Tommy Lee Byrd

I am 100-percent car guy. Some people have diverse hobbies and interests, but I can't seem to get away from cars. My dad is to blame, as he has spent his life with the same mindset. I grew up around hot rods and muscle cars, so watching my dad cut, weld, hammer, fabricate, paint and build cars seemed like normal life. My childhood career goal was to draw and design hot rods, but as I grew older, I realized that the market was filled with talented artists. I defaulted back to following in my dad's footsteps, and I went to school for auto body and paint. Fresh out of tech school, I went to work with local builders, restoring old cars. During this time, Buckaroo Communications, a magazine company formerly based out of California, moved to my hometown of Dayton, Tennessee. On a whim, I applied for a job, just to get my foot in the door, and I got a job--not as a warehouse worker, but as an Associate Editor. Pleasantly surprised by their enthusiasm to have me on board, I worked very hard to meet their expectations, and it turned into a major career turnaround for me. Now, I work full time in the Marketing Department for a major company in the automotive aftermarket, and I also do freelance photography and writing for various automotive magazines. I teamed up with CarTech to write a few books, and I'd love to do more if time allows. Along with my busy work schedule I still find time to spend time with my wife and daughter, and work on my project cars, which include a 1964 Corvette coupe, a 1964 Chevelle, and a half-dozen historic drag cars in various stages of completion.