Ask A Millennial! Quarantine Edition

Staying inside is hard. Here's how young enthusiasts are dealing without driving, meets and motorsports from across the car world.

I’ve been surprised at the lack of young voices through all of this.

The coronavirus outbreak has affected all of us in different ways. But for Millennials, it’s now the second economic catastrophy before we reach 40. This takes a crushing toll, it cannot be overstated, on people just beginning to map their adult lives.

For many of us, cars and car culture are an outlet through emotional turmoil and trauma, as I explained in my debut book Slow Car Fast. But now we don’t even have that. So I wanted to give people the opportunity to tell their side of staying home.

I reached out to more than one dozen people who have appeared in the Ask A Millennial! section of the Race Day newsletter over the past year. Below are 11 incredible responses. I am so grateful to all who participated for their honesty.

Maybe some of these answers will inspire. Maybe they’ll give you ways to alleviate stress during this time. Or maybe we can all just be miserable together, wishing and longing for the meets and races to start back up. That’s okay, too.

Each person’s name below will link to their Instagram profile (and one Twitter) if you click it. Please follow and support our friends. Follow Carrara Media, too.

And stay safe.

Kyiv Derevco: Designer, Photographer

I've always been a bit of a loner. But I would still go out to the meets and if I was hired to cover a show, I would go. Since all of this has come to a screeching halt, I actually have come to find it a bit more lonely than I expected. Some are actually scared and don't want to go out, others give 0 fks and are down to keep as usual. Unfortunately with the governor's orders people cant even go out on a drive... yesterday I was with two friends and CHP pretty much chased us out of Azusa Canyon. But there are silver linings. I can take the time to fix some things on my cars, I have time to dial in some stuff... so it’s not all bad. Just mostly. Lol. [Read Kyiv’s original Race Day interview]

Ben Schneider: Founder, Cars and Coffee St. Louis

Cars and Coffee St. Louis events have been postponed until further notice. We are unsure when we’ll be able to start the season back up… if at all. Folks are pretty bummed. I’ve been going on small car cruises with my friends to stay sane. No passengers. We stay six feet away from each other when we’re outside of the cars. Staying within the guidelines so everyone is safe. [Read Ben’s original Race Day interview]

Natasha Adams: Builder, Enthusiast

The pandemic has really made me look back and appreciate everyone I've met and everyone I get to see at weekly car meets. It had made me appreciate driving my car a lot more, and driving around has proven to be almost therapeutic through this time. I will definitely not miss any upcoming car shows when this is over and I'm super excited to see all my car friends again. [Read Natasha’s original Race Day interview]

Dakota Dickerson: Professional Racer

The pandemic has certainly limited my working relationship with real racecars, but where one door closes (temporarily) another one opens! I've probably spent more time on the simulator in the past two months than I have in the last two years. Utilizing iRacing's platform has been crucial for me to stay sharp and it is also really cool to see the development of the online eSports racing industry. It's opened my eyes to the amount of potential that there is, and I will certainly be on the platform even when the real racing picks back up. [Read Dakota’s original Race Day interview]

Kadi Erickson: Founder, Long Beach Shore Shifters

I'm assessing how to remain involved from afar, and as many of us can say, we're nurturing a new long-distance relationship with the car community. Obviously nothing compares to in-person meets and experiences, but I'm engaging the Shore Shifters attendees on Instagram, with polls and questions in Instagram stories, so that we can continue to keep up with each other. That's been working well so far. I'm hoping to make some changes to my car and I'm eager to see if others have done the same when things get back to normal. [Read Kadi’s original Race Day interview]

Jeff Hernandez: 4x4 Show Organizer

This pandemic, although an unfortunate situation, has actually created a bigger bond with my vehicles. Most free time is spent watching killer TV series with my wife and finally getting around to projects. Our Friday date nights that used to consist of dinner and cocktails have turned into night cruises. Last weekend, after finally replacing some suspension components, we took a long cruise exploring neighboring cities. We had blast. I'm in my happy place when driving the vehicles I've spent countless hours restoring and fixing. I suggest people take advantage of this time to do the same, finish up projects you have going, or detail and clean your car. These are all great ways to pass the time while being productive! [Read Jeff’s original Race Day interview]

Tony Scott: Writer, Photographer

The No. 1 thing I've realized is that I desperately depend on going for a drive as a form of self-care. I've been trying to avoid going out at all and I've realized that not driving has definitely led to a noticeable decline in my mental state. Additionally, it reaffirmed my belief that I partially enjoy cars for social reasons. The number one thing I miss right now is our local friendly coffee meet, where I get to see an ever-changing crew of friends made up of local car enthusiasts. Making a car fun is great, but if you can't drive it and can't share it with the people you enjoy being around, it begins to feel very pointless very rapidly. [Read Tony’s original Race Day interview]

Mark Muraoka: Engineer, Enthusiast

I don't know that I have much to say now. Stuck inside without a project car, and though the prices are starting to fall, so is my confidence that my salary will remain consistent (thankfully it has so far). The two motorcycle races I had planned in April are canceled so it's just been sim racing for me. A friend who freelances has shifted to coaching on iRacing, and I think this is a good opportunity for me to jump in and get my driving skill up to my riding skill. [Read Mark’s original Race Day interview]

Oryna Bulatova: Enthusiast, Influencer

The pandemic hasn’t necessarily changed my relationship with cars as much as it’s put the social aspect of the car world on hold. It made me realize that I don’t miss the shows and car meets as much as I miss being around car people. Don’t get me wrong. I loved going to cars and coffee, drives, meets, etc., but I loved experiencing those things with my friends. I still drive PCH and the canyons but I can’t wait to be around my people again. Social media helps. Fills the day with something to do and people to talk to, but it’s not entirely the same thing. My story posts are pretty scarce since I don’t do much that’s post-worthy during quarantine. [Read Oryna’s original Race Day interview]

Emil Blanco: Designer, Time Attacker

I moved in January so my car situation is a bit tricky. They are still back on the east coast. So COVID-19 hasn't impacted me as much as some other enthusiasts. However anything car-related has been canceled or postponed. Normally I would fall back on sim racing but I kept my whole setup in storage since I wanted to focus on the new job. Go figure, haha. I'm really just watching how the market is reacting and seeing if there are any areas of opportunity, or just buckle down for the long haul and wait for the economy to recover. [Read Emil’s original Race Day interview]

Ezekiel Wheeler: Founder, AutoConduct

I feel like I’ve been transported to the early ‘70s where the only way you got things done was through the community. We are sad to pause our pop-up shows but we are just as anxious as everybody else to get out and drive. One of those destinations will be our very own Car Culture Community Center in Southern California when a glimpse of public socialization hits the horizon. The pandemic also gives me a chance to enjoy time with my girls, whether that’s assembling all new Hot Wheels tracks or teaching them how to turn a wrench. We want to remind everybody that the body shops, the parts suppliers, the part runners, the oil change techs and MANY other automotive related jobs and services are still in business and NEED the community’s help to stay alive. Please keep them in mind when the doors start to open and that project you’ve been putting off should really get done by a pro. We still need the craftsmen and techs to keep us inspired and innovative. [Read Ezekiel’s original Race Day interview]

Drive hard and be safe.

Want your event included? Shoot me a note with subject line “Race Day” at ryan@carrarabooks.com.

Don’t forget to follow Carrara Media on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and visit our store to order your copy of Slow Car Fast in paperback or eBook.