The only constant in the magazine business is change. So it is that when you work for a large company, they often decide that change is for the better. That is how I came to find myself back at Car Craft 16 months ago as editor. Now it seems there is to be another change. David Freiburger is currently the editor of Hot Rod but will now assume duties as the editor-in-chief of both Hot Rod and Car Craft. Since this is a major undertaking on his part, the folks in the corner offices have decided that my new job will be the Senior Technical Editor on staff at Car Craft and David will be assisted by an as-yet-unnamed CC editor. Freiburger will also get help on the Hot Rod side with a new editor-Rob Kinnan, who some of you may recall was a staffer at Hot Rod a number of years ago.
Hang on, 'cause there's more. You may have seen Hot Rod's new editorial redesign, which is very cool. While CC had been promised a redesign along with an enhanced budget, it appears that it will now happen in the very near future. Terry McGean, Doug Glad, and I will participate with Freiburger and the new editor in this process and it looks like it will give a serious boost to this magazine with a fresh presentation. But the editorial direction of this magazine will remain the same as it always has been, one of delivering some of the best technical and how-to editorial in the business.
This change will give me time to devote to some of my other "diversions" of late, including a little more time that I can put toward finishing a new shop that has finally begun to appear in my backyard. I've been saving my nickels and dimes for about 5 years now, and my pal Jack Fauquier is ram-rodding the construction of a 40x30-foot shop in my backyard that will allow me to finally put most of my cars all under one roof. The amazing part is that in the beginning, the shop could house all the cars. But now that construction has actually begun, it is already too small!
I'm also working on reassembling my '66 SS 396 Chevelle, which has just come out of the body shop. Meanwhile, I'm beginning the thrash on my '64 Olds and trusty '65 Chevelle to see if we can make it pull some serious g's in the corners. I've neglected these cars for awhile now, and it will be fun to get them back on the road and have some fun!
While my stint as editor this time around has been brief, it's still important to acknowledge the people who have helped me throughout my career. My wife Valerye is a source of continual support and help, more so than perhaps she realizes. Certainly the writers I work with now, Terry McGean and Doug Glad, have made my job easier as have all the previous staffs I worked with. Then there are my close friends, guys like Chris Kaufmann, the late John Lingenfelter, Jim McFarland, Kevin McClelland, Tim Moore, Ed Taylor, and many more who certainly deserve more than a general mention. These men are the ones who have made this continuing magazine experience truly a pleasure. I expect it will continue to be that way as long as I have friends who choose to brave a seat in my version of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
I have been a devout fan and follower of Car Craft from the very first time I picked it up when I was 14 years old. I still remember how this magazine seemed to speak to me in such a way that it helped direct my life. I've twice had my chance at the helm and it's been great fun-sometimes stressful, and often frustrating, but never boring. The one thing that remains is that Car Craft has allowed me to carve a career out of participating in this wonderful world of high-performance automobiles. For that, I will be forever grateful.-Jeff Smith