Goodguys' Woman of the Year

Stacy Tucker Wins National Award

By SMM Staff    Photos Courtesy of Goodguys

You've gotta love 'em, the women, the girls who have always been involved in the world of cars, cruises and the automotive lifestyle, extending from high school days and right on into the business end of hot rods today.

The Goodguys Rod & Custom Association knows about . . . and appreciates 'em. Once a year, while at the big PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, the Goodguys announce a Woman of the Year . . . and this year it's Stacy Tucker, co-founder of Detroit Speed & Engineering.

Tucker accepted the award -- a specially designed character painting by renowned hot rod artist Bob McCoy -- at a special industry reception Thursday evening, July 12th in Columbus.

Along with her husband, Kyle, the Tuckers opened Detroit Speed & Engineering in 2001, operating the fledgling business out of their garage in suburban Detroit. Detroit Speed and Engineering, Inc., now located in Mooresville, North Carolina, provides products and services to transform vintage muscle cars into hi-performance, extremely versatile “pro touring” vehicles.

An auto enthusiast since her pre-teen years, Stacy’s automotive background includes stints as an engineer for General Motors, SCCA racing experience and lots of days in the garage tearing apart and rebuilding automobiles with a keen eye on making them perform and handle better.

When she and Kyle rebuilt their ’69 Camaro in 2000 (see yellow Camaro), they called on all their GM engineering background to develop it into one of the first-ever Pro Touring cars, creating a hi-performance new era muscle car that was capable of handling like a C5 'Vette with equally impressive quarter-mile times. One could argue Stacy is the “Queen” of the current G-Machine or “Pro Touring” scene so popular today.

With her outstanding mechanical and engineering skills added to her resolute business acumen, it’s no wonder Detroit Speed and Engineering has a bright future. The company has turned out a dazzling array of high performance cars as well as cutting edge suspension products all under Stacy’s watchful eye, including a brand new 1972 Camaro built for NASCAR hero Dale Earnhardt Jr. (see orange Camaro).

“Stacy embodies what this award is all about,” said Goodguys founder and Chairman Gary Meadors. “You won’t find a more dedicated and talented person in our industry.”

The Goodguys Woman of the Year award is presented annually in honor of the late Karen Bloechl (who was instrumental in the formative years of the Goodguys Association) and recognizes a female industry executive who serves to preserve the integrity and growth of the hot rodding industry. Past recipients include: Margie Popp (1991), Ginny Lobeck (1992), Sue Brizio (1993), Maryann Harmon (1994), Karen Doe (1995), DeEtte Crow (1996), Jane Callison (1997), Gayle Stutts (1998), Judy Mullins (1999), Debbie Walls (2000), Jeannie Daly (2001), Donna Smith (2002), Debbie Lewis (2003), Jeanette Ladina (2004), Joyce Smith (2005), and Barb Davison (2006).

For more info on the Goodguys, check www.good-guys.com