Revved up with Waldorf – Paul Cicchini, author of ‘THE ESSENTIALZ’

Sometimes, it’s nice to see what a “car guy” thinks about modern automotive culture, isn’t it?

Since the first season of Speedway Digest Thursday Night Thunder, we have had the opportunity to work with Waldorf Publishing to get to know some of their authors, many of whom have a passion not only for the written word, but for speed!

My co-host Mykkal Mulalley-Kapalo and myself have been grateful to the teams and racers that we have spoken with on the program, and during this unparalleled pandemic, we hope to provide you, our readers, listeners, and fans, a little snippet into some of the people who help make this the greatest sport in the world.

Today, we are pleased to highlight Paul Cicchini, author of THE ESSENTIALZ   and YOUNG CYRANO.

 
What was your first car?
My first car was a 1968 Camaro that I painted candy apple blue. I am a real ‘car guy’. I love muscle cars, and I still subscribe to Car and Driver magazine to this day. Over the years, I have owned three Camaros and four Mustangs. The favorite one I owned was a 2008 Mustang GT convertible. It was painted Grabber Orange and looked a lot like the race car that Parnelli Jones used to drive.
 
What do you drive now?
Sadly, I had to give up my last Mustang because I took a job as a psychologist over 60 miles away from my house and with a daily commute, especially with the threat of winter snow here in the Northeast, it just felt like desecration to put that many miles on a muscle car, so I now have a 2016 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk, which is great in snow, and very useful for camping.
 
What is your dream car that you wish to own?
 
I have my eye on a new Camaro ZL1. As soon as I retire, my plan is start racing as a hobby. Thunderbolt Raceway is not far from my house here in New Jersey. I want to set up a ZL1 for racing through the SCCA, the Sports Car Club of America.
 
Do you see yourself ever buying a battery operated car?
 
Being a traditional ‘muscle car guy’, I love the throaty roar of a good V-8 engine, so at first electric cars did not excite me. However, I am concerned about global warming and I do desire to reduce my carbon footprint, especially if I start racing a gas-guzzler. I’d like to be carbon-neutral at least. And now I’ve seen the commercial for the new Hummer EV. Maybe it’s just the  commercial with Led Zepplin’s “The Immigrant Song” blasting in the background, but damn, that is one impressive EV. Now, to find the 100G’s to pay for it…
 
If you went on a road trip, what book would you bring?
 
Either one of two iconic ‘road books’:  “On the Road,” by Jack Kerouac or “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” by Rob Pirsig
 
What do you think about Elon Musk and his advances in technology?
 
Well, I’m not impressed with some of his political agenda, but I am impressed with his battery technology. I’m lukewarm on the Tesla, but I was so impressed with his batteries in the use and storage of home solar power, I came very close to having it installed on my own house.
 
 
Stay tuned for more insights into the amazing authors of Waldorf Publishing in the coming weeks.
 
To learn more about Paul Cicchini, follow him on social media:
@paulcicchini for Twitter,   https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPaulCicchini  for Facebook,  and website is www.paulcicchini.com
 
Adam Sinclair