Hi everyone, great to be on here and the forum has already been of great help.

I started with cars about 2 1/2 years ago and its been a crazy ride that's still going. With no real prior experience in driving or collecting I began my collection in Apr. 2009 with the criteria that I would only buy what moves my soul and what I could actually drive. There would be no room for garage queens. The first addition was a Lamborghini Gallardo Nera and I fell madly in love. Under the no garage queen mantra I drove her every chance I got but eventually moved to get her out on the race track in order to really appreciate what the car could do. That day in Jun. 2010 forever changed my views on driving and my love of cars and took on a whole new dimension. I was hooked. I began trying to get as much track experience as possible hitting Summit Point and the Skip Barber school with plans to work my way up to the Aston Academy at the Nurburgring. In Aug. 2010 I added an Aston Martin DBS to the collection and continued on the track course. After finishing Skip Barber's 2-Day Performance Driving School at Lime Rock it became clear to me that what I needed was a purpose built track car that would allow me to push much harder on the track. I also just finished my first wheel-to-wheel racing experience in the infamous 24hrs. of LeMons where your car is not allowed to be worth more than $500. We ran an old Audi 80. Being in the thick of it with 102 other cars in full on racing was an experience like no other.

I set out looking for a E46 M3 to do the track conversion and in the process also began to look at old Ranges to trailer it to the track. I went into the Rover dealership looking for early 2000s only to sit in a 2011 full-sized and just be blown away. I had always been a fan of the Range but kept my distance from that and all SUVs because you just can't fling them around the corners as fast, lol. However, once I sat in that 2011 I realized that it did everything my daily driver, a BMW 6-series, did and more. In the span of a few days I ditched the plans for the older Range, traded in the 6 and bought a 2011 Range under the idea of it being my DD, to trailer the track car and then it simultaneously opened the door to off-roading. Within four days of getting it I had it out on Rocky Run in George Washington National Forest. It was a blast and a day I cursed because loving the race track was bad enough, lol.

I've been passenger for some stuff up in Whistler BC and dune-bashing in Dubai and Jeddah but other than Rocky Run I've got zero off-road driving experience. I'm really looking forward to the summer rally to get that first true experience much like my first track day. I fully suspect that just like with the race track I may eventually then get another to make a dedicated off-roader if I get hooked and want to do some real customization on it.

Also, lurking in the back of brain like an itch I need to scratch is to bridge the gap and get into rallying but that's still a ways off.

My philosophy on cars is pretty much summed up by this: "Every mile on my cars represents a stirring of my soul. I have cars not to collect dust, nor rust away in a garage or sit as petrified show pieces, lifeless and unmoving. I have cars to take them where they are meant to be, where they belong, where tires are pushed and brakes strain while the engine burns as the heart of a devil and exhaust screams in untethered passion. I drive cars because in that moment I am free."

Glad to be here and it's great to see the community around the Range. Owning and driving these cars is great but the most amazing part for me these past few years has been all the incredible people I've met as a result.

I'm a photographer and needless to say I've been merging that with my love affair these past couple years. You can see video of previous track, drifting, rally and meets at www.youtube.com/passiontolive

Looking forward to adding some Range video soon.

welcome, hope to see you at the MAR.