2NR: Free Grand Slams for everyone!
Ken: Something like that [laughs]. But then I got into racing more, and even became an honorary Wicked member.
2NR: How do you guys think shows and races became so different?
Frank: Well, back then, Battle and Showoff were the only organized events we had. Once the other race and show organizations got into the game, the import scene just fragmented. You had all these other guys, who all want a piece of the pie, trying to force our scene in a direction it wasn't meant or ready for. By pulling enthusiasts in all different directions, they ended up diluting the scene to the point where the grassroots or sportsman racer didn't have a chance. When NOPI and NHRA came in, we were still there; three major sanctioning bodies, and only a handful of pro racers. Very few racers made enough money to compete in all the series, and most got left in the dust.
2NR: Battle fell into the shadows for a while, how did you manage to survive?
Frank: While the other guys were marketing from the top down, we kept marketing from the ground up. We were always in it at that grassroots level. While the other guys were busy trying to push import racing into some mainstream light, and convince a few top guys they could be big-time, we were still providing a series for the regular racer; the local hero - for lack of a better term - the guys like Ken, who would wrench for three days in some dude's garage just to build a car to beat the rival crews with. We support the racers who were where we came from; working a day job with a regular salary... basically, your open-trailor, borrowed-pickup-truck, in-it-for-the-love racer.
2NR: What are your thoughts on where the show scene has gone these days?
Ken: I think the underground allure the scene shared back in its beginnings was part of what made it so successful. It was a very underground thing we all shared. Back then, and still today, there's definitely an Asian influence at work behind the successful shows. Not that Asians are the only ones in the scene, but certain shows really seem to unify the sort of 'underground' community that import guys seemed to share. Like Frank, I always wanted Showoff to keep true to those underground roots; true to form. And it worked.
Back in the day, I got a phone call from some Hot Import Nights higher-ups, asking to sit down and talk business. We went to P.F.Chang's in Irvine, where the three HIN guys sat me down and said, "Ken, it seems like we're putting a dent in your program. We're planning to do a day show, and since we have better backing, either you let us buy you out, or we'll smash you." It was the most insulting thing that had ever been said to me. But just to entertain them, I asked what their offer was, and they replied with some ridiculously low amount. I declined. Two years later, they abandoned their day show program, and Showoff is still here. That proved to me that if you stay true to your roots, the grass roots will see that and support you. Period. The true enthusiasts know the difference between what's candy-coated and what's true-to-form.
Frank: I agree. The whole industry was built from the ground up, at a grassroots level. And once the big-dollar companies came in and started sponsoring $100K-plus cars, it got to the point where the regular guys just couldn't compete. Everyone wants the big-dollar sponsorships and whatever else, but the chances of getting one are slim-to-none. No one ever offered me 100Gs [laughs]!