User:TheChromeHorn

"The Chrome Horn" is a term used in talking about the front bumper of a race car. Being that race cars do not have horns, the bumper is usually used to "tap" other race cars to let them know they are in back of them trying to pass.

"The Chrome Horn" is also a website pertaining to Tour Type Modified Racing News.

"The Chrome Horn" officially began on January 1, 2007, but had a longer history then that. Back in 2004, Richie Grodski was working for a website LongIslandJam.com covering NASCAR's Whelen Modified Tour and posting pictures from Fran Lawlor who was shooting for a New England based sister website. The two grew to be friends. At the time, the New England website failed to timely post the photos Lawlor took of the events covered and Grodski was always on the ball with posting the pictures with the stories. Lawlor began to get frustrated at the site for not keeping up in a timely manner and left the New England based website. Lawlor was just going to keep attending races and keep the pictures for himself and send a few to a New England based racing newspaper. Grodski, convinced Lawlor to keep going to races and shooting pictures for him, a base for new coverage of the Touring Modifieds began.

In 2005, Grodski, Lawlor and LongIslandJam.com began a separate section covering the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour on LongIslandJam.com. LongIslandJam.com covered racing on Long Island, NY and being many Long Islander's raced on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, this fit well for everyone. Grodski's webpage experience and Lawlor's pictures worked well together for 2005 and 2006.

Towards the end of 2006, Grodski wanted to take the reporting to a new level with a seperate website, covering all Modified Touring Series' instead of just the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. After much talk, Grodski and Lawlor approached J.A. Ackley, of RacerHub.com, with the idea. Ackley was the owner of the RaceHub sites which Grodski and Lawlor were a part of. Ackley liked the idea and saw a need for this type racing coverage. After many meetings on a name for the site, Grodski recommended "The Chrome Horn", which at the time, was Lawlor's nickname in the RacerHub forums. The name stuck and on January 1, 2007, TheChromeHorn.com was launched.

The site did well in the first month then a strange chain of circumstances came about. Howie and Mary Hodge, long time NASCAR Modified photographers needed a home for their photographs. Lawlor and the Hodge's had been long time friends and Lawlor made a call to Grodski to see what he thought. Grodski had known the Hodge's for a few years and thought this was a good decision for both the Hodge's and The Chrome Horn. In February 2007, the Hodge's joined The Chrome Horn and after only a month in service, everything fell in place nicely. Shortly after, Precision Automotive Inc., a Simsbury, CT. based engine building shop approached The Chrome Horn to be a part of the website as a sponsor. Precision Automotive Inc. had previously sponsored a similiar website and wanted to be a part of The Chrome Horn as they saw promise in the modified racing news.

As time moved on, the website began to be very popular in the northeast, modified country. Soon many individuals offered help in adding content to the website. Being this is not a profit website, no one is on a payroll but only help due to their love of the Modifieds. This makes for a different type of reporting, more honest and a family type atmosphere.

--TheChromeHorn (talk) 18:46, 4 November 2009 (UTC)