Hotrodmagazine12/31/2023 ![]() ![]() First and foremost his mother, Adriann Shepherd, who has always been a fan, moving from the baseball stands to the racing stands to cheer him on. ![]() He applied and was given the job.Īustin remains a humble young man and credits a number of people who supported him. It wasn’t about racing at the start, it was just about having something a little different than everyone else in the parking lot.” Things became more focused when he saw an ad for a job opening at a Fort Wayne, Indiana hotrod shop. According to Austin, “Once we got our drivers licenses, we started upgrading our daily drivers to make them faster. Will’s father, Robert Prater, spent more than 20 years as a Kodak film, Chevrolet, and drivetrain specialist on a NASCAR road crew. He and his friend, Will Prater, spent a lot of time in Will’s father’s garage. Austin was a strong pitcher in his day and went to college to play baseball until a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery redirected his career goals.Īustin says his interest in cars started around the age of 12. ![]() His team’s tire pressure and moral support specialist, who is also Austin’s fiancée, Amber Ballard, is a 2013 Vicksburg High School graduate as well. The article is headlined, “No-Prep Hero,” and the sub-headline reads, “Austin Shepherd’s budget-built RX-7 defies gravity, wins races, and pleases crowds.”Īustin is a 2013 graduate of Vicksburg High School. On page 20 of the April 2023 edition of the magazine is a picture of a machine that will pique the curiosity of any reader. Photo by KW Photography.īecoming the subject of a six-page story in Hot Rod magazine may well be the dream of many car enthusiasts. ![]()
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