EXCLUSIVE E3XTREME SERIES: Beyond The Track, Featuring Stephen Adams
/There comes a time in everyone's life when you move away from home, or the area you are familiar with. You all of a sudden need to make decisions and there are creature comforts that you no longer have. That is exactly what happened to me in January of 2015 when I moved to Chattanooga, TN. I was lucky though, I met Stephen Adams, and he became the inspiration for our new ongoing series of beyond the track profiles.
Beyond the track profiles is here to highlight racers and what they do day to day. Most racers in motorsports don't pay all their bills by driving, so they have a day job. Stephen in no different, though the road he traveled is much different than most. This is exactly why we are going to be doing this series, on what I hope becomes a regular basis.
When I mentioned getting out of the creature comforts that you are used to, this includes things as simple as having an auto parts store around the corner, or a friend that can take you to the parts store to get something. When I moved to Chattanooga, that was no longer an option. I needed to find a shop that I could trust to do me right if I couldn't get to repairs myself. That's where Stephen and his shop, Adams Automotive and Performance in Signal Mountain came in.
As someone who has done his own work for the past twenty plus years, it's not always easy to allow someone else to work on your stuff. Luckily, before I ever needed work done, I had met Stephen at the races. Getting to talk to him, and develop a friendship lead me to trust him and his shop.
Stephen's road traveled to this point is an interesting one to say the least. He has actually been racing for 40 years, but he wasn't into the auto repair and performance business side of it. Are you ready for this...Stephen was a life long accountant. Stephen, who is now age 56, spent his adult life at a desk as an account, until he retired early from that seven years ago and decided to open Adams Automotive & Performance.
What some in the racing world, and even local community don't know is that Stephen doesn't just work on your daily driver. He also supplies a lot of the South Tennessee and North Georgia racers with their nitrous and parts. Adams Automotive does all the repair on maintenance on your daily, but can also get you a new set of Mickey's for your radial car, along with your Induction Solutions supplies, ARC components, along with Firecore ignition products, ProSystem Carbs, and Jiffy Tite products. Stephen is a stocking dealer for all those things.
While Stephen makes the shop his day job, every good business person knows that the more income streams that you can have and the more diverse you are, the better off you will be. Stephen is no different there either. In fact he has recently gotten into real estate and more specifically cabin rentals. I will add a link below for you to check it out, but the accountant, turned mechanic, is also doing cabin rental. Not a timeshare either, this is a cabin that Stephen and his wife own, but rent out to others when they are not there.
As if the shop wasn't located in one of the most picturesque areas of the Chattanooga area, his cabin is located in one of the most picturesque areas in the country. None other than the woods of Pigeon Forge near Gatlinburg, TN. Anyone who has been to the area will tell you that the views are something you will never forget. I have already made plans to vacation there in the off season for an extended weekend. You can check it out on Facebook, via this link or on the web at www.vrbo.com/1007857
But wait...there's more too. Stephen and his wife are also into monogramming and monogramming services. I tell you that this family knows what revenue streams are all about. He even carries some of the monogramming at the shop for customer to purchase while they wait on their car to be addressed. It's actually gives a warm touch to something that is typically known as a cold place. I laughed the first time I saw the monogramming stuff, that was until I found myself spending half and hour looking at all of it. You can see more about that on Facebook as well at www.facebook.com/BonniesCornerMonograms
Stephen has proven that he has the smarts to multitask and that business is in his blood. It's mixed in with a whole lot of nitrous too. For those interested in his BBC Nitrous huffing Camaro, stay tuned to E3xtreme, as we will be doing a stand alone feature on that as well. But for now, if you are in the Chattanooga area, and need a mechanic that you can trust, take that short drive up the mountain and check out this hidden gem. And don't worry, Stephen has you covered with a shuttle car to get ya back to work or home too. Yep, he really does handle it all.
More About Adams Automotive & Performance
www.aapperformance.com
423-485-3335 or 844-600-4465
