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Still In The Race

Still In The Race

Mechanic John Jones first opened his restoration shop—Kustom Coach Werks—more than 22 years ago. Raised in the garage with a wrench in hand, his daughter Audrey spends most of her free time at KCW, working alongside her dad with the same passion for bringing vintage cars back to life. When we met JJ and Audrey, they were building a ’57 Class 11 Volkswagen Bug with one goal. Win the King of the Hammers race.

“The most memorable trips are the ones where things don't go as planned”

JJ and Audrey spent more than three months getting their build in shape for off-roading in the desert. Then, they loaded up one of their vintage VW buses and set off for Hammertown with the Bug in tow. 

All of this is familiar to them. Traveling from Grand Junction, Colorado to Johnson Valley, California and back. Camping in the bus. Racing at KOH. But no two trips are ever the same.

Mid-race, they’re met with a broken spindle. A broken axle too. JJ and Audrey team up for a little father-daughter problem-solving. They leave the race full of ideas for making the car better—each other better—for the next race.

All of this is familiar to them. Traveling from Grand Junction, Colorado to Johnson Valley, California and back. Camping in the bus. Racing at KOH. But no two trips are ever the same.