Deus Ex Machina in Venice hosted a Handmade Festival this past weekend.  It brought to mind something often overlooked – that the fastest machines on earth are handmade.  Our daily drivers are mass-produced in high-tech, fully automated factories, but to extract more and safely go faster, race teams break-out the tool box. The engineers, mechanics and pit crews in the racing world are truly artisans.  The attention to detail and pride in their craft entertain millions.  I think it’s that scale that makes us forget that before each race, the cars are taken down to the chassis by hand and scrutinized, repaired, improved and put back together.  Being this intimate with their subjects is essential to making important decisions at race speed.  Every race finish – winning or otherwise, is because of many good wrenching decisions.

Funny what a pair of handmade leather boots with Goodyear tire soles makes you think about…

For your own pair of fabulous boots, go to www.pskaufman.com.

Melissa Eickhoff

Melissa Eickhoff – self-described “Editor-at-Play,” travels the world of motorsports through her connections and work with unique people, finding herself behind the scenes and part of amazingly epic races and projects. She’s even taken a shot at off-road racing. Currently, she's in deep with Dempsey Racing, Race of Champions Team USA, Zero One Odysseys and their off-road adventure tours and racing, and Patrick Dempsey: Racing Le Mans, the Velocity/Discovery Documentary. You never know where she’ll turn up next…

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