Racers Den: Tom’s Man Cave

Some of us just don’t have the available square footage… and for many modern homes the garages are just big enough for two daily drivers, a push mower, and maybe a bicycle or two.

And that’s quite alright because it leads vehicle enthusiasts and petrol-heads to get creative with their available space and sometimes seek refuge in their “man caves” and Tom’s is no exception. He is a die-hard racer, having competed at the local levels of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and American Endurance Racing (AER) for the last 20+ years, he has also crewed for various teams in the hey-day of the “Grand-Am Series,” as well as being an official judge for the 24 hours of LeMONS.

For those unfamiliar, Grand–Am (Road Circuit Racing) was a sanctioning body that was established in 1999 to consolidate and organize sports car racing in North America. It’s crown jewel event included races like the 24 hours of Rolex, held each year at Daytona International Raceway. In 2013, Grand-Am would cease to exist as it merged into the new American LeMans Series (ALMS) based out of Road Atlanta which was later absorbed into the International MotorSports Association (IMSA) which still holds the Rolex-24 at Daytona each year.

Tom is known for his dry humor and light sarcasm. As you descend the stairs he welcomes you by saying “Truly… the greatest spectacle in Motorsports, Welcome.”

Tom breaks up his space by using colored accent walls and different types of shelving, both floating and cubic. This wall pays homage to some heroes and legends in Motorsports, note Jim Clark’s airborne Lotus front and center.

Tom’s personal memories from his home track – Summit Point Motorsports Park – and his various racecars over his 20 years with SCCA cover another wall.

SCCA and the 24 Hours of LeMons trophies adorn the room in different locations.

A collection of “brain buckets” and Rolex 24 memorabilia.

Throughout the room you’ll find all sorts of mementos from the time Tom spent as a Crew Member in Grand Am, as he says “It was some of the most amazing years of my life” – he started by crewing for Ted Giovannis who campaigned a BMW in the series. Seen here next to his Official Pit Credentials is the #3 C5.R Corvette of Dale/Dale Jr. and Andy Pilgrim.

“Stan Fox having a really bad day” – Tom says as he starts another story.

Turning the corner, as you pan around the room, one of the most unique and creative repurposings of a downstairs ceiling is the checkboard painted bulkhead dividing the room just above the seating area. Tom encourages every visitor to his “Man Cave” to grab a sharpie or a paint-pen and leave an autograph or messages at his start/finish line. This is his version of a long standing tradition that spectators perform as part of the opening ritual before races like the 24 hours of Rolex and Petit LeMans commence. Tom and his daughter have both signed the start/finish line at Daytona in the past leaving their thoughts of good luck to the drivers, or remembrance for friends that have passed.

There is a large comfortable seating area that greats you under the bulkhead with a couple of interesting items. At the edge of the coffee table, you’ll see remnants of “the great, terrible, and awful day with American Endurance Racing (AER)” as Tom begins to tell the story about the death of his prized Foxbody Ford Mustang.

Alongside the piston and rod display, you can pick up a copy of Tom’s second favorite magazine – next to Garage Style, of course – “Linkage” discusses both the history and the future of Motorsport.

The “Gasoline Alley Cat” keeps a seat warm for you as you relax and take it all in. Tom is a wealth of stories and memories from a great time in Motorsports history and we enjoy each visit to his “Man Cave” and what he shares.

As I’ve stated before… Your space is what you make it. And we appreciate each collection, style, and careful placement of every item that people are willing to share with GSM. Don’t be afraid to show off what you’ve got, take pride in the memories. Because after all, #everyonehasastory.

Merry Motoring…