Racing down a record

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- For more than 14 years, Garret Livingston has been refining his craft producing high-performance drag racing cars. Garret Race Cars in Marble Hill creates pro modified racing and sportsman cars of different classes.

"Everything is handmade, 99 percent of it is done right here," Livingston said of his shop.

Garret Race Cars includes Garret's brother, Eston, and mechanic Rodney Sitzes.

The shop's success recently culminated in a 1968 Camaro, completed in April with driver Jason Scruggs of Saltillo, Miss. On its first test session, Scruggs steered the car down a one-eighth-mile track in 3.68 seconds at 206 mph.

"It's hard to understand how fast that is," Livingston said. "That's over four G's at the starting line, read by onboard computers."

In its first race in Memphis, Tenn., the Camaro was the No. 1 qualifier and set a world record in the Pro Extreme class, qualifying in 3.66 seconds at 207 mph. American Drag Racing League rules require a second run within 1 percent to hold the record. The team did so, running a time of 3.69 seconds at 206 mp.

"This [success] is based on several years of knowledge put on one car," Livingston said. "Our work ethic is second to none, especially on race weekends. We try to think of better ways to run faster, and we're the last ones up at night at the tracks."

Livingston enjoys the freedom for creativity in the Pro Extreme class, allowing Garret Race Cars to develop innovative methods in the construction of their cars.

"You tear up a lot of parts when you move that fast -- it takes a lot of attention to detail," Livingston said. "We've not reached the full potential on this car; we still have room to improve."

Jo Allmon works at People's City Bank in Marble Hill and has known Garret and Eston as customers for almost seven years. She attended her first race in May in Memphis and "was hooked."

"I love it. I went to the one in Topeka over the Fourth of July," Allmon said. "It's an honor having someone [in Marble Hill] who works so hard and builds such wonderful cars."

Garret Race Cars works with drivers from all over the country in every class of drag racing. He has filled orders from Australian racers and has been approached several times by princes from Qatar.

"He's very well known," Allmon said of Livingston. "He's probably better known out there than here in this area. He just one of those people who works hard and goes home."

This work has been Livingston's focus since his youth.

"In high school I told everyone I wanted to build [racing] cars. They said I was crazy," Livingston said.

He went on to build cars with mentors in Arkansas and St. Louis before moving back to his hometown of Jackson. At this point, Scruggs and the team at Garret Race Cars have won the last two world championships. Scruggs currently leads in points, poised to win a third championship.

"It's taken 14 years to get to the top and been a long, hard road," Livingston said.

"We were talking about our heroes," Livingston said about early conversations with Scruggs about racers. "Who would have known we'd be outrunning these same guys?"

The next St. Louis area race will be Aug. 7 to 8, at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill. Free tickets are available from Garret Race Cars and through the ADRL.