This is very compelling story about a fellow senior about to graduate from Amherst College. I picked this article because it seems to tackle the bigger issue of low-income kids getting into elite colleges. The issue of affirmative action has been a very hot topic in Michigan for the past couple of years, so I thought that this article would be somewhat relevant to our class.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/27/education/27grad.html?hp. Basically Mr. Jack is a great success story about how a low-income African American kid was able to attend a great private school. Mr. Jack’s mother, who works as a school security guard making less than $26,000 a year, talks about how Anthony Jack was always so self-motivated. Jack enlightens the reader about how coming from a very poor background makes things that much harder when attending an extremely prestigious, rich, and white school.
Another reason why I picked this article is because of the piece that Meagan Brooks is doing for her final piece. In her piece she talks a lot about diversity at K, or lack thereof. When I learned that there are only six African American students in the entire class I was really shocked. I couldn’t believe it. Not only was I able to name each black student, but I am pretty good friends with all of them. For god sakes, I have shared with a room with 1/3 of black population in my graduating class. Anyway, I just thought that this article tied in really well with Megan’s piece, admission standards, and graduation.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Writing Piece #3 Rough Draft
Hip-Hop Culture goes Ape @#$%
Spawned from Harajuku, Japan, “where the currency is cool, and A Bathing Ape is the golden standard,” this Japanese “cult clothing” has now become the newest fad in the United States. The Hip-Hop culture has taken the United States and the rest of the world by storm within the past ten years and the clothing industry realizes that. A clothing line known as A Bathing Ape has become the newest hottest fashion as Hip-Hop becomes increasingly dominant in our society. We have seen how the Hip-Hop industry has progressed from being a fad into being the signature music of generation Y. It is not surprising that A Bathing Ape clothing has also become synonymous with this brightly colored type of music.
A Bathing Ape clothing line was created by Japanese designer DJ Nigo in 1993. Originally A Bathing Ape was recognized for the brightly colored shoes; no one had ever used crazy colored patent leather on shoes before. The original A Bathing Ape shoe style was devised in the resemblance of Nike Air Force Ones. These shoes come in all sorts of colors ranging from your simple black and white, to camouflage. Even for lyrical mastermind Common, who does not own a pair of BAPE sneakers says “It’s really progressive and in a way cutting edge, it is hip stuff.”
Of course, A Bathing Ape also sells other products such as T-shirts, outdoor clothing, home goods, and even action figures. Chances are you have seen some of A Bathing Ape’s apparel but were too mesmerized by the bright colors and patterns to take notice of the signature A Bathing Ape star, or BAPE star.
Before this new hot fashion became popular in the United States, this clothing line was considered “the ultimate symbol of youthful cool in Japan’s street culture,” says DJ DJ Nigo. Now, with the help of famous Hip-Hop artists like Pharrell, Kanye West, Mos Def, and Common A Bathing Ape clothing line has really become a must have for any avid Hip-Hop Junky. This has been somewhat surprising to many because of the change from what the Hip-Hop style has been in the past. When people think about Hip-Hop they think big jewelry, fancy cars, and lots of beautiful half-naked women, but A Bathing Ape clothing line has started to go away from that.
Of course, A Bathing Ape product line still captures the attention of its buyers “I enjoy the attention to detail they pay to their product. I like their cleverness and wittiness and I appreciate them as a design brand. It’s really encompasses the true spirit of what Hip-Hop culture is, and that’s why we are able to strongly connect with it,” says world renounced MC Mos Def. He also referred to A Bathing Ape clothing line as being in the same tradition of Dapper Dan, which was an “old-school” clothing line worn by rapper icon and legend Slick Rick.
Besides developing the A Bathing Ape line of products DJ Nigo has also teamed up with master music beat maker Pharrell. Together they created another line of shoes as well as other products known as Ice Cream. “I’ve got to support it because they are always thinking of something fresh whether it’s music, style or whatever,” says Common. The Ice Cream product line has similar items to with similar color schemes to A Bathing Ape, but nevertheless they are both really hot sellers in today’s Hip-Hop market place.
The secret to the success of the clothing line is its exclusivity; almost every one of A Bathing Ape’s products is limited-edition. The exclusivity of the brand is what makes the brand so hot. For example, A Bathing Ape’s Hong Kong branch allows only prescreened people to shop there. This means that only people who are in certain industries or are connected are able to actually shop at the stores. This is the reason for the rock-concert fashion lines and why the resale of a simple T-shirt could be priced all the way up to around $1,000. The newest store location is in Soho, New York. This store will be one of the official stores around world. The other main stores are located in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and London. Along with the official stores A Bathing Ape Products can also be purchased online at http://www.bape.com.
