Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL)
"It started when I was just a child. We lived in California, and my Dad took me to races at a track in Encino. I loved it, and we had a great time together. I became involved in midget races at around the age of five. We would go to a track in Culver City and other places around Los Angeles. I started racing motorcycles at about the age of 13 or 14. By this time I knew I was a guy who really loved racing-it was in my blood. I bought my first car in 1962. It was a 1951 Ford flathead. Back then, you had to be 16 to race. I was only 15 and would sneak in and go a few laps before they stopped me. I have owned 20 or 30 race cars over the years. I'd get them, fix them up, and race them.
Sen. John Tester (D-MT)
"Whether it's fixing the clutch on my tractor or working to improve local schools or going to the Senate to help repair the energy deregulation that hurt Montana consumers, workers and businesses, I do my best work with a little grease and dirt under my fingernails."
"Car guys have every bit as much of a right to make their voices heard as the special interests and their lobbyists."
Rep. Don Manzullo (R-IL)
"I have had a personal interest in sports cars, especially in my younger days. The interest in cars runs in the family. My brother is a member of the SEMA Action Network (SAN) and a street-rod enthusiast who helped secure passage of SEMA's street rod/custom vehicle legislation."
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN)
"I call federal legislating "a full-body-contact sport." What I mean is that you must be face to face with decision makers and, to put it in SEMA terms, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." You must be active and aggressive and turn people into a resource. Everyone loves cars, so make sure the Congress knows what you stand for and what you would like to have happen. If you demonstrate that a lot of people agree with your positions, Congress will respond."
"I believe that the entire automotive industry is one of those things in our culture - like horses and baseball - that just fascinate people. I have always loved cars, and I've had dozens of them. When I was young, I saved enough money to go buy a Triumph TR 4-A before I even turned 16 years old. I worked on it constantly, and I put chrome wire wheels on it. And then I had an MG-BGT. Later, I had this chocolate brown 1974 GTO that would flat scream. I have always loved cars. I had a TransAm when that was the thing to do, and it was all souped up and loaded with a Hurst four-speed, and that's about as much specialty equipment as you can have on the road without getting in trouble. I've always put specialty products on automobiles as I grew up."
"Even today, I drive a Chrysler 300M. It's a four-door business car, but it's also a sport vehicle and a lot of fun to drive. I still really love cars, and I love accessories and performance products. It's a lot of fun to drive."
Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN)
"I grew up in a wonderful small town in Tennessee. You had to drive to get anywhere. Since we lived about an hour outside of Nashville, some of my earliest memories center around car trips into Nashville. And, our family took car vacations to 48 states. Of course, as I got older, it wasn't just the excitement of the trip I enjoyed. I discovered I loved cars."
"My favorite car was my 1963 Chevrolet Impala convertible. I learned how to drive in that car. And it took me off to college when I headed to the University of North Carolina in the 1970s. It was tobacco brown, had a huge V8 engine and more than 150,000 miles on it by the time I gave it to my younger brother. I've had some great cars since then-a Ford F-150 Lariat, a BMW, several Ford Tauruses-but never one that I enjoyed more than that Impala convertible."
"My dream car is a 1954 MG. It's a beautiful machine-and the year I was born. Of course, I couldn't afford one or to keep it up. My father had a 1958 Cadillac convertible that I wish we'd never sold, but we did. It had red leather seats."
"What a thrill to see the huge crowd and the infinite variety of customized pickups, muscle cars, midget cars, hot rods and vintage machines on the Hot Rod Power Tour. There were even motorized bar stools! The wheels, paint jobs and custom features were just the most visible add-ons. I think every significant manufacturer was represented."
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI)
"I had two jobs in the plants. My first was drilling front supports for roofs, and my second was installing front windows."
Rep. John Duncan (R-TN)
"I've always been a big fan of cars, but recently I purchased my youngest son, Zane, a racing go-cart and have become more interested in NASCAR and other types of automobile racing. I've taken Zane racing all over east Tennessee to places like Asheway Speedway, Dumplin Valley and others. I've also taken Zane and my oldest son, John, to many NASCAR events throughout the South."
Rep. Mike Burgess (R-TX)
"I've always had an affinity for automotive innovation. Growing up in what was rural North Texas in the 1960s, the roads were flat and a car was a necessity. As I grew older, the necessity of a car was overtaken by my general enthusiasm for driving great cars."
"My first car was a 1968 BMW 2002. I had it for many years until I was intrigued by the RX4 station wagon. When I entered my residency program, finances and common sense drove me to a Ford Escort."
"Later in life, I decided to purchase a car that felt as young as I did, and I bought a 1991, 35th Anniversary Thunderbird Super Coupe. She was beautiful. About nine years later, I went on to purchase an RX-7."
"With Texas Motor Speedway in my district, I'm a motorsports fan. I enjoy the fast-paced atmosphere and the true devotion of physical and mental strength the drivers must maintain. The crowds may be rambunctious, but they are loyal and knowledgeable about the sport. Truly American in scope, motorsports, be it drag racing or stock cars, are a part of our everyday culture. All it takes is driving with your family down to the local Dairy Queen with the top down on your convertible to feel you are part of an American tradition."
Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA)
"I wouldn't call myself the most talented at working on cars, but I enjoy a nice ride. I do drive a fully loaded Ford Expedition. I also want to tell you about my first car. My senior year of high school, a local car dealer, Wilkins Chevrolet, gave me a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle to drive as a "Safety Ambassador." This was a Chevelle SS 396 two-door, dual carburetor, 400-plus horsepower, four-speed manual transmission. It was silver with black rally stripes and a black hardtop with a cowl-induction hood. The interior had black vinyl bucket seats and console. The dealership wanted people to know that a teenager could drive a nice car and still drive safely, so Wilkins Chevrolet painted its logo, my name and my high-school's name on the car. They paid for my gas and allowed me to drive the car that year."
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC)
"I am a big fan of NASCAR, and I am thrilled to represent Mooresville, North Carolina, which hosts various NASCAR events. Motorsports are really a big part of American culture, and I am honored to serve so many fans in western North Carolina."
Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS)
"I'm proud my district includes the Kansas Speedway, a NASCAR track that is one of the state's top attractions. On a personal note, a love for fast cars runs in the family. My wife belongs to the Corvette Club of Kansas City. One of my sons is a SEMA member and is rebuilding the motor in his '98 Camaro. Another son drives his '95 Trans Am daily."
Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL)
"I've always been an automobile enthusiast. I grew up at the end of the muscle car era and have been a fan of NASCAR for some time now. In the Florida legislature, I sponsored the bill that kept the autopsy photos of Dale Earnhardt, Sr. sealed from those who wanted to profit from the publishing of those private photos."
"I'm a former stock car racer. I used to race a '65 Mustang on dirt tracks when I was growing up. I currently drive a GMC extended-cab pickup. But I also own a Model A that is currently going through a complete frame-off restoration. It'll be mostly stock with a few upgrades to update its look."
"I've always liked American musclecars-1960s and '70s Mustangs, Corvettes, GTOs, Firebirds and the like. I got to ride in a bright red Olds 442 convertible last Fourth of July. I looked at those cars on Ebay for a month after that experience. I would love to have one of those in my garage."