This is the Statt Mann, Baby. It’s time to Scatt a Little Bit…

This weekend I finally took the time to listen to Erica Enders-Stevens and her speech at the NHRA Awards Ceremony a month ago. Erica has been a Friend of the Freaks nearly since we went on the air. But she’s a woman now with a genuine love for The Lord. What a wonderful combination.

Her speech thanked a Who’s Who of drag racing. It took a lot of people to get her from her Dad’s garage floor to that stage accepting the NHRA Pro Stock World Championship.

But a name she put in at the end was a longtime Freaks favorite. Shaun Carlson was a fabricator, racer, team owner, innovator, man who love the Lord and a friend of mine.

Shaun died five years ago of a heart disorder at 35. It literally brought tears to my eyes to hear someone remember my friend who changed racing when he was in it. And I’m talking about racing from sport compact drag racing to drifting as the Mopar factory team.

Missing from Erica’s speech, though, was a thank you to a global brand that could do worse than putting their money behind a great driver, a championship driver and a driver who will be in the spotlight for several years and not the police blotter.

Just mind numbing that that’s still an issue.

Peace.