I have been a strong supporter of the hip-hop community for about the last decade, and I have never seen any type of clothing line like this before. DJ Nigo has definitely found a niche in the market and not only is he making he apparel known world wide, but hopefully soon A Bathing Ape will be a regular household name. With the help of famous Hip-Hop artists along with the growing demand for Bathing Ape products, soon this line of clothing will not be a trend it will be the standard.
Spawned from Harajuku, Japan, “where the currency is cool, and A Bathing Ape is the golden standard,” this Japanese “cult clothing” has now become the newest fad in the United States. The Hip-Hop culture has taken the United States and the rest of the world by storm within the past ten years and the clothing industry realizes that. A clothing line known as A Bathing Ape has become the newest hottest fashion as Hip-Hop becomes increasingly dominant in our society. We have seen how the Hip-Hop industry has progressed from being a fad into being the signature music of generation Y. It is not surprising that A Bathing Ape clothing has also become synonymous with this brightly colored type of music.
A Bathing Ape clothing line was created by Japanese designer DJ Nigo in 1993. Originally A Bathing Ape was recognized for the brightly colored shoes; no one had ever used crazy colored patent leather on shoes before. The original A Bathing Ape shoe style was devised in the resemblance of Nike Air Force Ones. These shoes come in all sorts of colors ranging from your simple black and white, to camouflage. Even for lyrical mastermind Common, who does not own a pair of BAPE sneakers says “It’s really progressive and in a way cutting edge, it is hip stuff.”
Of course, A Bathing Ape also sells other products such as T-shirts, outdoor clothing, home goods, and even action figures. Chances are you have seen some of A Bathing Ape’s apparel but were too mesmerized by the bright colors and patterns to take notice of the signature A Bathing Ape star, or BAPE star.
Before this new hot fashion became popular in the United States, this clothing line was considered “the ultimate symbol of youthful cool in Japan’s street culture,” says DJ DJ Nigo. Now, with the help of famous Hip-Hop artists like Pharrell, Kanye West, Mos Def, and Common A Bathing Ape clothing line has really become a must have for any avid Hip-Hop Junky. This has been somewhat surprising to many because of the change from what the Hip-Hop style has been in the past. When people think about Hip-Hop they think big jewelry, fancy cars, and lots of beautiful half-naked women, but A Bathing Ape clothing line has started to go away from that.
Of course, A Bathing Ape product line still captures the attention of its buyers “I enjoy the attention to detail they pay to their product. I like their cleverness and wittiness and I appreciate them as a design brand. It’s really encompasses the true spirit of what Hip-Hop culture is, and that’s why we are able to strongly connect with it,” says world renounced MC Mos Def. He also referred to A Bathing Ape clothing line as being in the same tradition of Dapper Dan, which was an “old-school” clothing line worn by rapper icon and legend Slick Rick.
Besides developing the A Bathing Ape line of products DJ Nigo has also teamed up with master music beat maker Pharrell. Together they created another line of shoes as well as other products known as Ice Cream. “I’ve got to support it because they are always thinking of something fresh whether it’s music, style or whatever,” says Common. The Ice Cream product line has similar items to with similar color schemes to A Bathing Ape, but nevertheless they are both really hot sellers in today’s Hip-Hop market place.
The secret to the success of the clothing line is its exclusivity; almost every one of A Bathing Ape’s products is limited-edition. The exclusivity of the brand is what makes the brand so hot. For example, A Bathing Ape’s Hong Kong branch allows only prescreened people to shop there. This means that only people who are in certain industries or are connected are able to actually shop at the stores. This is the reason for the rock-concert fashion lines and why the resale of a simple T-shirt could be priced all the way up to around $1,000. The newest store location is in Soho, New York. This store will be one of the official stores around world. The other main stores are located in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and London. Along with the official stores A Bathing Ape Products can also be purchased online at http://www.bape.com.
I have been a strong supporter of the hip-hop community for about the last decade, and I have never seen any type of clothing line like this before. DJ Nigo has definitely found a niche in the market and not only is he making he apparel known world wide, but hopefully soon A Bathing Ape will be a regular household name. With the help of famous Hip-Hop artists along with the growing demand for Bathing Ape products, soon this line of clothing will not be a trend it will be the standard.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Thoughts on Reid's Article
The taste that launched 1,000 parking tickets
Pinkberry addicts cramp the style of one neighborhood.
By Deborah Netburn, Times Staff WriterAugust 4, 2006
I really enjoyed this article bout the Korean women who after being shot down time after time by the neighborhood committee, she ended up striking it rich. This new obsession with Pinkberry around the Los Angeles has motivated her to start opening up new locations around the LA area along with talk of opening nationally.
