Todd's Collection of Automobilia: My Vintage Blue Racing Jacket with Autographs

For several years while doing my usual thrift shopping, I was always on the lookout to find a Race Track Jacket. When I say several years, I had been looking for at least 15-20 years to find one. Then one day I found one on the rack. I looked at it, took a second look since I wanted to be sure it was what I was seeing. Then I check the size and looked it over. It had some very minor issues, but they were things that didn't bother me. Then the inside was something I just had to look at again. The fake fur inside the jacket matched the color on the outside. Sweet! The is jacket is awesome! So I take it of the hanger and try it on. And yes it actually fit me. So then I check the price. $4.00! In the cart it went.

After actually wearing this jacket on several occasions, such as a car show here and there. as well as to Laguna Seca when I was a volunteer in the paddock. Then one day in January 2012, I was checking the information for the Sacramento Autorama event up in Sacramento, California. So since it was winter, I decided to wear the jacket to the show. I had no idea that I would be getting it signed by anyone. Then after coming across Gene Winfield, I decided to ask if he would sign the jacket for me. He obliged my request. Sweet! After that I was talked into buying his logo patch to ad to the jacket on the opposite front side. I wasn't really talked into it! He suggested it and I just had to buy it since he had signed the jacket. Then of course Since I had a friend with me, I asked him to shoot a pic while it was being signed.

Gene Winfield Signs my Jacket

With the Shop Logo patch
(For some reason when I loaded
this pic to my hosting site, it keeps
turning it sideways. So I gave up and
left it that way)

After getting the jacket signed, I decided to ask Gene if he would do a somewhat interview for my YouTube Channel. Once again, he obliged my request. So again I asked my friend to hold the camera for me. And off we went. No prior thought process. I just started and off we went with the interview. For not knowing what I was doing, Gene sure did. It made my part, which wasn't much, a lot easier to do. Now every once in a while I ask a famous person when I run across them to say a little something for my channel. Now if I could just get around to editing all this stuff and get it on the channel. But this is about the jacket, so check out the photos below, and more of the story.

For several months I had put the jacket away after adding the patch to it. Then one day I had decided to make a run to Southern California to visit my parents as they had just moved back from Arizona. While planning it the visit, I noticed that the Bo Huff Rockabilly Extravaganza was going to be taking place on that very same weekend. SWEET! But that's not all! They were to be having a few well known car builders there as special guests. John D'Agostino, whom I had met also at the Sacramento Autorama, and also had run into several times in town while having lunch was to be there. George Barris, The King of Kustoms was also invited as a special guest. Then Gene Winfield was to have been there as well. So I made sure to bring my Blue Track Jacket with me to get more signatures.

When I made the trip to visit my parents, My father ended up spending the entire time in the hospital. But on the day of the show, I wanted to get away so I wouldn't go crazy just sitting in the waiting room doing nothing. So I went to the show. After walking around taking some photos, I ran into John and George at their booth. Since I had been talking to John more and more when he was in town, I decided to hang out for a bit. It was rather cool to be able to do so. I was there with two of the worlds most famous custom car builders. In the car world, and as a guy that loves cars and is trying to get into the custom car building trade, this was an opportunity that I just had to take. So I took it. While John was busy doing what he needed to do, I just sat down and chilled for a bit chatting with Mr. Barris. It was a good time for me hanging out with him too. This will more than likely never happen again. He is cool gentleman that is a car guy that is really enjoying his life at his good old age too.

When the right time came, I decided to ask John to sign the jacket. When I say "the right time", I didn't want to be bothering him about doing it when he was busy. So he signed it! After a bit he had helped me to get Mr. Barris to sign it as well. It was cool ! I had 2 more signatures on the jacket. But what about Bo Huff? This was his show and I wanted him to sign it too. When he came around, I got his attention and he also signed it for me. The only thing though, I didn't have my camera on me. DANG IT! Oh well. I got a photo with Bo later on. So to complete the story, at least for now as I hope to get more signatures on it by other Custom Car Builders, I will just say to check out the rest of the photos. THANK YOU for reading my blog!
Please check out my other photos and my YouTube channel for some cool cars, racing action, and well, more cars.