Mrs. Wags Digital Images

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Superior Metal Fabricators Inc - Spin Tech

RON DIDONATO – A RACER – A BUSINESSMAN – A CHRISTIAN – A WAGSDASH CHAMPION CAR CAR OWNER AND DRIVER -

8/19/05 - I first met Ron Didonato at Ascot back in the mid 80’s sometime. I don’t remember the first time in particular, but I remembered him very well as a quiet and determined driver. I recall his bright blue Santini painted sprint car on a trip to the Devil’s Bowl in Texas. I remember most of his various paint schemes for his racers, but I can't name the order they came in. I remember him racing at Ascot and many other tracks, always looking for that elusive win. I remember him as the very first Wagsdash winner in 1991 at Bakersfield Speedway. He is also the only person with a win both as a driver and car owner, with Danny Sheridan’s win in 2002. Over the years he has had unique sprint cars and some unique crew members as he loved to race a sprint car. He hasn’t lost that desire, but for now he is sans race car as his last chassis went out the door the day before I went to visit. Spin Tech mufflers, his “missions” and a lady named Meri highlight his life now.

Spin Tech is a division of his long time Superior Metal fabrication business. The shop is probably the size of three basketball courts laid side by side with offices up front and a race shop on one side. There are three bay doors in the back with a lift inside one of them for exhaust system installs. More than mufflers are created here with the many big Cad Cam machines doing all kinds of cutting, punching, hole drilling and formation routines.

Superior Motorsports is the banner he flew and sometimes even fielding two cars some years. Ron has been dedicated to racing over the last 20 plus years and he has taken a number of periods off. He and Sal Acosta linked up a few years ago and only recently did Sal go back on his own as Ron had other priorities to keep him motivated. He is currently involved in doing religious missions in South America and is dedicated to the good he does down there. You should hear him talk about those trips. Yes, he still has the desire to race, but says not now as he has other fish to fry and his business to run. He is currently reworking his favorite car, a Pantera, that is currently under restoration in the otherwise empty race shop.

The history of Spin Tech is summed up the following way. During 1994 to 1995 exhaust pioneer Dr. Gas, Inc. researched and developed the now revolutionary spin trap muffler technology. Spin Tech, working with Dr. Gas, then began developing and manufacturing an array of sizes and applications of the best sounding race/performance mufflers ever built. Today, Spin Tech offers the most technologically advanced line of mufflers and tubing systems ever, in an amazing selection of sizes and shapes. Spin Techs record of race wins and championships and “Best on the Street” sound, leaves no room for any competition. Contact Spin Tech Mufflers at 951-360-2474 for mufflers and systems that will make music for you! I know, courtesy of Ron Didonato's Spin Tech vision, my “96 Corvette now has “sweet music” of it’s own!

Who knows what Ron will do in racing in the future, if anything at all, but his mufflers will keep him busy and still involved regardless. He is not known for coming to watch, thats a lot like most drivers who retire or don't have a ride. He has a lot of moxie evidenced by what he has accomplished in his personal life and his racing life. His cars have always looked professional on the track and he has driven hard to succeed, yet one knows he still has that glint in his eye. Maybe he will try the car owner deal again, but you can be sure whatever he does, his commitment will make it interesting.

The large industrial building that is home to Superior Metal Fabricators, Inc. and Spin Tech is large and tucked back in an industrial area in far off Riverside, just off the 60 freeway and east of the 15.

The front door was hard to get a good picture with all the glare, and you enter here into the office part of the building.

Ron himself sits in his office as he greets me. No he's not asleep, he just blinked.

The mode of transportation for Ron is a Ford pickup. It sounds pretty good, too with its Spin Tech add ons.

Here are some pictures of the office coming in the front door.

More pictures in that office with plenty of evidence that a racer is in the house.

Ron’s office has several things on the walls including a trophy dash award.

Here are some die cast cars, a picture of one of his early # 57 cars at Ascot and a couple of trophies. He keeps his Wagsdash trophy at home.

Here are three Wagtimes shiney tire awards! He was one of those racers who always supported the Wagtimes in every way he could, and that included shining those tires.

The race shop where he worked on his # 57 for years is sans a race car now that he sold the last one the day before my visit. Lots of various race parts on shelves, a fuel cell and much more that would bring back stories and memories.

Ron's is a typical race car shop with posters on the walls.

More posters and the top of a motor sitting on the floor at the bottom of the pic.

Ron's banner flies on one wall. The back of his trailer has had that graphic on it for years.

An old fuel cell just waiting to find a new home.

A discarded hood from days gone by.

Some fuel bottles and a driver seat are more of what's left from the sprint car racing days of the past.

A motor is parked in the race shop.

You always find interesting things around a race shop. Here is a hood for a go cart that looks from the old 70’s style. Ron said he drove it.

Another more modern hood left over.

Here is one of Ron’s loves, a Pantera. I know little about these as I have always been Corvette driven. He is currently building two new fuel cells as he restores and finishes the car for his street driving soon, he hopes.

This older model Camaro belongs to an old friend of mine and former racer, Kim Craft. Kim once had an old Corvette in his garage/race shop out back of his home. He talked of plans to restore it. Don't know if that is still in pieces back there, but I would love to have that one. Maybe this is the replacement?

This is the back of the facility with three large entry doors. Kim’s Camaro pokes out of the middle door as it was waiting for some kind of exhaust part that was on order.