What makes this article so interesting is that Hwang has such a confidence in her product that she is confident she can make her amazing yogurt work all over the nation. The underlying story within this success story is that the neighbors have a hard time with all of the traffic and bustle that can be found around Pinkberry.
Finding a niche in the U.S. culture today is starting to seem as easy as turning on a light switch.
Pinkberry addicts cramp the style of one neighborhood.
By Deborah Netburn, Times Staff WriterAugust 4, 2006
I really enjoyed this article bout the Korean women who after being shot down time after time by the neighborhood committee, she ended up striking it rich. This new obsession with Pinkberry around the Los Angeles has motivated her to start opening up new locations around the LA area along with talk of opening nationally.
What makes this article so interesting is that Hwang has such a confidence in her product that she is confident she can make her amazing yogurt work all over the nation. The underlying story within this success story is that the neighbors have a hard time with all of the traffic and bustle that can be found around Pinkberry.
Finding a niche in the U.S. culture today is starting to seem as easy as turning on a light switch.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Profile Final Final
World Championship Drag Racer Danny Scott
With oil under his fingernails, perfectly combed silver-grey hair, a pair of black jeans, a collared shirt, and a big white smile World Champion Drag Racer Danny Scott was more than happy to recall his great racing achievements.
Years and years of street and professional racing have helped develop Danny Scott into the great competitor and wonderful human being that he is today. “I started street racing when I was a teenager, I was kind of a gear head,” says Mr. Scott. Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, the automobile capital of the world, Mr. Scott never had a hard time finding someone to race.
“Every weekend we would cruise up and down Woodward Ave. looking for someone to race against and most of the time it was easy finding someone that wanted a piece of me,” Mr. Scott said. As he established his street racing credit, he finally moved to the professional circuit in the Pro Street racing class. Today, looking back at all of it Mr. Scott still says “I really enjoyed going fast. Being the best was something I had always dreamed about, but really, I winning was never that important.” With his racing days concluded, now all Danny Scott has are the great racing memories and the awards to go with them.
Picked #1 by Hot Rod Magazine’s 25th Anniversary Edition as their “Top Ten Car over the past 25 years,” “Fastest Street Car in America” Award in 1991, 92, and 93. He was also 1999 Pro Street Champion, and helped establish the fastest car racing series. The famous world champion car that Danny Scott built was a 1966 Chevelle. Mr. Scott’s described his car: “It was a teal, 1966 Chevelle, with a hood scoop that housed a 638 cubic inch engine, custom stainless headers, and airflow research heads. At peak performance the car produced around 2100 horsepower with three stages of Nitrous Oxide.” This world famous automobile was able to do a quarter mile in around six seconds at 220 mph, when tuned to perfection.
Mr. Scott said “the car was really fast, every time I put gas pedal to the floor, the raw power of the car would always surprise me.” While watching one of his old racing films it really made his experience much more vivid. With the huge crowds of people, the wild burn outs, and amazing speeds I can see why he loved being the best.
Mr. Scott started describing the preparation that goes into racing. “Drag racing is a dangerous sport, before I ever even got into my racing suit I would make sure that all I’s were dotted and T’s crossed. If my crew or I were to overlook anything on the car, I could have been killed,” stated Mr. Scott. As we all know race car drivers are at extreme risk when they are traveling at such fast speeds, so it is only logical that he took all of the safety precautions. Mr. Scott said “I would put on my fire retardant suit, check to make sure that the engine was in perfect condition, and make sure that the parachute was packed and ready.”
Once he had gone through his safety check list, then mental preparation begins. He explained how he would visualize the way he was going to release the line lock when the light turned green on the tree (The tree is what they call the lights saying when to go). “I would think about at 8000 rpm’s I’m going to shift from first gear to second and so on,” remembers Mr. Scott. He remembers what it felt like when his world class car would jump off the line and charge down the race track; “every time I finished a race, I would be happy that I was safe, and think damn, that was fast.”
His mind had to stay focused. With a machine as powerful as his, nothing and no one else matters, it was just him and the car. He spoke about how when he was racing it was never to beat the other guy, but more of he was racing himself. “Sitting in the car, waiting to do my burn out before the race, I would talk to myself quite a bit. I would remind myself what needs to be done in order to be safe and win the race. I never really worried about what the other guy was doing.” If the car was to jump out of the grooves on the track, if the engine was to blow up, or if the parachute was to not open, all of these meant that Mr. Scott would not win the race but, he could have been severely injured or even killed.
“Of course, that’s what this sport is all about, you try to be as safe as possible, but even the unexpected should be covered,” says old racing buddy Rick Dyer. Rick Dyer an experienced racer, good friend to Mr. Scott, and fellow car fanatic, really had some great words to describe Danny Scott.
