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'Fat and Furious' proves big hit on Discovery Channel
EDITOR’S NOTE — As 2014 winds down, The Vindicator is taking a daily look back at the people and events that made this year unforgettable. “The Vindicator Rewind” will highlight and update a memorable story from 2014.
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
BOARDMAN
At this time last year, nobody outside of his family, friends and customers knew who Tommy Christmas was.
What a difference a year makes.
Christmas is now widely known as the head honcho of the speedmeisters on “Fat N’ Furious: Rolling Thunder,” the Discovery Channel reality show.
The show follows Christmas and his crew at Christmas Automotive — Chuck Kountz, Steve McGranahan and Andy Pivarnik — as they acquire dilapidated muscle cars and restore them into drag-racing shape. The show is mostly shot at Christmas’ speed shop in Fowler.
The series premiered in June and its ratings improved every week — so much that the cable channel picked it up for renewal in August.
Christmas and Co. just returned from several weeks in New Orleans, where they shot part of the eight-episode second season, which will start in February and end in April. They had some customers in the Big Easy who wanted rebuild jobs on their cars, so the crew went there to do the work.
Christmas took a break from shooting to talk about the upcoming season in a phone interview while he was still in New Orleans.
“We got some new cars, different and rare cars, and some really good stories for these episodes,” he said. “Some will tug at people’s heartstrings. They’re just real stories, all caught on camera.”
One of the highlights of every episode is when Christmas and Co. reveal the finished product to the happy car owner. The rebuilds bring in a lot of money, but the satisfaction goes well beyond that.
“That’s why I build them, for the look on their faces, the emotions running through them, when they see the car,” said Christmas. “There’s no better feeling. The money is good, but I do a lot of my builds just to make someone happy.”
Christmas said that he, Kountz, McGranahan and Pivarnik were enjoying the sun in Louisiana and having a good time, like always. “When we work, we have fun, and that’s half the battle,” he said.
With his newfound fame, Christmas became “that guy on television” to folks who spotted him when he’s out in the Mahoning Valley.
“I can’t go anywhere without someone saying, ‘Hey, you’re that guy on television,’” he said in an earlier interview. “I just let out a big smile and then they want to take pictures and get my autograph. It’s unbelievable. I never thought this would happen in a million years.”
Another change in his life has been an uptick in business at his Boardman garage. “It has improved,” said Christmas. “People just show up to see if I’m there, maybe to buy a shirt or get me to sign something.”