Nov 07

1. First, tell us your full name?
Connie Gray

2. Where and when were you born?
August 20, 1972 in Columbia, SC at the Moncrief Army Hospital on Fort Jackson.

3. Are you married or single?
Me and Roy (R/T) Gray wed on June 26, 2004 under the Kure Beach Pier.

4. Any kids?
We have 4 children. R/T adopted them in August of 2005. John is 14, he'll be 15 in November. He's a freshman in high school, an honors student with his sights set on a career in the military. Christian is 13, in 7^th grade, he's interested in sports, art, and loves outdoor activities. Reese is 11, in the 6^th grade. He's home schooled. He enjoys watching wrestling on TV, playing X-box, and excels in Math. Carrie is 10 and in the 4^th grade, she's also home schooled. She loves reading, bike riding with her friends, and drawing.

5. Where do you live now?
Elizabeth City, NC thanks to the USCG. R/T is stationed in Portsmouth, VA. We've been here just over 3 years now, we bought our home here the same summer we married.

6. Where do you work?
I'm a stay at home mom and wife, home schooling our youngest 2 children.

7. Do you have a Nickname that you like to go by?
On the Zuwharrie bbs I go by BerryBlonde. I also have been dubbed Very Berry, Boo Berry, and most recently Burberry.

8. If so, how did you get this Nickname?
R/T came up with my Zuwharrie name. The rest have been picked up along the way by my friends and R/T.

9. How many years have you been into the sport of off-roading?
About 4 years now.

10. Who, or what first got you interested in the sport?
R/T did. I attended my first Zuwharrie event fall of 2003. I've been to every Zuwharrie event since and love offroading with my friends and family.

11. Are you involved in any off-road club's? If so, what is the name of your club?
The closest would be Zuwharrie, which isn't actually a club, but a web site and BBS, along with the event. I'm a partner on the Zu Off Road Events, LLC and staff member on the BBS. I help with ZOOM interviews, run the Zu store, and assist as global moderator on the board. I also work at the events.

12. What kinds of 4x4's do you own?
A 1986 Samurai, a 1991 Tracker (being lifted and built for our oldest son) and a 1990 Suburban

13. Tell us about your Suzuki?
It has a 1600/16v FI engine, 6.5:1 t-case, SPOA with YJ's in the front with Trail Tough missing links and CJ's in the rear. 2004 Cavalier seats and a more-store under the rear seat for some extra room. 35/12.50 Canyon Crawlers on Aluminum rims. Front and rear Shrockworks bumpers with a 6500 T-Max winch. Bright yellow with tribal pin striping and ghost flames with a 3 inch body lift. Also has a custom Suzuki "S" exhaust tip.

14. How long have you had it?
Since February 2005. It was my Valentine's Day gift from R/T that year.

15. Does it have a Nickname?
Not yet, but I'm sure it won't be long after this Hot Seat comes out that someone comes up with one that sticks!

16. How often do you get to wheel?
2 to 3 times a year. Not nearly enough!

17. What's the best modification you made to your rig so far?
A toss up between the yj/cj springs and the 6.5:1 t-case gears

18. What's the worst?
None, R/T has been in the Zuk scene long enough that the mods were well thought out before any action was taken to reduce the chance of a bad mod.

19. Bolt on Mods, or make it yourself?
A mix of both

20. What's your level of mechanical skills?
Next to none. R/T does most of the work on my Zuk, but I shake a mean rattle can!

21. How do you like your trails, Scenic drive, I like a little challenge, or show me the pain!
I like a little challenge! Show me the MUD!!

22. What's the scariest moment you've ever had off-roading?
A couple of years ago, going up the switch back on Dutch John. R/T was driving and I was shotgun in his rig. Partway up the rig was bouncing pretty hard and finally lost the drive shaft. Up until that point I was pretty sure we were going to go endo!

23. What was the funniest?
Probably while wheeling my Tracker last year. I was second to last in our trail group, with a stock Zuk behind me (Hi Travis!). All the other vehicles in our group were pretty well modified and we'd managed to tag along thus far, however while sitting at the end of the group waiting for the trucks in front of us to move we both heard one of the CB's from a rig in front of us say "Everyone should get over this one ok, except maybe that Tracker and stocker back there". Me and Travis both went bug eyed, and started yelling to each other to turn around and haul back out of there! LOL We stuck it out in the long run and got through just fine.

24. What have you learned from the sport that you can apply to your everyday life?
Hold on and enjoy the ride!

25. What other outdoor activities do you enjoy?
I love spending time at the beach, also enjoying working in the yard, and taking walks with the kids.