Before I could even ask a question Rick Dyer had cracked a joke at Danny Scott’s expense, this really showed me that they are close friends who joke freely. “In all seriousness though, Danny is a professional, a gentlemen, or as I like to call him, “a gentle giant.”” “Danny was a giant in the street racing community and never caused any wave. He deserved every award and his achievements are giant in the world of street racing.” Danny Scott and Rick Dyer have been good friends, tough competitors, and drag racing legends for quite sometime now.
Danny Scott is now the Chief Engineer and Technical Advisor, for the multi-million dollar corporation CMI-Schneible, which has a muscle car division known as Detroit Muscle. “I really enjoy working for such versatile company. I get to have my hand in all sorts of different projects, and I get to be around muscle cars.” Co-worker and good friend Patrick Goetz was only able to say one phrase when asked to describe Danny’s racing career “That man was fast!”
Although his actual racing time has long expired, his involvement with the racing industry is still very much a part of his life. He is the expert advisor to the entire engine building division of Detroit Muscle, and pretty much the guy that gives each car the final inspection before it is handed over to another satisfied customer. Being the racing legend that he was, it is not surprising that people still come to him for drag racing advice, ways to improve engine power, and of course, just to hear about the days when he was a champion.
With oil under his fingernails, perfectly combed silver-grey hair, a pair of black jeans, a collared shirt, and a big white smile World Champion Drag Racer Danny Scott was more than happy to recall his great racing achievements.
Years and years of street and professional racing have helped develop Danny Scott into the great competitor and wonderful human being that he is today. “I started street racing when I was a teenager, I was kind of a gear head,” says Mr. Scott. Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, the automobile capital of the world, Mr. Scott never had a hard time finding someone to race.
“Every weekend we would cruise up and down Woodward Ave. looking for someone to race against and most of the time it was easy finding someone that wanted a piece of me,” Mr. Scott said. As he established his street racing credit, he finally moved to the professional circuit in the Pro Street racing class. Today, looking back at all of it Mr. Scott still says “I really enjoyed going fast. Being the best was something I had always dreamed about, but really, I winning was never that important.” With his racing days concluded, now all Danny Scott has are the great racing memories and the awards to go with them.
Picked #1 by Hot Rod Magazine’s 25th Anniversary Edition as their “Top Ten Car over the past 25 years,” “Fastest Street Car in America” Award in 1991, 92, and 93. He was also 1999 Pro Street Champion, and helped establish the fastest car racing series. The famous world champion car that Danny Scott built was a 1966 Chevelle. Mr. Scott’s described his car: “It was a teal, 1966 Chevelle, with a hood scoop that housed a 638 cubic inch engine, custom stainless headers, and airflow research heads. At peak performance the car produced around 2100 horsepower with three stages of Nitrous Oxide.” This world famous automobile was able to do a quarter mile in around six seconds at 220 mph, when tuned to perfection.
Mr. Scott said “the car was really fast, every time I put gas pedal to the floor, the raw power of the car would always surprise me.” While watching one of his old racing films it really made his experience much more vivid. With the huge crowds of people, the wild burn outs, and amazing speeds I can see why he loved being the best.
Mr. Scott started describing the preparation that goes into racing. “Drag racing is a dangerous sport, before I ever even got into my racing suit I would make sure that all I’s were dotted and T’s crossed. If my crew or I were to overlook anything on the car, I could have been killed,” stated Mr. Scott. As we all know race car drivers are at extreme risk when they are traveling at such fast speeds, so it is only logical that he took all of the safety precautions. Mr. Scott said “I would put on my fire retardant suit, check to make sure that the engine was in perfect condition, and make sure that the parachute was packed and ready.”
Once he had gone through his safety check list, then mental preparation begins. He explained how he would visualize the way he was going to release the line lock when the light turned green on the tree (The tree is what they call the lights saying when to go). “I would think about at 8000 rpm’s I’m going to shift from first gear to second and so on,” remembers Mr. Scott. He remembers what it felt like when his world class car would jump off the line and charge down the race track; “every time I finished a race, I would be happy that I was safe, and think damn, that was fast.”
His mind had to stay focused. With a machine as powerful as his, nothing and no one else matters, it was just him and the car. He spoke about how when he was racing it was never to beat the other guy, but more of he was racing himself. “Sitting in the car, waiting to do my burn out before the race, I would talk to myself quite a bit. I would remind myself what needs to be done in order to be safe and win the race. I never really worried about what the other guy was doing.” If the car was to jump out of the grooves on the track, if the engine was to blow up, or if the parachute was to not open, all of these meant that Mr. Scott would not win the race but, he could have been severely injured or even killed.
“Of course, that’s what this sport is all about, you try to be as safe as possible, but even the unexpected should be covered,” says old racing buddy Rick Dyer. Rick Dyer an experienced racer, good friend to Mr. Scott, and fellow car fanatic, really had some great words to describe Danny Scott.
