If you are part of the used-car retail or remarketing industry, you might know Ron Hope as the president and chief executive officer of Capital Automotive Reconditioning Services (better known as CARS Recon), a company he founded in 2002.

Of course, Hope's background in the auto industry, according to a company bio, goes back a lot further, to his days with Chrysler, ADT Auction Group, ADESA and others.

But you might not know that Hope and his family have a deep legacy in another piece of automotive, so to speak.

Auto racing.

I discovered more about that through a piece by Tony Thacker in the December issue of THE SHOP magazine titled “Hope Springs Eternal.”

It’s in-depth and well-researched storytelling that blends familial ties with history, humor and auto racing. And one worth a read to learn another side of an industry executive like Hope. 

It’s stories like these that are fascinating to me, whether I’m reading or reporting them. They provide a nice mix of human interest beyond the breaking news headlines and numbers. 

As the Hope family’s story in THE SHOP magazine shows, there’s another side of life to folks in the auto industry, and that's an important story to tell, too. 

Some are musicians behind the scenes, some are involved in sports, some have businesses in other sectors. Some have stories to share that are more personal to life and family.

And we love hearing them all.

So, keep sharing them, and taking the time to read features like Thacker’s.

Got a story to tell? Email me at joverby@cherokeemediagroup.com.