Yesterday, after getting a number of emails and texts about my post about the All Motor Shootout, I was sitting here on Youtube just looking at the responses from some of the videos that I posted hyping up the Shootout and also the Outlaw race. The urge came to get contact a few who are racing in the event and to ask them a few questions.

The 1st person I decided to contact was Jerry Guzman aka the Infamous “JerryBuilt”  to ask him a few questions and clear up some of these posts that I am seeing on several forums. I sent an email out over Youtube to Daniel Alaniz to possibly get in touch with Jerry, so that Greasyblocks could set peoples minds right, instead of just talk smack. Within 30 minutes I already had an email back and a phone number.

…Here is the video I was watching BTW. This will show you guys more about who Jerry is, and what JerryBuilt is about:

…Big ups to Daniel Alaniz for all of your help, the hookup on the phone numbers, and the video!!

Last night, I sat down and had the conversation with Jerry over the phone instead of through email. Some things are just meant to be talked about directly, and this was the best way in the situation. Here are the questions straight up that I asked Jerry, along with his responses.

GB: What made you turn the yard into a “shop”

Jerry:  Back when I got my 1st car in 93-94, I worked at Atomic Performance with Dr. Charles.  I was fucking around with cars, building engines, and learning more and more along the way. After Atomic, I worked over at Import Builders for a bit til I just got tired of working for everyone else. I said fuck it, I know what I’m doing, why don’t I do this for myself. So that’s why the backyard is the shop now. I do everything from home. I work on everything too, me and my brother. We do it all.

GB: How long have you been laying it down? (drag racing cars)

Jerry:  Back when I got that Accord in 93-94, I was out right then. Since then I have been doing it. It will never stop either, I will always be a drag racer. In 2003, I got the hatchback and ran with a built B-Series until I got the K-Series in 2005. I had many problems with it at 1st with hardly any help. The trannies were trash, but the dogbox quickly fixed that problem. Then it was on to the tentioners and those were a little more work, but after I figured that out it was on to the electronic issues and we started getting better runs in.

GB: Do you feel drag racing will make a come back to the feeling it had years ago, now that the cars are much faster?

Jerry: Its always been the same for us. Since like the mid 90s we have been running on the track and on the street. But when fast and furious came out, it kinda killed it. See, so many people that saw it on the screen came out and blew up the spot. Before that movie, cops could stop us and really didn’t know what they were looking at. We didn’t have to worry as much. At the races, we could stay at a spot for hours and not have to worry about getting busted. But, after that movie came out, we had to cut back. So many people were coming out, being idiots, and now everyone with a body kit thought they were a racer. It really hurt street racing as a whole. It will never get as big as it was, but possibly we might see more people coming back who will actually race, now that the K-Series is easier to build.

GB:  On record, since there seems to be talk on forums from the east, DID SKUNK2 give you that motor?

Jerry:  NO they didn’t give me that motor. But they did let me borrow, not give me, the throttle body setup on the car. They also supplied me with some Skunk2 cams and a good bit of dyno time. Charles stayed on the dyno countless hours helping over the last week or 2. Oscar Jackson helped us out big time with an alignment too. And who wouldn’t want Oscar working on their car? The man has history. Dr. Charles too, being one of the fathers of import drag racing. I was happy to have their help.

GB:  What was the initial thought that made you and the fellas come together and say “lets make this trip to the east coast”

Jerry: Tim Grey aka TGR! (this response was hella quick, too!) Tim Came to Cali and won one event and claimed to be the King of Cali. To be the king, you have to do a sweep. I won 3 times back to back at Irwindale. I have been to tracks all over Cali. That would be like me going to this event and winning then claiming I am the king of the east coast. Its not possible. You gotta sweep. I also have never been out of Cali, travel or anything, so its going to be a new experience for me, a big experience at that.

GB: Do you want to see any other events like this? (east coasters on the west coast perhaps?!)

Jerry: Do I? How about every month man! I love this shit, and like I have said over and over this is what we do. It will never die for us. If the events are closer (mid states perhaps) more Cali guys and more racers can possibly attend. I think that this should go down next year, it would really help the sport.

Jerry and I spoke a little bit more after the questions and here are few things that he let me in on that i would like to share:

Jerry on;
-the trip funding: We didn’t have the money to just bounce to the north east like that. We collected money from whomever wanted to see the car run out there. We hit up a bunch of shops, the homeboys chipped in, everyone helped. Some shops and people gave me a few hundred here and there, but there was no big money given out.  I worked on the car places to get it done in time, it was a big effort and I thank everyone for the help. Thanks to all who helped BTW.
-what he wants to do at the race: I don’t know anyone out there. I am excited to meet people. I want to compete, but like everyone, my main goal for this trip, going there racing, and anything of the type is to win. Whenever people come out to the west we try to show them a home away from home and help where it is needed. I hope we see the same. (I am a witness to this help and respect given when out in Cali from the east coast at events.)

That interview with Jerry helped me out get to know one of the biggest names in street racing on the video sites. There are so many memorable videos to watch.  DJM productions, Daniel Alaniz and his Street Dreams video, Sonics channel, zendejs all of these guys are strong with video content from the Cali spots. Tune in!

Big ups to you Jerry and crew. I know that I said im pulling for the east coast while we were on the phone but I swear, if you win, I will plaster that news and some major props all over Greasyblocks for you! Make it a good event man!

Tags: acura, civic, drag race, englishtown, hatch, hatchback, honda, import, new jersey, race, racing, video