Before I could even ask a question Rick Dyer had cracked a joke at Danny Scott’s expense, this really showed me that they are close friends who joke freely. “In all seriousness though, Danny is a professional, a gentlemen, or as I like to call him, “a gentle giant.”” “Danny was a giant in the street racing community and never caused any wave. He deserved every award and his achievements are giant in the world of street racing.” Danny Scott and Rick Dyer have been good friends, tough competitors, and drag racing legends for quite sometime now.
Danny Scott is now the Chief Engineer and Technical Advisor, for the multi-million dollar corporation CMI-Schneible, which has a muscle car division known as Detroit Muscle. “I really enjoy working for such versatile company. I get to have my hand in all sorts of different projects, and I get to be around muscle cars.” Co-worker and good friend Patrick Goetz was only able to say one phrase when asked to describe Danny’s racing career “That man was fast!”
Although his actual racing time has long expired, his involvement with the racing industry is still very much a part of his life. He is the expert advisor to the entire engine building division of Detroit Muscle, and pretty much the guy that gives each car the final inspection before it is handed over to another satisfied customer. Being the racing legend that he was, it is not surprising that people still come to him for drag racing advice, ways to improve engine power, and of course, just to hear about the days when he was a champion.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
World Champion Danny Scott Final Profile
World Championship Drag Racer Danny Scott
With oil under his fingernails, perfectly combed silver-grey hair, a pair of black jeans, a collared shirt, and a big white smile World Champion Drag Racer Danny Scott was more than happy to recall his great racing achievements.
Years and years of street and professional racing have helped develop Danny Scott into the great competitor and wonderful human being that he is today. “I started street racing when I was a teenager, I was kind of a gear head,” says Mr. Scott. Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, the automobile capital of the world, Mr. Scott never had a hard time finding someone to race.
“Every weekend we would cruise up and down Woodward Ave. looking for someone to race against and most of the time it was easy finding someone that wanted a piece of me,” Mr. Scott said. As he established his street racing credit, he finally moved to the professional circuit in the Pro Street racing class. Today, looking back at all of it Mr. Scott still says “I really enjoyed going fast. Being the best was something I had always dreamed about, but really, I winning was never that important.” With his racing days concluded, now all Danny Scott has are the great racing memories and the awards to go with them.
Picked #1 by Hot Rod Magazine’s 25th Anniversary Edition as their “Top Ten Car over the past 25 years,” “Fastest Street Car in America” Award in 1991, 92, and 93. He was also 1999 Pro Street Champion, and helped establish the fastest car racing series. The famous world champion car that Danny Scott built was a 1966 Chevelle. Mr. Scott’s described his car: “It was a teal, 1966 Chevelle, with a hood scoop that housed a 638 cubic inch engine, custom stainless headers, and airflow research heads. At peak performance the car produced around 2100 horsepower with three stages of Nitrous Oxide.” This world famous automobile was able to do a quarter mile in around six seconds at 220 mph, when tuned to perfection.
In comparison, the 2007 corvette, with its 427 cubic inch engine, produces 505 horsepower, and is able to do a quarter mile in 11.7 seconds at 125 mph. Mr. Scott said “the car was really fast, every time I put gas pedal to the floor, the raw power of the car would always surprise me.”
Mr. Scott started describing the preparation that goes into racing. “Drag racing is a dangerous sport, before I ever even got into my racing suit I would make sure that all I’s were dotted and T’s crossed. If my crew or I were to overlook anything on the car, I could have been killed,” stated Mr. Scott. As we all know race car drivers are at extreme risk when they are traveling at such fast speeds, so it is only logical that he took all of the safety precautions. Mr. Scott said “I would put on my fire retardant suit, check to make sure that the engine was in perfect condition, and make sure that the parachute was packed and ready.”
Once he had gone through his safety check list, then mental preparation begins. He explained how he would visualize the way he was going to release the line lock when the light turned green on the tree (The tree is what they call the lights saying when to go). “I would think about at 8000 rpm’s I’m going to shift from first gear to second and so on,” remembers Mr. Scott. He remembers what it felt like when his world class car would jump off the line and charge down the race track; “every time I finished a race, I would be happy that I was safe, and think damn, that was fast.”
His mind had to stay focused. With a machine as powerful as his, nothing and no one else matters, it was just him and the car. He spoke about how when he was racing it was never to beat the other guy, but more of he was racing himself. “Sitting in the car, waiting to do my burn out before the race, I would talk to himself quite a bit. I would remind myself what needs to be done in order to be safe and win the race. I never really worried about what the other guy was doing.” If the car was to jump out of the grooves on the track, if the engine was to blow up, or if the parachute was to not open, all of these meant that Mr. Scott would not win the race but, he could have been severely injured or even killed.