26. If you could sit down and talk to anyone, past or present, who would it be and why?
My grandfather that my oldest son was named after. He passed away when my mother was young and I never got to meet him.

27. Books on tape, or sit down and read?
Sit down and read, most definitely. I enjoy a quiet evening with a book once the kids have settled down for the night.

28. DVD at home or Theater?
DVD at home, preferably cuddled up on the couch with my husband.

29. What is on your MP3, or in your CD player right now?
Fergie, Linkin Park, Kid Rock, Marilyn Manson, Crazy Town, Missy Elliott, Beyonce, and Nelly Furtado.

30. Radio, CD's or "Trail Music" when you're wheeling?
Trail Music. When I wheel I don't usually have any music on. I enjoy chatting with whoever is riding with me instead.

31. When you're not off-roading, or working, how do you like to spend your time?
I love reading, nothing much better than curling up on the couch with a good book, hanging out with my family, playing with our pets (4 dogs and 3 cats), and doing volunteer work on the Zu.

32. If I gave you a free ticket to visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Anywhere tropical. Bahamas, or the Virgin Islands, or maybe Belize. Something along those lines.

33. What did you want to be most as a kid?
Grown up. LOL!

34. If you could learn to speak any language that you do not already know, what would it be?
Spanish, definitely. I plan to learn Spanish in the next couple of years with my youngest 2 kids.

35. What is your best time of the day, morning, noon, or night?
I'd say morning, I definitely get the most done for the day in the mornings. Housework, the kid's school work, etc.

36.What's your most embarrassing moment (so far)?
Probably last summer ('06) when a wave brought my swimsuit top down while playing in the ocean at OBX. There were about 10 of us at the beach together, not sure who all saw the incident, but I know for sure a man fishing nearby did, he even abandoned his fishing for the next half hour or so to watch for it to happen again.

37. Have you ever met anyone famous, and if so, who?
Well, Art Lilley! He's famous amongst us in the Zuk/offroading community. =)

38. Tell me a little known fact about yourself.
I'm pretty damn good at Mortal Kombat...nobody in our family will play me anymore!

39. If you could give any piece of advice to a future off-roader, what would it be?
I'll aim this one toward the future female wheelers: Don't be intimidated, just go out there and give it a shot!

Thank you Connie, and you are now off the Hot Seat!

