Mike Minick insists the choice was his. The grandson of famed former Chi-Town Hustler driver Pat Minick didn't need to carry on the family's drag racing legacy. He wanted to, and for him there was only one vehicle in which he wanted to maintain the family legacy.

The third-gen Minick drives the a modern-day version of the classic Chi-Town Hustler.

Mike Minick insists the choice was his. The grandson of famed former Chi-Town Hustler driver Pat Minick didn't need to carry on the family's drag racing legacy. He wanted to, and for him there was only one vehicle in which he wanted to maintain the family legacy.

The third-gen Minick drives the a modern-day version of the classic Chi-Town Hustler.

"My family has been extremely supportive so keeping up the family tradition hasn't been that hard," said Minick. "My dad and grandfather obviously taught me everything I know about race cars and driving. That has made the process a lot easier. I will say you get added pressure when fans come up to you and say they remember what this car did back in the day. Because of their support, I feel like I have been able to do this the right way, going slowly and easing into it."

If Minick has a regret about the whole situation, it's the reality that the 28-year-old was born too late to experience the glory days of the family heritage.

"Sometimes I wish I had been born earlier," said Minick. "You hear about the way things used to be in the late 1960s and in the 70s, you'd race three nights a week with many tracks within three hours of home. There are times I wish I had been around to experience that. The 64 Funny Car shows, something I wish I had been able to see but probably will never experience."

Minick is happy running the tribute Funny Car, but if the NHRA's big show comes calling, he's more than willing to climb the next rung on the ladder of his career.

"Obviously if someone offered a big show ride, I would take it in a heartbeat," said Minick. "Right now, the Nostalgia scene is really fun and I am racing with a great group of people. We've been able to run all of the different sanctioning bodies, and I've had the pleasure of meeting a lot of people who have made it fun to be involved with. If this is as far as I go with my driving career, I'm okay with it. But, if the big show car came around there's no doubt, I'm jumping at it."

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