“Of course, that’s what this sport is all about, you try to be as safe as possible, but even the unexpected should be covered,” says old racing buddy Rick Dyer. Rick Dyer an experienced racer, good friend to Mr. Scott, and fellow car fanatic, really had some great words to describe Danny Scott. He said that “although Danny maybe a quiet guy for the most part, he was a subtle competitor, people would always underestimate Danny.” Danny Scott and Rick Dyer have been good friends, tough competitors, and drag racing legends for quite sometime now.
Danny Scott is now the Chief Engineer and Technical Advisor, for the multi-million dollar corporation CMI-Schneible, which has a muscle car division known as Detroit Muscle. “I really enjoy working for such versatile company. I get to have my hand in all sorts of different projects, and I get to be around muscle cars.”
Although his actual racing time has long expired, his involvement with the racing industry is still very much a part of his life. He is the expert advisor to the entire engine building division of Detroit Muscle, and pretty much the guy that gives each car the final inspection before it is handed over to another satisfied customer. Being the racing legend that he was, it is not surprising that people still come to him for drag racing advice, ways to improve engine power, and of course, just to hear about the days when he was a champion.
With oil under his fingernails, perfectly combed silver-grey hair, a pair of black jeans, a collared shirt, and a big white smile World Champion Drag Racer Danny Scott was more than happy to recall his great racing achievements.
Years and years of street and professional racing have helped develop Danny Scott into the great competitor and wonderful human being that he is today. “I started street racing when I was a teenager, I was kind of a gear head,” says Mr. Scott. Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, the automobile capital of the world, Mr. Scott never had a hard time finding someone to race.
“Every weekend we would cruise up and down Woodward Ave. looking for someone to race against and most of the time it was easy finding someone that wanted a piece of me,” Mr. Scott said. As he established his street racing credit, he finally moved to the professional circuit in the Pro Street racing class. Today, looking back at all of it Mr. Scott still says “I really enjoyed going fast. Being the best was something I had always dreamed about, but really, I winning was never that important.” With his racing days concluded, now all Danny Scott has are the great racing memories and the awards to go with them.
Picked #1 by Hot Rod Magazine’s 25th Anniversary Edition as their “Top Ten Car over the past 25 years,” “Fastest Street Car in America” Award in 1991, 92, and 93. He was also 1999 Pro Street Champion, and helped establish the fastest car racing series. The famous world champion car that Danny Scott built was a 1966 Chevelle. Mr. Scott’s described his car: “It was a teal, 1966 Chevelle, with a hood scoop that housed a 638 cubic inch engine, custom stainless headers, and airflow research heads. At peak performance the car produced around 2100 horsepower with three stages of Nitrous Oxide.” This world famous automobile was able to do a quarter mile in around six seconds at 220 mph, when tuned to perfection.
In comparison, the 2007 corvette, with its 427 cubic inch engine, produces 505 horsepower, and is able to do a quarter mile in 11.7 seconds at 125 mph. Mr. Scott said “the car was really fast, every time I put gas pedal to the floor, the raw power of the car would always surprise me.”
Mr. Scott started describing the preparation that goes into racing. “Drag racing is a dangerous sport, before I ever even got into my racing suit I would make sure that all I’s were dotted and T’s crossed. If my crew or I were to overlook anything on the car, I could have been killed,” stated Mr. Scott. As we all know race car drivers are at extreme risk when they are traveling at such fast speeds, so it is only logical that he took all of the safety precautions. Mr. Scott said “I would put on my fire retardant suit, check to make sure that the engine was in perfect condition, and make sure that the parachute was packed and ready.”
Once he had gone through his safety check list, then mental preparation begins. He explained how he would visualize the way he was going to release the line lock when the light turned green on the tree (The tree is what they call the lights saying when to go). “I would think about at 8000 rpm’s I’m going to shift from first gear to second and so on,” remembers Mr. Scott. He remembers what it felt like when his world class car would jump off the line and charge down the race track; “every time I finished a race, I would be happy that I was safe, and think damn, that was fast.”
His mind had to stay focused. With a machine as powerful as his, nothing and no one else matters, it was just him and the car. He spoke about how when he was racing it was never to beat the other guy, but more of he was racing himself. “Sitting in the car, waiting to do my burn out before the race, I would talk to himself quite a bit. I would remind myself what needs to be done in order to be safe and win the race. I never really worried about what the other guy was doing.” If the car was to jump out of the grooves on the track, if the engine was to blow up, or if the parachute was to not open, all of these meant that Mr. Scott would not win the race but, he could have been severely injured or even killed.
