A bonus episode spotlights Brie Lynn’s family and autism awareness mission tied to the Jeep world and the road to SEMA. After “a 10-hour drive to Florida in a Jeep,” she connects with Kirk Hansen at a Jeep show to talk about her son Winter and a campaign running “from now until SEMA.” FlexTread and Legendary Interiors back the effort with special-edition autism-awareness floor mats, and the hosts also share upcoming High Performance Expo and racing updates.
This week on The Muscle Car Place, we're bringing you a special bonus episode recorded live from Jeep Jam in Panama City Beach, Florida. While a Jeep event may seem like an unusual stop for a muscle car podcast, the connection comes through FlexTread Floor Mats, a sister company to Legendary Auto Interiors. Legendary has long been known as one of the premier suppliers of restoration interiors for classic Mopar and GM muscle cars, while FlexTread has expanded that same commitment to quality into the Jeep and truck market.
Kirk Hansen sat down with Bree Lynn of Houston, Texas, to share the powerful story behind her Jeep, "Grace," and her son Winter. After years of searching for answers regarding Winter's developmental delays and autism diagnosis, Bree found herself navigating a journey filled with challenges, uncertainty, and ultimately hope. One of the most emotional milestones came after years of speech therapy when Winter finally called her "Mama" for the first time, a moment that symbolized just how far he had come.
Today, Bree uses Grace as a rolling platform for autism awareness, helping families connect through shared experiences while encouraging compassion and understanding for those living with autism. Her message, "Show Grace to Even Those That Are Different," has resonated with countless families at events across the country. Winter's own motto captures the spirit of their journey perfectly: "I have autism. Autism doesn't have me."
The autism-awareness campaign will continue throughout the year as FlexTread and Legendary Auto Interiors work toward a major display at SEMA, while also offering special autism-awareness floor mats for Jeeps, trucks, and muscle cars. This is a heartfelt conversation about family, perseverance, community, and the unexpected ways our automotive hobbies can bring people together. We hope you'll listen, share it with someone who may need it, and help spread a message of hope, acceptance, and grace.
"one of the biggest topics on my car mind is doing an LS3 swap in my Chevelle."
An LS3 swap means replacing a car’s original engine with GM’s LS3 V8 (from the modern LS family). It’s popular because the LS3 is compact, makes strong power, and has extensive aftermarket support for wiring, cooling, and mounting.
"one of the biggest topics on my car mind is doing an LS3 swap in my Chevelle."
A Chevrolet Chevelle is an older muscle car. The host is talking about putting a newer LS3 engine into it to make it run stronger and feel more modern.
A Chevrolet Chevelle is a classic American muscle car known for its V8 swap potential and huge aftermarket support. In this episode, the host specifically mentions planning an LS3 swap into a Chevelle, which is a common way to modernize performance and drivability.
"Next week is the High Performance Expo in Charlotte, North Carolina. I will be there."
This is a car event in Charlotte where people go to learn about performance parts and upgrades. The host is saying they’ll be there and their son will take classes.
The High Performance Expo is an automotive event where enthusiasts and vendors gather to talk about upgrades, parts, and builds. In this episode, the host says they’ll be attending in Charlotte, North Carolina, with their son taking classes.
"So first off, we're here with FlexTread floor mats.
That is a sister company of legendary auto interiors."
FlexTread is a brand that makes floor mats for cars. In this episode, they’re mentioned because the hosts are tying a Jeep event to products used in muscle cars too.
FlexTread is a brand of floor mats being highlighted at the Jeep Jam. The segment connects it to interior/upholstery suppliers for Mopar performance cars, positioning it as part of the “muscle car link” to the Jeep event.
"That is a sister company of legendary auto interiors.
A lot of our listeners will know legendary auto interiors because they are kind of the
premium supplier of upholstery for muscle cars when it comes to Mopar charger,"
Legendary Auto Interiors is a company that makes or supplies car interior materials like upholstery. They’re mentioned here because they’re known for outfitting Mopar muscle cars, including the Dodge Charger.
Legendary Auto Interiors is a brand associated with premium upholstery and interior work. In this segment, it’s described as a supplier for Mopar muscle cars, specifically calling out upholstery for a Mopar model line (the Dodge Charger).
"...upholstery for muscle cars when it comes to Mopar charger, challenger, kudos."
