Don’t panic….. Here’s Panek!!
The (Miata.net, WCMC, LEMC) community would like to introduce you to one of the newer members entering the sport of Miataing – John “Don’t” Panek. John recently purchased a 2006 model year but more on that later.
John was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. For those of you who aren’t from over by der or not too familiar with the Windy City, the correct pronunciation is da Sout (rhymes with out) Side of SheKAgo. He currently divides his time between a house in suburban Chicago and a house on a private lake in Northwest Indiana. John happens to be an avid powersports enthusiast – motorcycles, dirt bikes, ATVs, snowmobiles and boats. In his spare time, he teaches the ATV and motorcycle rider programs for both Illinois and Indiana. It should also be noted that John suffers from wanderlust and in his free time has traveled much of the US and Canada on either two or four wheels. He is also studying Improv and comedy writing classes at the famed Second City Theater in downtown Chicago as well as Indiana University Northwest. This boy gets around!!
After a successful 20 year stint at a business that did steel and plastic fabrications as well as protective linings and coatings, John decided it was time for a change. So in January of 2007, John started a new career as a field applications engineer who would recommend fluid handling equipment for corrosive environments. This 9-5 job required him to travel on occasion. He asked his manager if it mattered what he drove on these trips and the answer was that it didn’t matter just as long as the customer was taken care of. He then asked his manager if he could ride his motorcycle during these trips. They both agreed that this was not the best option.
John knew that he would need to upgrade to a new vehicle soon. His current car, a 1998 Chevy Cavalier (currently with 292,000 miles and counting) still ran but he started looking for a more reliable replacement. He was torn between two choices: a practical 4 door sedan or a fun, sporty two door. He started to narrow down his choices and decided that a sporty 4 door sedan might bridge the gap between practical and sporty. He eventually decided to stop at a local Mazda dealership to look at the MazdaSpeed 3 and 6.
As the sales associate and John were heading to look at the MazdaSpeeds, John noticed a row of Miatas and asked about those. The associate said that they were all new 2007 models with the exception of three left over 2006 models. However, the updated model was no longer called the Miata, as the name had been changed for the 2006 model year to what the rest of the world calls it – the MX-5. The associate said that the left over 2006 models needed to be sold quickly as the 2008’s were just weeks away. Basically, they were willing to negotiate on these three cars. Of the three new 2006’s that were still on the lot, the color choices were 2 black and 1 red.
John decided to test drive the red MX-5 and really liked it. He always thought that driving the Miata was the closest experience to motorcycling done while on 4 wheels. After the test drive, the associate and John went into the dealership to “talk numbers.” John’s biggest concern was convincing himself that a convertible could be practical. Besides, a convertible isn’t very secure either and can be easily broken into. After a few hours of back and forth talk for the red MX-5, John’s inner voice said that practicality would win and he left the dealership empty handed.
A few weeks later while attending a class, his “other” car was broken into and most of the items in the car were stolen. So much for practicality!! He decided a few days later that he would go back to the dealership, take the plunge and buy the red Miata. When he got there, the red one was sold!! But the other 2 black MX-5’s were still available. On the Thursday night before the 2007 Memorial Day weekend, John became the proud owner of a 2006 triple black Touring edition MX-5 with the following options - 6 speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, 6 disc CD changer, interior trim package and exterior appearance package.
He promptly put on 1000 miles the first weekend of owning the car. And then another 1000 miles the following weekend. When John's neighbors saw him driving around the lake with the top down, they looked inside and said “It's obvious that you're looking for a passenger who doesn't have kids or pets.” John even joined the Windy City and Lake Effect Miata clubs for a few meetings. There were even talks of taking a road trip down to Deals Gap located in the middle of the Smokey Mountains sometime in mid September with the WCMC. If you have not heard of Deal’s Gap or the “Tail of the Dragon”, it is basically a roller coaster ride made of asphalt – 318 curves in the distance of 11 miles. Summer was going great!!
But on July 1st, 2007, John’s summer was cut short. While riding his motorcycle on a quiet Sunday morning, he encountered a stray dog approaching him on an expressway. John slowed down for the dog. Unfortunately, the semi truck that was traveling behind him did not. If you've ever said the term “I feel like I got hit by a truck” and really want to know what it feels like, just ask John. Luckily, John was wearing his protective gear – helmet, leather jacket, long pants, gloves and boots. The injuries were reduced to 4 broken ribs, a fractured wrist and some road rash. Thankfully, after being admitted to the hospital, he was released and was able to walk away from the hospital. But any day that you can say that you got hit by a truck and still walk away from it, is a good day. Needless to say, he was to be home bound for the next 6 weeks.
Once he had healed enough to go back to work, he started to drive the Miata a little more, just to cheer himself up. On the Tuesday before the 2007 Labor Day weekend, just as John’s workday was ending, bad luck showed its ugly head once again. While John was making a left hand turn at an intersection, an oncoming car ran the red light and T-boned the Miata. Somehow, the driver and the other vehicle simply vanished. A hit and run no less!! Fortunately, John was not injured in this collision but the MX-5 was not as lucky.
The car was sent to a local body shop to be repaired. It was not repaired in time for John to join the WCMC for the Deal’s Gap getaway. The weekend the car was eventually repaired, John ventured down south to the Smokey Mountains and was able to tame “The Dragon”. John ended the year with no more incidences.
The long terms goals with the MX-5 are to take some extended weekend trips, autocrossing, participating in local parades and attending car shows but the main goal is to turn the car into a “HOG MX-5”. What is that, you ask? If you’ve ever seen a Harley Davidson edition Ford F series pick-up truck, you get the idea. John has already begun transforming the “Special Edition MX-5” by adding some subtle H.D. badging on both the interior and exterior. In addition to the badging, he will be adding double silver racing strips along the top of the car highlighted by bright orange and blue pin striping. He also plans to have the seat head rests embroidered with silver MX-5 lettering in the orange H.D. bar and shield logo.
Look for John and the “HOG MX-5” at your local cruise night. Just “Don't Panek” and forget to tell John “Welcome to Miata.net, WCWC, LEMC club!!” Or is it MX-5 Club?
