Chris Shelton

Deemed generally unemployable by his high-school career counselor, Ms. Kratch, Chris Shelton sought professional refuge in automotive journalism. Under the pretense of a college degree, Chris sweet-talked himself into an internship at what was then world's preeminent street-rod title. But because the title paid his internship, Chris never told them when it ended (it paid better than his other job, which is shocking if you know publishing rates). According to Editor Brian Brennan, "Twenty years and three companies later, and he still won't go away." (Editor’s Note: Young Christian and Brennan both attended and received their Communication degrees from the California State University, Fullerton…although several decades came and went in between!) The son of a former Top Fuel driver, Chris attended his first drag race en utero (at LIONS no less). He found more in common with the people at the Chevrolet and Toyota dealerships where his father worked than he did with kids his own age. Sprint-kart racing as an adolescent led to a succession of junk cars that Chris piled up around his parents' suburban Las Vegas home. And he still has his first. And yeah, it's cool…but probably not for the reasons you think. Chris brings to the table an encyclopedic knowledge of dubious information. He may not be able to balance a checkbook, but he can quote chapter and verse on wheel and tire designs and their context within the community over the years. And he maintains an uncanny ability to make questionable things seem almost plausible. When asked about his formula for relatable and informative style of journalism, Chris refers to proverbs: "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story."