		On the Hot Seat with Brent May It's not just the guys that contribute to our sport/hobby/obsession! Connie is right there with the Zook crowd in a built Samurai of her own. This is definitely a family affair!
		1. First, tell us your full name? Connie Gray 2. Where and when were you born? August 20, 1972 in Columbia, SC at the Moncrief Army Hospital on Fort Jackson. 3. Are you married or single? Me and Roy (R/T) Gray wed on June 26, 2004 under the Kure Beach Pier. 4. Any kids? We have 4 children. R/T adopted them in August of 2005. John is 14, he'll be 15 in November. He's a freshman in high school, an honors student with his sights set on a career in the military. Christian is 13, in 7^th grade, he's interested in sports, art, and loves outdoor activities. Reese is 11, in the 6^th grade. He's home schooled. He enjoys watching wrestling on TV, playing X-box, and excels in Math. Carrie is 10 and in the 4^th grade, she's also home schooled. She loves reading, bike riding with her friends, and drawing. 5. Where do you live now? Elizabeth City, NC thanks to the USCG. R/T is stationed in Portsmouth, VA. We've been here just over 3 years now, we bought our home here the same summer we married. 6. Where do you work? I'm a stay at home mom and wife, home schooling our youngest 2 children. 7. Do you have a Nickname that you like to go by? On the Zuwharrie bbs I go by BerryBlonde. I also have been dubbed Very Berry, Boo Berry, and most recently Burberry. 8. If so, how did you get this Nickname? R/T came up with my Zuwharrie name. The rest have been picked up along the way by my friends and R/T. 9. How many years have you been into the sport of off-roading? About 4 years now. 10. Who, or what first got you interested in the sport? R/T did. I attended my first Zuwharrie event fall of 2003. I've been to every Zuwharrie event since and love offroading with my friends and family. 11. Are you involved in any off-road club's? If so, what is the name of your club? The closest would be Zuwharrie, which isn't actually a club, but a web site and BBS, along with the event. I'm a partner on the Zu Off Road Events, LLC and staff member on the BBS. I help with ZOOM interviews, run the Zu store, and assist as global moderator on the board. I also work at the events. 12. What kinds of 4x4's do you own? A 1986 Samurai, a 1991 Tracker (being lifted and built for our oldest son) and a 1990 Suburban 13. Tell us about your Suzuki? It has a 1600/16v FI engine, 6.5:1 t-case, SPOA with YJ's in the front with Trail Tough missing links and CJ's in the rear. 2004 Cavalier seats and a more-store under the rear seat for some extra room. 35/12.50 Canyon Crawlers on Aluminum rims. Front and rear Shrockworks bumpers with a 6500 T-Max winch. Bright yellow with tribal pin striping and ghost flames with a 3 inch body lift. Also has a custom Suzuki "S" exhaust tip. 14. How long have you had it? Since February 2005. It was my Valentine's Day gift from R/T that year. 15. Does it have a Nickname? Not yet, but I'm sure it won't be long after this Hot Seat comes out that someone comes up with one that sticks! 16. How often do you get to wheel? 2 to 3 times a year. Not nearly enough! 17. What's the best modification you made to your rig so far? A toss up between the yj/cj springs and the 6.5:1 t-case gears 18. What's the worst? None, R/T has been in the Zuk scene long enough that the mods were well thought out before any action was taken to reduce the chance of a bad mod. 19. Bolt on Mods, or make it yourself? A mix of both 20. What's your level of mechanical skills? Next to none. R/T does most of the work on my Zuk, but I shake a mean rattle can! 21. How do you like your trails, Scenic drive, I like a little challenge, or show me the pain! I like a little challenge! Show me the MUD!! 22. What's the scariest moment you've ever had off-roading? A couple of years ago, going up the switch back on Dutch John. R/T was driving and I was shotgun in his rig. Partway up the rig was bouncing pretty hard and finally lost the drive shaft. Up until that point I was pretty sure we were going to go endo! 23. What was the funniest? Probably while wheeling my Tracker last year. I was second to last in our trail group, with a stock Zuk behind me (Hi Travis!). All the other vehicles in our group were pretty well modified and we'd managed to tag along thus far, however while sitting at the end of the group waiting for the trucks in front of us to move we both heard one of the CB's from a rig in front of us say "Everyone should get over this one ok, except maybe that Tracker and stocker back there". Me and Travis both went bug eyed, and started yelling to each other to turn around and haul back out of there! LOL We stuck it out in the long run and got through just fine. 24. What have you learned from the sport that you can apply to your everyday life? Hold on and enjoy the ride! 25. What other outdoor activities do you enjoy? I love spending time at the beach, also enjoying working in the yard, and taking walks with the kids. 26. If you could sit down and talk to anyone, past or present, who would it be and why? My grandfather that my oldest son was named after. He passed away when my mother was young and I never got to meet him. 27. Books on tape, or sit down and read? Sit down and read, most definitely. I enjoy a quiet evening with a book once the kids have settled down for the night. 28. DVD at home or Theater? DVD at home, preferably cuddled up on the couch with my husband. 29. What is on your MP3, or in your CD player right now? Fergie, Linkin Park, Kid Rock, Marilyn Manson, Crazy Town, Missy Elliott, Beyonce, and Nelly Furtado. 30. Radio, CD's or "Trail Music" when you're wheeling? Trail Music. When I wheel I don't usually have any music on. I enjoy chatting with whoever is riding with me instead. 31. When you're not off-roading, or working, how do you like to spend your time? I love reading, nothing much better than curling up on the couch with a good book, hanging out with my family, playing with our pets (4 dogs and 3 cats), and doing volunteer work on the Zu. 32. If I gave you a free ticket to visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? Anywhere tropical. Bahamas, or the Virgin Islands, or maybe Belize. Something along those lines. 33. What did you want to be most as a kid? Grown up. LOL! 34. If you could learn to speak any language that you do not already know, what would it be? Spanish, definitely. I plan to learn Spanish in the next couple of years with my youngest 2 kids. 35. What is your best time of the day, morning, noon, or night? I'd say morning, I definitely get the most done for the day in the mornings. Housework, the kid's school work, etc. 36.What's your most embarrassing moment (so far)? Probably last summer ('06) when a wave brought my swimsuit top down while playing in the ocean at OBX. There were about 10 of us at the beach together, not sure who all saw the incident, but I know for sure a man fishing nearby did, he even abandoned his fishing for the next half hour or so to watch for it to happen again. 37. Have you ever met anyone famous, and if so, who? Well, Art Lilley! He's famous amongst us in the Zuk/offroading community. =) 38. Tell me a little known fact about yourself. I'm pretty damn good at Mortal Kombat...nobody in our family will play me anymore! 39. If you could give any piece of advice to a future off-roader, what would it be? I'll aim this one toward the future female wheelers: Don't be intimidated, just go out there and give it a shot! Thank you Connie, and you are now off the Hot Seat!