So I spend the weekend back home in Ohio doing the family thing. Arrive home this fine morning to be on call for work this week instead of on vacation

I arrive to find a box sitting at my front door. I'm thinking, what did i order. Couldn't think of anything. Maybe someone left me a christmas gift while i was away.

I get to the door, and find no markings on the box at all.

Open it up, only to find a CD case and CD inside. With the simple note, "Merry Christmas, view on your computer"

printed nicely on the CD is this picture....



I think to myself, oh this should be good. The boys at Hardcore brought me a gift.

I pop the Disc into the old comp and i get this fine piece of video....

http://stenodracing.com/challenge/christmas.mpg



I do believe I've been challenged.

By a professional race team, with a 50,000 sq ft facility, and more combined years of experience than I've even been alive.

I'm flattered

This naturally brings me to the Truth about Stenod Racing

We're 5 guys, none of which have decades of experience. Hell, I think i'm the oldest of the bunch and only holding onto my 20's for another couple weeks. We all work our 9 to 5's or go to school, or both. And spend our evenings and weekends working on the cars.

My Crew Chief Joe (Stenod) is my best friend. He doesn't get paid. He does it for the thrill, and to be part of the action. Racing is in his blood, he raced power boats with his dad and brother years ago. I trust him to line me up, keep me safe, and tell me what i'm doing wrong.

Coach, Marcus, and Derty make the rest of the action possible. They help me spin wrenches, fabricate, and get the job done at the track. Honestly, without them I couldn't make it to the track. Let alone to the lights. They all spend countless hours helping me, and all they ask for is help in return. We all have our "racecars". We do it, because it's fun.

But none of that matters, cause when the tree comes down we're racing too

and for the record....

Stock block, stock crank, #317 casting heads...



Good luck to the Hardcore crew this winter in Florida, set the bar high. Who knows what will happen when the Stenod crew actually trys to go fast in '05

and BTW, it was nice of you to make the trip down from Flint-town to deliver my gift. I got a good chuckle out of it.

 

I love it.

Kick some ****. You guys always have a place to crash in Florida, I am a few hrs from the tracks though.

 

Harlan ... ... Hardcore Motorsports

 

Go get 'em Harlan!

 

I think they might be a little sweet on you Harlan......

Thats really special of them.

 

turbo > supercharger

 

So all that money and experience gets you one tenth and -a few mph? I'm not sold

Peace,
Josh

 

I have to give them credit, thats pretty funny and clever.

Shawn

 

So Matt, do you accept the challenge? We're just having a little fun, don't take it too seriously and let's go racing. You and your crew should be VERY proud of your accomplishments, your car is awesome. If you're running anywhere in January, let me know, maybe we can set up a grudge race or two for fun, bet you dinner and a beer. I think we're going to Bradenton again sometime after Jan 8. Then Houston in Feb, maybe. We're chasin' that 7, trying to beat you to it

Gary Penn
Hardcore Motorsports
5200 Clio Rd.
Flint, MI 48504
810-787-2960
weracehardcore.com

 

I love it lol. Thats the kind of stuff that makes everyday living so fun.

TJ

 

I gotta hand it to the Hardcore guys, that is one funny challenge! Pretty creative.

The Stenod Racing Team has alot to be proud of. You guys are the shadetree mechanics that everyone aspires to be

2005 will be interesting!

 

Thats classic.

Matt Why dont you start looking for financial help? You should go to the local car dealer and talk to the owner or GM or maybe a parts distributor. Tell them who you are and what you are doing (or trying to do) and see if you can get some financial help. You would be supprised at the responce.

I have a friend that was just a local street racer and wanted to go outlaw racing and he started asking around and playing the game "politics" and now he has a mid 7 second outlaw car and runs in the NMRA and finished in the top 5 and he gets alot of financial help from a couple of local buissnes.

Now go get some money and whoop some "big team" ***.

 

That was cool and funny of Hardcore...this is how racing should be, friendly rivalry that makes for the best competition. If you want to see the opposite of this, go to corvetteforum.com and look at the pissing matches between L.G. and Cartek...its ridiculous. The DVD was a funny idea. I would take it as great praise if I were on a lil' ol 5 man team and got the attention of a big outfit. This is much more fun to read about than "so-and-so sets the NA stock displacement recod for such and such car on such and such date with stock rod bolts and 3 day old oil on a Tuesday over 50 degrees during a full moon" bullshit we see too much on the threads.

SDB

 

I love it This sounds like it's shaping up to be a fast year

 

Lets see some 7 second time slips. Good luck to both parties.

 

Hey Gary, when your down in Houston for the pro stock super bowl, would you be interested in linning up next to a little old LT1 car? and maybe even a LS1 car if we get it finished in time?

 

thats f'ing great!

 

thats one of the funniest things ive seen in a while. that whole ordeal sounds like something i would of done to a rival. friendly competition never hurt anyone. unless the competition was in hurrting people...but i dont think thats the case this time. good luck to both!

 

Oh the drama!


why only challenge one big hitter, theres a couple of little guys in ohio should be in on this too.

 

Go get em halarn........