RENO, NV (April 27) – The automotive service and customization world is full of small shops started by entrepreneurs that have followed their passions. Gabe Sweeney is one of these as his passion has evolved into a business.
“I started street racing with an old Chevelle I had and it just kind of grew from there to doing everybody’s car out of my garage,” he said. “I worked for GM for a while then started doing it for everybody else and opened the shop in April 2012.”
By then he had built up a good body of clientele, which made it a bit easier going out on his own. Still he had to leave a full time job to jump into the world of owning a business.
“After GM I went for it. It’s been a steep learning curve but it’s been real good and keeps getting better. “We’re in our fourth shop in eight years and it’s 5,000 square feet. Just enough but never enough,” he said.
The shop does dyno tuning, nitrous, turbos, blowers, superchargers, hot rods and racecars. It also handles late model EFI performance.
“We handle anything from drag racing to road racing,” he said.
The shop also works on cars that compete in SCCA solo events as well as those that are used for drifting. In fact one person that helps set up drifting events has the shop work on his car as well.
Asked about challenges Sweeney said, “Keeping everything street legal at a thousand plus horsepower. We have a Dyno Jet 224X and it runs pretty much every day. Sometimes we build the whole car and tune it and sometimes we’ll just tune it too. Or some body else will put it together and we’ll tune it for them.”
Right now he has three employees but other shops are facing a current problem brought on by our high tech world.
“Lots of guys are into cars but it’s still hard to find those that want to work on them,” he said. “Everything is moving to computerization, every one wants to work on a computer and not physical labor. Everybody I know is having a hard time finding good help.”
As more people are getting into cars and shops like this are ready to help them.
Asked about the clientele Sweeney said, “It’s growing and we’re getting busier and busier, definitely got more people doing motor sports around here and it seems to be picking up again.
“We haven’t slowed down and usually have a three to four week backlog to get anything in. We were down to two weeks but it picked up and we’re at four weeks. When things start opening up it might get a little crazy.”
Currently he’s looking to up grade to an all wheel drive dyno and looking for a bigger shop again.
“I’m optimistic about the future but right now its kind of weird with all the things going on so we’re waiting for the tracks to open,” he said.
For further information about Real Performance Speed Shop their phone number is 775-250-3046 and the website is www.realperformancespeedshop.com.
OTHER RACING NEWS:
• Teresa’s Garage Radio Show is on from 2 untill 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. The show covers all things automotive and can be heard over the air in the Reno/Sparks area on 1180 AM.
I have a preview section at 2:15 and we can also be heard on a Podcast at amm.streamon.fm or seen on Face Book live.
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We now have seven very appreciated sponsors supporting this site. Please patronize them as they not only support your sport but they help nvracingnews continue.
During this time of shutdown and social distancing please patronize our sponsors. It helps them survive this period our uncertainty and in the case of PJ&Co, when they finally open back up please have some meals there. Food is good and your support will be very appreciated.
Our newest sponsor is G.I.S.L Land Services that, while having a global client base it has a Western U.S.A. Focus. Owner Greg Ekins is a long time off road motorcycle racer competing in the MRANN Series as well as the AMA National Hare and Hound series.
Among the services offers are Surface and Mineral Title Reviews and Cartographic Services. The website is www.gislandservices.com.
Another great sponsor is General Transmission and Power Train Specialists. The shop is located at 2515 Sutro Street in Reno, a few blocks below Hug High School.
Former motorcycle racer Pete Attashian is the owner and they not only service older and newer transmission but now have a section dealing with high performance units including those used for towing.
The phone number is 775-786-5888 and the shop’s website is www.generaltransmissionreno.com.
Last year fantastic race photographer Melissa Coker joined the family of sponsors. If you have raced at Summit in Elko, Battle Mountain, Lovelock, Rattlesnake or Diamond Mountain Speedway she probably has a photograph of your car on the track.
She’s also been at the IMCA Duel in the Desert was well as the Wild West Tour and IMCA Super Nationals in Boone, Iowa. Melissa not only has photos of the cars, and many times drivers, but she can produce hero cards and even a book of from your season.
To see her collections or to place an order please check her website at www.melissasoutonalimb.smugmug.com.
Two of our sponsors are first class motorcycle shops located in Reno.
Our first sponsor is Reno Motorsports (RMS). Not only do they have about anything a rider might want or need and the store also has a full service shop.
Their location is at 964 Terminal Way, by the intersection with Mill Street. Store’s phone number is 775-322-1499 and the site is, www.rms-renomotorsports.com.
The next shop is Moto Source located at 3180 Mill Street. Once again they are a full service shop plus about any thing a rider might need or want.
The phone number is 775-856-3855 and the website is, www.moto-source.com.
The next sponsor is an excellent place if you need collision repair on your car or truck. It’s Concours Body Shop, located at 250 Telegraph Street in Reno and has a long history of first class repairs.
Brian Saul is the owner, a car enthusiast himself and he’s committed to continuing the shop’s reputation of quality work. Phone number is 775-329-4557 and the website is, www.concoursbodyshop.net.
Hungry, want a great place to eat, then try PJ&CO for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and it’s a great place to watch your favorite sports. If you’re a rider, well Wednesday evening is Bike Night, always a great time to see some great looking bikes and meet like-minded people.
The location is 1590 South Wells Avenue, just north of the round about. Phone number is 775-323-6366 and their website is www.pjandco.net.
Unfortunately PJ&Co is closed until things open up again which hopefully will be soon.
Have a business targeted toward motorsports or an off road demographic? We are always looking for more sponsors and will expose your business to the racing and off road community in this area.
You can contact us either through the comment section of this site or on our Face Book page.
