On the Road at Summit Racing

[Dave Smith]

I’ve been out of the office a lot lately and I’m struggling to keep up with messages. Figured I’d share one day on the road as I traveled to the Akron Ohio area to meet with execs from Summit Racing (cool new project we are working on with them).

If I haven’t gotten back to you, I’ll be in all day today and thru Saturday catching up!

http://www.factoryfive.com/images/ffforum/summit/1.jpg
I've always wanted to visit the Summit HQ in Ohio. I felt like I was walking into a Church of sorts... it rained the whole way over from Pittsburg, then the skies cleared and rays of light preceeded my entrance thru the front gates.

http://www.factoryfive.com/images/ffforum/summit/2.jpg
Cool displays are everywhere mixed in with an ocean of go-fast parts.

http://www.factoryfive.com/images/ffforum/summit/3.jpg
How many places can you shop for car stuff while under Big Daddy's ride?

[riptide motorsport]

Too cool!

[Rip Van Winkle]

Lots of Summit in FFR4038. Always great service and quick to deliver. Thanks for the photos, looks fun.

[skullandbones]

Ditto on that for #6046. Summit has world class customer service and delivery times! Good partnership: FFR and Summit Racing.

Thanks, Dave. WEK.

[Gumball]

Same here - lots of stuff from the Summit warehouse has found it's way to my garage.

[ram_g]

While I have purchased several things from Summit myself (who hasn't?) I sure hope that this "cool new project" doesn't have the effect of throwing long-standing community vendors like Forte, Breeze, etc. under the bus. That would NOT be cool.

[Dave Smith]

Ram_g,
The charter of this forum is service to the community and those guys (Mike and Mark) are a part of the community like you and I are. I think it is very clear from the company history that we have tried as hard as possible to remain connected to and to always build and serve the community. Whether it's racing, street performance, shows and events, suppliers are and have to stay central to the community. I think Summit is a great add to the community and their interest in us is a real testament to the stoke and size of the larger FFR community... but what happens with the community when a major company like Summit perhaps gets involved by say, sponsoring the Challenge Series? I'm not saying that will happen (I hope it will!), but just an example of how the community can benefit with this work!

[seagull81]

That's where I buy my parts and pieces, as well.

[ram_g]

Thanks for the reply, Dave, I do hope it works out to benefit all. My concern, of course, is that Summit is to Mark and Mike (and Russ and Art and Richard and Gordon and Wayne and ...) as Walmart is/was to the mom-and-pop stores of a generation ago, or Amazon is/was to the corner bookstore. Since I buy at Walmart and Amazon (and Summit) I can hardly claim to be a purist in this regard. The issue, of course, is that personal contact and advice and as well innovation in new parts and pieces is all immeasurably valuable to the novice builder of these cars. I personally have benefitted tremendously from personal discussions with several of our vendors that (at least thus far) has not been something Summit could even come close to.

Again, I'm sure you know what you're doing and will work for the benefit of the community at large - please take this only as a vote from one of your customers that if I had to CHOOSE between Summit or our established vendors, I would choose the latter. Certainly if there is no choice involved and it can work for the benefit of ALL, that would be great!