Lateral-g Forums - RIP Todd Gartshore

I learned yesterday that my good friend Todd Gartshore had died. Things like this always come as a shock…this was especially so.
These words are mostly therapy for me…take what you need and let the rest lay.

Obviously we cannot feel the loss on the level of his immediate family and co-workers, but to say that Todd touched the lives of many in a positive manner seems too small a statement.

I met Todd in 1990 while I was working for Blower Drive Service and he for Vortech, but didn’t really get to spend any significant time together until he was working with Baer Brakes and I with Air Ride Technologies. As a young, new business owner I became a student of Todd’s approach to marketing and promotional efforts. “Big Bad Baer”…”Longer, Deeper, Harder”…”Brakes, for the way you WANT to drive!”…are all still very powerful invitations to share the passion that Todd and Baer Brakes has for racing and hotrods.

I also became a student of Todd’s ability to quickly identify a solid project to put his product on. He always looked more toward the person than the car…if the person was solid, they would build a solid car and promote it [and his products] properly. He saw value in being associated with those types of people.

He also strived to support any efforts to “use what you’ve got”. He was a longtime supporter of the Pro Touring movement that encouraged hotrodders to actually drive their cars instead of just looking at them. As he once told me “my brakes don’t work any better than anyone else’s until you get the car out of the garage!”. Todd’s supports for these events extended to his personal time as well. He was a fixture at the various track days and autocrosses around the country demonstrating that brakes could indeed make your car faster.

It was at his invitation that I went to my first driving school at Bondurant and at Spring Mountain. By this measure many of us at RideTech can trace our success in this market back to the helping hand of Todd Gartshore.

Todd and Beth always made the hotrod Powertour a special event as well. For years I thought that black 69 Mustang was his…I still think he put on his share of the 450,000 miles that are on that car today!

I enjoy nearly everyone in this industry, but there are a few people who are extra special. Obviously Todd Gartshore was one of those extra special people to me. We built many cars together, most recently the 48 Hour Camaro. Todd was THE first to commit to that project not only for product but to come out and be a part of the build team. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and we both commented at that time that it was one of the best parties that anyone had thrown in some time. I did not know at that time it would be our last together.

Honesty, Integrity, Passion…it would be easy to apply those terms to Todd, but they cannot describe the depth of those attributes. I will miss our infrequent but lengthy conversations about the industry, the people, the products, how to make them, how to sell them, how NOT to sell them, how to market them, catalogs, websites, customers, financing, employees, bankers, taxes, government, religion, women, kids, and even cars.

I think possibly one of the reasons that Todd and I connected on a personal and professional level was our similar shape. [round IS a shape, right?]. We silently commiserated over some of the obstacles we had to overcome to go forward on a given subject. We encouraged and inspired each other, sometimes when no one else could. As with any human, I enjoyed the encouraging as much as the encouragement, and will miss both.

I realize that I am but one of thousands of people who Todd touched in a similar fashion. That realization magnifies the scope of his passing. I intend to celebrate his life by continuing to make the most of his wisdom, experience, and encouragement in my own life.