“Of course, that’s what this sport is all about, you try to be as safe as possible, but even the unexpected should be covered,” says old racing buddy Rick Dyer. Rick Dyer an experienced racer, good friend to Mr. Scott, and fellow car fanatic, really had some great words to describe Danny Scott. He said that “although Danny maybe a quiet guy for the most part, he was a subtle competitor, people would always underestimate Danny.” Danny Scott and Rick Dyer have been good friends, tough competitors, and drag racing legends for quite sometime now.
Danny Scott is now the Chief Engineer and Technical Advisor, for the multi-million dollar corporation CMI-Schneible, which has a muscle car division known as Detroit Muscle. “I really enjoy working for such versatile company. I get to have my hand in all sorts of different projects, and I get to be around muscle cars.”
Although his actual racing time has long expired, his involvement with the racing industry is still very much a part of his life. He is the expert advisor to the entire engine building division of Detroit Muscle, and pretty much the guy that gives each car the final inspection before it is handed over to another satisfied customer. Being the racing legend that he was, it is not surprising that people still come to him for drag racing advice, ways to improve engine power, and of course, just to hear about the days when he was a champion.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Discussion about Mike L.’s Profile
Discussion about Mike L.’s Profile
First of all I just wanted to start off by saying that I really enjoyed this piece. Taking into consideration that this piece is his rough draft, I really connected with the profile. I am a frequent customer at Shakespeare’s Pub and I knew exactly what atmosphere Mike was talking about. Interviewing one of the Shakespeare’s owners is exactly the type of insight and information that I want to read about, which is why Mike’s profile was so interesting.
I really enjoyed ready about what the future plans of Shakespeare’s is looking like. When the owner was describing the new construction and the local festivities that are featured in downtown Kalamazoo, I really felt like Shakespeare’s could really start to make a name for itself outside of Kalamazoo.
The underlying story for me was that the two current owners of Shakespeare’s were once just like me. Uncertain of what the future held for them, all they really wanted was to continue the college experience and get paid at the same time. It’s really good to hear stories like this about two good friends following a crazy idea, and really enjoy achieving their dream.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Profile Draft
World Championship Drag Racer Danny Scott
Oil under his fingernails, perfectly combed silver grey hair, a pair of black jeans, a collared shirt with the name CMI-Schneible embroidered on it, and a big white smile Ex-World Champion Drag Racer Danny Scott was more than happy to explain his great racing achievements. Years and years of street and professional racing have helped develop Danny Scott into the great competitor and wonderful human being that he is today. Father of two girls, Suzan and Rebecca, husband to a loving wife Suzan, as well as friend and mentor too many, Danny Scott has been an all around amazing man, on and off the race track.
Picked #1 by Hot Rod Magazine’s 25th Anniversary Edition as their “Top Ten Car over the past 25 years,” “One of the Fastest Street Cars in America” Award in 1991, 1992, and 1993, 1999 Pro Street Champion, and helped establish the fastest car racing series, in the past Danny Scott was very familiar with being on top. The famous car that Danny Scott built was a 1966 Chavelle. Danny Scott’s race car is teal, with a hood scoop that houses the 638 cubic inch engine, put together with custom stainless headers and airflow research heads, and right around 2100 horsepower with three stages of NOS (Nitrous Oxide System). This car was able to do a quarter mile in around six seconds at around 220 mph, when tuned to perfection. In comparison, the 2007 corvette, with its 427 cubic inch engine, produces 505 horsepower, and is able to do a quarter mile in 11.7 seconds at 125 mph. Understanding how fast Mr. Scott’s really was is impossible, but he was able to describe the feeling to me.
He started by describing the preparation that goes into racing before the racer gets into the car. As we all know race car drivers are at extreme risk when they are traveling at such fast speeds, so it is only logical that making sure that all the safety precautions are taken before he even steps into the car. He described how he would meticulously put on his fire retardant suit, check to make sure that the engine was in perfect condition, and make sure that the parachute was packed and ready. Once he had gone through his safety check list, then mental preparation begins. He explained how he would visualize the way he was going to release the line lock when the light turned green on the tree (The tree is what they call the lights saying when to go). He would think about at 8000 rpm’s he is going to shift from first gear to second. He remembers what it feels like when his world class car jumps off the line and charges down the race track. Finally, he visualizes the win, something that he had become accustomed to.
