Another in a series of unique driver profiles by Randy Cunningham, from the pages of DRM

Name a famous person (no longer living) that you wish you could’ve met.

Probably Elvis Presley. I’d want to talk to about why he loved Cadillacs so much, ‘cause so do I.  

Speaking of music, do you play a musical instrument?

Heck, no. I’m all thumbs when it comes to that. If I had to learn an instrument, I’d play guitar. I’m pretty interested in it. I just don’t see how they do it so well.

Talk about your favorite bands.

Ohhh, I’m kinda widespread. I like Linkin Park, ‘cause it gets me aggro, and that’s the way I race. I get pretty aggravated when I race. That’s my mentality.  I love Spanish classical music…I’m pretty widespread.  Yeah, I also like Social Distortion. Mike Ness (guitarist for Social Distortion) is a good friend of mine.  I love rockabilly and punk rock. I’ve actually met Brian Setzer (guitarist for the Stray Cats) ‘cause I was into the whole custom chop-top lowered hot rod thing, which is what I’ve been doin’ for the last 20 years to make money to go do this, and Setzer’s totally into hot rods. So I went down to L.A. and got backstage and hung out with him. He checked out our cars. He’s pretty cool and mellow, but that cat can play guitar, can’t he? I’m really into that deal.

Do you believe in UFOs?

(Laughs) No.

What if you were alone and saw something you couldn’t explain? Would you tell someone what happened?

Oh, yeah. I’m not shy, as you can tell. Yeah, I talk a lot of crap, but if I saw something that really made me think something was there, I guess I would pursue it, but I’ve never seen anything. I don’t really believe in it.

What’s your favorite hometown restaurant, one that’s not part of a chain?

Lemme think. You know, I don’t know the name of it, but there’s this little, tiny place on Wharf #2 in Monterey where my wife and I go to have breakfast. I love calamari and they serve it for breakfast. People think I’m crazy, but I eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I don’t know the name of the place, though.

So, is breakfast your favorite meal of the day?

Yeah, probably.  Breakfast is it for me.

Are you much of a cook? Umm, I can cook, but I’m not the best. You know who are pretty damn good cooks? My wife and Jerry Toliver. Yeah, I’ve been kinda livin’ at his house and he cooks it up pretty good every night for me. He spoils me. I like seafood, so we eat a lot of scallops, shrimp, and salads, ‘cause I’m kinda fat. You know, it kind of offsets my beer drinking. I drink beer and eat healthy, so I stay kind of fat but not too fat.

What’s your favorite beer?

(Immediately replies) Oh, Corona. By far.

When you were a little kid, what was your favorite TV show?

(Laughs) Gilligan’s Island.

How could the Professor build a radio out of a coconut, but not fix the hole in the boat?

I have no clue. That show had beautiful women, and Gilligan, who was an idiot.  The Skipper was also an idiot.  I mean, how could they make a car out of bamboo and drive it around?

OK.  Mary Ann or Ginger?

(Laughs)  Mary Ann.

So, what’s your favorite TV show as an adult?

“Family Jewels” with Gene Simmons.

You’re a fan of Gene Simmons?

Oh my God, he’s my idol! I met him in Vegas at the races. He and Paul Stanley sponsored Tony Pedregon. I hung out with them in the tower, and I said to him, “Dude, you pretty much guided my life from sixth grade,” and he just laughed.  He was pretty cool. Check this out, man. I worked for KISS and got fired.

Huh? How?

Listen. I knew a guy who knew a guy who knew the lighting guy for KISS. I said, “Oh my God, you gotta get me backstage passes!” and he said he would.  So, they got me and my wife a Working Pass.  So, we show up kinda late and the warm-up band was already on stage, and I’m kinda nervous ‘cause I’d never been backstage at too many places except for Social Distortion shows.  Then, we went out front and we were in the front row, and I said, “Man, let’s get some beers.”  So we got some Coronas and we were standing there watching KISS, and my wife was hiding behind me because she was so scared of Gene.  He was going side to side looking at her and sticking his tongue out, and she was freaking out.  Later, it was about over and I said we needed to head on backstage.  Well, I forgot that KISS is totally against alcohol, and when the bouncer letting people go backstage saw me, he said, “Hey!  You’re drinkin’!  You’re fired, get outta here!”  I got fired my first and only day with KISS.

If someone wrote your biography today, what would the title be?

“Fake It Till You Make It.” (Laughs) How’s that? Because I’m just fakin’ it right now, dude.  I just roll the dice and keep rollin’ with it.

When you were in high school, you were the person most likely to…..?

(Laughs) Drop out. High school was just nothing for me. I barely made it through that deal.  I was also the person most likely to go surfin.’ I went to San Clemente High and we had surfing for first period.  We wouldn’t get out when the coach told us to come in. I didn’t want a car, I didn’t want responsibilities. It was cool.

Then, you were also the person least likely to …..?

Get straight A’s. You know what? In Surfing and Driver’s Ed. I got an A-plus. I knew it right then. I would say I was least likely to be the prom king, for sure.