Occasionally a friend/acquaintance/family member will ask me why I am so intensely passionate about the performance automotive aftermarket as a career.

Greg Smith, Weld Racing

They know about the boom/bust cycles and the vagaries of working in a small business that is often family owned. The fact that I am a gearhead and love cars and motorcycles should be obvious to anyone who knows me, but they see something deeper when I talk about the latest technical breakthrough or new product idea.

 I think I know what that something is.

I was attracted to motorcycles and cars in the first place by the speed and the precision of the machines. These machines, however, also require a level of precision from their operator. Whether I was competing in an Enduro, dragging a knee in turn 5, drag racing, auto crossing, ice racing on frozen lakes, road racing at a historic track, or storming across the Baja peninsula in a stock full truck, the level of involvement is total. It seemed every neuron and muscle fiber was involved to go faster than the competition, often faster than I thought possible. It was much more than adrenaline addiction. The act was pure effort, and required mental and physical discipline, but most of all it required unyielding focus.

Focus is everywhere at the track, in the pits, in the car, on the motorcycle. The level of focus and the resulting determination flows from the track to the office in this marketplace. I know hundreds of interesting and fascinating people in this industry. Most of them have raced, but all have those clear, focused, determined eyes and expressions. They rarely think about anything that won’t improve the marketplace and their business. These people truly eat, breathe and sleep their passion, which distills down to the will to win. I have close friends who are military professionals. The parallels between them and my automotive friends are startling. Defeat is never a consideration, and there is no preparation or effort too great to achieve victory. The ability to intensely focus is all-important.

Sharing focus with many motivated and inspirational people is why I love this business, and why I stay.

 – Gregory Smith