of you will be able to "throw in your 2 cents worth" into the build as I go along as well.  All of you backyard mechanics can cheer me on or throw electronic tomatoes at me by sending an email to the "contact us" section of this website.  For those of you who are building an Oze kit and using this article as a guide, read back through every once and awhile as I will update previously written areas to improve the content and the clarity....and fix mistakes.

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