"See? This is how it starts!"

"Oran J Sands III" (merlyyn)
06/12/2014 at 09:39 • Filed to: None

Look at this pic. A small boy getting his first up close look at a real race car. I had an urge to grab him and say "Get away now! While you still can!" But I knew it was already too late. His eyes had glazed over. I imagined his evil parents cackling in the corner. I should have turned to the crowd and yelled "See? This is how it starts!"

So what started you down this path? What doomed you to a life of wheeled ecstasy?

DISCUSSION (6)

Brian Silvestro > Oran J Sands III
06/12/2014 at 09:42

My dad brought me to a Porsche dealer with a GT2 RS and a Speedster in the showroom, and a Carerra GT out front. I pretty much had no choice.

CalzoneGolem > Oran J Sands III
06/12/2014 at 09:44

My dad built racing engines and we had our own junkyard filled with cars he'd gotten for parts or hauled away as part of some deal. My first word was truck.

t_s > Oran J Sands III
06/12/2014 at 09:45

My dad getting his 7 series sideways with me in the back.

Jayhawk Jake > Oran J Sands III
06/12/2014 at 09:59

All you people.

Seriously, my family never was big on cars. I always had a cursory interest, especially since my dad had a 300ZX when I was a baby. I'm an airplane guy though, that came from meeting an astronaut and watching the space program then playing Flight Simulator (Microsoft Flight Simulator 98 for lyfe!!1!1!!!)

I always enjoyed cars on the side though, playing racing games especially, but I never really got into them that much. Then one day after reading Gizmodo I got bored and ventured over to Jalopnik. I started reading more and more articles on Jalopnik and then someday stumbled into opposite lock and that was it. Suddenly I saw this whole aspect of cars I didn't realize existed: a community of people brought together for love of automobiles with nary a bad apple in the bunch. I started to spend more and more time on here, learning more than I ever knew about cars and it quickly became an interest of mine. Now I drive a manual hot hatch, I go to car shows and gawk, I autocross, and I want a project car.

You all did this to me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. So keep it up oppo, keep welcoming new people to a world of empty wallets and full gas tanks.

Diesel > Oran J Sands III
06/12/2014 at 10:00

Going 130 with my uncle in his 30th(not sure) Anniversary Corvette. That and the first time I went Karting.

Krieger (@FSKrieger22) > Oran J Sands III
06/12/2014 at 10:16

Started out with some Hot Wheels cars when I was very little, got hooked on the cars and developed an interest in the 1:1 cars as well (of everyone in my extended family, I probably am the most car-crazy).

Having your first video game ever be Test Drive 4 helps as well.