Boardman auto shop scores reality TV series

Tommy Christmas and his crew can make cars go fast.

It seems they also make good television.

Christmas — yes, that’s his real name — and his cohorts at Christmas Automotive in Boardman are the stars of the new reality show “Fat & Furious: Rolling Thunder,” which premieres at 10 p.m. Monday on the Discovery Channel.

The show will follow the crew as they acquire left-for-dead muscle cars, restore them to blazing speeds, and sell them. Another story line involves customers who want their already-fast cars to go even faster.

“Fat & Furious” is filmed at area tracks and airstrips, where the cars are road tested, including Quaker City Motorsports Park in Salem. Some action also takes place at the shop at 6602 Market St.

The gang is the real deal when it comes to cars, but to get a reality show, you also need characters.

That’s what caught the eye of the production team that is filming the show.

“We had a video on YouTube and this production company out of New York saw it,” said Christmas. “They liked how we looked and acted. So we did a show pilot, and Discovery jumped on it.”

Read more about the show in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.