The Kie Writing Repository

The estimated cost of a Formula One race car is $15.9 million. A competitive IndyCar costs around $3 million. NASCAR cars can cost between $125,000 to $400,000. Even late-model local dirt-track racers in the Dirt Modifieds can cost $420,000.  Looking at the costs, I will likely never be a racecar driver. I can’t even justify the scratch needed to buy a beater for the Norwood demolition derby. My last Amazon order of ball bearings and beauty products was around $100, and I sweated spending that much.    There is a not-so-secret group of enthusiasts who have cracked the cost barrier of racing. Brandon would tell me there is more than just one and then invite me to ride along in an auto-cross race in one of his second-hand Subarus. That’s not the race I’m speaking about, though.    My latest obsession (among many) is with the world of Cyclekarts, where enthusiasts have mastered the formula of combining affordability with accessibility and authenticity.   ...

When I was in college sculpture class at SUNY Plattsburgh under Professor Don Osbourne, I built a large broken steel clock. The concept was based on Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Most Incredible Thing” where a clockmaker builds a clock that tells biblical stories when the hours strike to win a competition. Then another guy comes along and smashes the beautifully constructed timepiece. The man who smashed it was deemed the individual who accomplished the most incredible thing. I don’t want to spoil the next part, but we’ll just say that the parable is true to its roots in morality.  My broken clock is now mounted to a concrete slab on display at my home. It appeared in the documentary “Pottytown,”  by Morgan Elliott/Ridge44 Productions. A photo of it by Christopher Lenney appeared on the front page of the Daily Courier Observer.    While researching parables about broken clocks coinciding with the installation of my sculpture, I found several of the following stories...

This article originally appeared in the January-February 2024 edition of the Seaway Cruisers Classic Car Club, Inc. Newsletter.  Ask a Tech – Valve Cover Racers The object of a race is to win. In valve cover racing, going fast is the goal, but looking cool while winning is even better.     Brandon Baldwin invited me to the Seaway Cruiser’s annual meeting and valve cover races at SUNY Canton a few years ago. I was curious, so I attended the event and watched a few of the heats.    The cars are unpowered small vehicles constructed to traverse down a ramp. It’s like the auto-enthusiast version of the Boy Scouts of America’s Pinewood Derby competitions.    I loved the uniquely innovative creations, all brightly painted like little street or rat rods. The creative and sometimes downright weird engineering decisions fascinated me. One racer used CDs as wheels. Another used Tonka truck components. Superfluous spoilers, splitters, and air dams added style poin...

"OK, Farmer" was originally published in the Seaway Valley Cruisers Classic Car Club, Inc.'s April, May, and June edition newsletter.  Stan came over to help me install new windows and doors at my house. Stan was losing his vision. I didn’t hire him for his eyes. I employed him for his extensive experience.  He put me to work unpacking the new items from the 1,700 square feet of cardboard confinement, and the 986 individual molded Styrofoam corner pieces under his myopic supervision. He critically eyed some of my previous repairs, occasionally grunting and sporadically questioning my decision.  “Why did you build Adirondack chairs out of cherry?” he barked at me.  “It’s what I had,” I answered.  “OK, farmer,” he grunted. “You should have used cedar.”  For Stan, this wasn’t a new criticism of my carpentry. I like to use what I have on hand. Stan hates cherry and I’m not sure why.  He also would get angry if I switched between Torx and Phillips head scre...