Just an update on the Gas Monkey Garage scandal.

For those of you who have not been kept up to date, please read this discussion thoroughly: Gas Monkey Garage scandal. Please take the time to read the entire discussion.

Furthermore, please take the time to read this discussion: In addition to Gas Monkey thread. In that discussion, certain possible ties between Dodgy Monkey Media and a potentially horrible situation on a children's site are being investigated. I should repeat, as I have many times before: the information we have does not constitute proof. Nevertheless, it is extremely disturbing. I have sent emails to multiple email addresses at Coker Tire to request assistance in investigating this situation. So far, no reply.

Be on the lookout for a user named "starcommander". Through his email address, and through communication with him, I can see that he works at Gas Monkey Garage. While he has not yet made any posts on the board, I have heard that he has been sending PMs to people, apparently looking for information.

I just got off the phone with SEMA. They are well aware of this situation. They tried some basic stall tactics. Voicemail, promises to call back, etc. They wanted to take my personal phone number down. I refused to give it to them, in light of the public remarks made about my personal privacy and safety by Coker Tire, when they thought they could hide behind an anonymous username.

SEMA has referred me to their public relations company. Once again, they tried to get me to hand over my personal information, and stall for time. I told them, quite simply, that all stall tactics will be used to their disadvantage. I will email SEMA member companies about this scandal until we receive a mature and appropriate communication from them. They promised me that I could call back within 50 minutes, and they would speak to me personally. That's 19 minutes from now.

I expect we shall hear some sort of official statement on SEMA's behalf in the near future.

Once again, thanks to all who have supported us, and thanks for having the guts to stick up for your culture.

Tick tock tick tock, keep us posted Jon.

get a prepaid cell phone and use that as your contact number, lol

untraceable

I just got off the phone with Dan McCue, of McCue-Freeman, the public relations company that SEMA referred me to.

Dan was the first person I've encountered throughout this entire situation to treat me, and our website, with respect. He listened very carefully while I went over the details of this entire situation.

He said that he will investigate this matter, and that I can call him back tomorrow after 2 PM, and he'll have more information for me.

Ooo, very interesting Jon. At least you actually got to let someone from SEMA be aware of the situation that happened recently. We can only hope that the news of GMG will spread faster than a wildfire.

Good luck Jon.

I just got off the phone with Dan McCue of McCue/Freeman, SEMA's public relations company. Once again, I should add that Dan is being extremely cautious, and very respectful. However, it should be noted that he did indeed seem to be nervous. I had sent him a detailed email with numerous links to various parts of this scandal. He indicated that he had reviewed the situation, but he could not confirm that he had examined any specific link or discussion. Also, he wanted very much to discuss the weather, and how much he likes Colorado, the state in which I live. Additionally, he referred to me as "my friend".

He had an "official" statement from SEMA: a single sentence. I was very sure to confirm the exact words with him. Here's the exact text of the statement, communicated to us by SEMA, through their public relations company:



Such a statement could mean many, many things. Note the use of the phrase "no plan", and the ambiguity of the phrase "at the SEMA show".

Now, recall the reference to this in the video. Between the 3:11 and 3:17 mark of the original video, immediately following one of Richard's lovely pig-snorts, we hear the following exact statement:



In considering SEMA's statement to us, via their public relations company, my interpretation is that this is an indication that SEMA will not be supporting Gas Monkey Garage's "giveaway" at the SEMA show. Thus, they appear to be intentionally distancing themselves from Gas Monkey Garage. We shall see.

I will be requesting additional communication from SEMA, as there are still many unresolved matters. Nevertheless, a clear victory for us. One of many, and certainly not the last.

Congratulations hotrodders . We have now been successful in getting the video removed from the web, and in receiving a communication from SEMA that appears to indicate their desire to discontinue their association with Gas Monkey Garage.

And still, we await a public and genuine apology from Richard Rawlings and Gas Monkey Garage.

Next stop: Discovery Channel.