Once it is time for him to get into the car, his mind was very clear and focused. With a machine as powerful as his, nothing and no one else matters, it’s just him and the car. He talked about how when he was racing it was never to beat the other guy, but more of he was racing himself. Sitting in the car, waiting to do his burn out before the race, he would often talk to himself reminding him what needs to be done in order to be safe and win the race. If the car was to jump out of the grooves on the track, if the engine was to blow up, or if the parachute was to not open, all of these meant that Mr. Scott could be severely injured or even killed. “Of course, that’s what this sport is all about, you try to be as safe as possible, but even the unexpected should be covered,” says his racing buddy Rick Dyer. Rick Dyer a fellow racer, good friend, and inside contact for me, really had some great words to describe Danny Scott. He said that “although Danny maybe a quiet guy for the most part, he was a fierce competitor in his own right.” Always looking for an edge against the competition both Danny Scott and Rick Dyer has been good friends and drag racing legends for quite sometime.
Danny Scott is now the Chief Engineer and Technical Advisor, for the multi-million dollar corporation CMI-Schneible, which has a muscle car division known as Detroit Muscle. Although his actual racing time has long expired, his involvement with the racing industry is still very much a part of his life. He is the expert advisor to the entire engine building division of Detroit Muscle, and pretty much the guy that gives each car the final inspection before it is handed over to another satisfied customer. Being the racing legend that he was, it is not surprising that people still come to him for drag racing advice, ways to improve engine power, and of course, to hear about the days when he was a champion.
Oil under his fingernails, perfectly combed silver grey hair, a pair of black jeans, a collared shirt with the name CMI-Schneible embroidered on it, and a big white smile Ex-World Champion Drag Racer Danny Scott was more than happy to explain his great racing achievements. Years and years of street and professional racing have helped develop Danny Scott into the great competitor and wonderful human being that he is today. Father of two girls, Suzan and Rebecca, husband to a loving wife Suzan, as well as friend and mentor too many, Danny Scott has been an all around amazing man, on and off the race track.
Picked #1 by Hot Rod Magazine’s 25th Anniversary Edition as their “Top Ten Car over the past 25 years,” “One of the Fastest Street Cars in America” Award in 1991, 1992, and 1993, 1999 Pro Street Champion, and helped establish the fastest car racing series, in the past Danny Scott was very familiar with being on top. The famous car that Danny Scott built was a 1966 Chavelle. Danny Scott’s race car is teal, with a hood scoop that houses the 638 cubic inch engine, put together with custom stainless headers and airflow research heads, and right around 2100 horsepower with three stages of NOS (Nitrous Oxide System). This car was able to do a quarter mile in around six seconds at around 220 mph, when tuned to perfection. In comparison, the 2007 corvette, with its 427 cubic inch engine, produces 505 horsepower, and is able to do a quarter mile in 11.7 seconds at 125 mph. Understanding how fast Mr. Scott’s really was is impossible, but he was able to describe the feeling to me.
He started by describing the preparation that goes into racing before the racer gets into the car. As we all know race car drivers are at extreme risk when they are traveling at such fast speeds, so it is only logical that making sure that all the safety precautions are taken before he even steps into the car. He described how he would meticulously put on his fire retardant suit, check to make sure that the engine was in perfect condition, and make sure that the parachute was packed and ready. Once he had gone through his safety check list, then mental preparation begins. He explained how he would visualize the way he was going to release the line lock when the light turned green on the tree (The tree is what they call the lights saying when to go). He would think about at 8000 rpm’s he is going to shift from first gear to second. He remembers what it feels like when his world class car jumps off the line and charges down the race track. Finally, he visualizes the win, something that he had become accustomed to.
Once it is time for him to get into the car, his mind was very clear and focused. With a machine as powerful as his, nothing and no one else matters, it’s just him and the car. He talked about how when he was racing it was never to beat the other guy, but more of he was racing himself. Sitting in the car, waiting to do his burn out before the race, he would often talk to himself reminding him what needs to be done in order to be safe and win the race. If the car was to jump out of the grooves on the track, if the engine was to blow up, or if the parachute was to not open, all of these meant that Mr. Scott could be severely injured or even killed. “Of course, that’s what this sport is all about, you try to be as safe as possible, but even the unexpected should be covered,” says his racing buddy Rick Dyer. Rick Dyer a fellow racer, good friend, and inside contact for me, really had some great words to describe Danny Scott. He said that “although Danny maybe a quiet guy for the most part, he was a fierce competitor in his own right.” Always looking for an edge against the competition both Danny Scott and Rick Dyer has been good friends and drag racing legends for quite sometime.
Danny Scott is now the Chief Engineer and Technical Advisor, for the multi-million dollar corporation CMI-Schneible, which has a muscle car division known as Detroit Muscle. Although his actual racing time has long expired, his involvement with the racing industry is still very much a part of his life. He is the expert advisor to the entire engine building division of Detroit Muscle, and pretty much the guy that gives each car the final inspection before it is handed over to another satisfied customer. Being the racing legend that he was, it is not surprising that people still come to him for drag racing advice, ways to improve engine power, and of course, to hear about the days when he was a champion.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)