As mechanical engineers, Jerry and Derek are obsessed with making things better. As avid auto racing fans, it is only fitting that cars are the focus of this fascination.

Jerry spent his childhood tinkering with anything he could get his hands on. His experimentation led to the development of an ongoing philosophy that has stayed with him; the pursuit of maximizing the potential of each vehicle he owned. After spending years being unsatisfied with the limitations of modifying production vehicles, Jerry decided to take a different approach. In 1995, Jerry purchased the rights to the Viking, a low volume custom car loosely based on the iconic Lotus Super 7. His engineering prowess took hold and he immediately began redesigning and re-engineering the car to make it lighter, stronger, and more powerful. He upgraded the small carbureted four cylinder engine with a fuel injected turbocharged Wankel engine. The mild steel of the original frame was upgraded to high strength chromoly and the fiberglass body was replaced with carbon fiber. The result was a ground up, fresh design with the intent of creating the ultimate sports car. Around the same time, Derek became consumed by his own fascination with cars. Assuming the roles of “master” and “apprentice,” Jerry and Derek began spending every spare moment they had in their shop, working to construct Jerry’s vision. After 2 years and 3,000 hours, the Viking SRX-7 was completed. To reward his tireless effort, Jerry invited Derek to compete alongside him in sporting events scattered across the country. Over the next three years they received many accolades, including Jerry’s SCCA Solo II National Championship in 2005, “The Best Engineered” award from Sport Compact Car, and a featured appearance at the 2002 New York Auto Show.