The Dodge Charger is a muscle car made by Dodge. People talk about it a lot because it’s a popular car to restore, including the inside seats and interior materials. Upholstery choices are important because the interior is part of what makes it feel “right.”
The Dodge Charger is a classic American muscle car known for its bold styling and performance-focused V8 options. In a discussion about muscle-car upholstery and interior parts, it’s a common reference point because owners often want period-correct materials and fitment for the Charger’s cabin. It may come up as part of a broader “Mopar” lineup that enthusiasts maintain and restore.
"premium supplier of upholstery for muscle cars when it comes to Mopar charger,"
“Mopar” is a term people use for Chrysler/Dodge performance cars and parts. A “Charger” is a specific Dodge model, and here they’re talking about interior/upholstery for those Mopar Chargers.
“Mopar” refers to the Chrysler group’s performance and parts ecosystem (Dodge, Chrysler, and related brands), and “Charger” is the Dodge Charger model line. When someone says “Mopar Charger” in this context, they mean upholstery and parts for the Dodge Charger as part of the Mopar muscle-car world.
"...y for muscle cars when it comes to Mopar charger, challenger, kudos. And then they went into GM muscle cars as..."
The Dodge Challenger is a muscle car made by Dodge. It’s often discussed in terms of restoring or upgrading the interior, like seats and upholstery, so it matches the car’s original style. That’s why it comes up alongside other popular Mopar muscle cars.
The Dodge Challenger is a muscle car from Dodge that’s closely associated with the modern and classic “Mopar” performance identity. It’s frequently mentioned in restoration and customization conversations—like upholstery—because owners want interiors that match the car’s look and era. The podcast context suggests it’s being grouped with other muscle cars as part of a broader Mopar discussion.
"So Camaro Chevelles, GTOs, Oldsmobile 442, pretty much all the muscle car stuff."
A Camaro is a classic performance car from Chevrolet. It’s part of the muscle-car/“pony car” history people talk about from the late 60s and 70s.
The host is grouping classic American muscle cars, and “Camaro” points to Chevrolet’s performance coupe line. The Camaro is known for its role in the 1960s–1970s muscle-car era, where it competed directly with other big-name pony cars.
"So Camaro Chevelles, GTOs, Oldsmobile 442, pretty much all the muscle car stuff."
The Oldsmobile 442 is a classic muscle car from Oldsmobile. It’s a well-known model name from the classic American performance era.
The Oldsmobile 442 is a classic muscle car nameplate from Oldsmobile, strongly associated with the brand’s performance image. It’s a “numbers” model that enthusiasts recognize as part of the late-60s/early-70s muscle-car lineup.
"So Camaro Chevelles, GTOs, Oldsmobile 442, pretty much all the muscle car stuff."
The GTO is a famous muscle car model from Pontiac. People bring it up a lot when they’re talking about classic American performance cars.
“GTO” refers to the Pontiac GTO, one of the most famous muscle cars associated with the original “judge-the-competition” era. It’s often cited as a key model that helped define what people mean by a traditional American muscle car.
"So one of the elements that Martin invested in was floor mats once he started after he [691.8s] got so many lines involved. [693.2s] So when he did the custom floor mats for muscle cars to keep those machines going full time,"
Floor mats are the removable pieces on the floor of a car that catch mud, water, and everyday mess. “Custom” floor mats are made to fit a specific car area more precisely.
Floor mats are interior protective panels placed on the vehicle’s carpeted floor to shield it from dirt, moisture, and wear. In enthusiast contexts, “custom floor mats” often means made-to-fit pieces designed to cover specific areas and sometimes match branding or special themes.
"More importantly, you met Martin at SEMA last year. [717.3s] I did. [717.9s] And Martin is definitely a passionate person."
SEMA is a big car-industry event in the U.S. where companies show off aftermarket parts and accessories. If you make or sell car add-ons—like floor mats—that’s the kind of place you’d go to get attention.
SEMA is the Specialty Equipment Market Association show, a major U.S. trade event where aftermarket parts, accessories, and custom vehicles are displayed. It’s especially important for companies that make things like floor mats and other interior/exterior add-ons because they can showcase products to installers, retailers, and media.
"So let's talk about, Grace, the Jeep.
[1174.2s] What year Jeep is it?
[1175.1s] It's a 2017 Jeep Wrangler.
[1177.4s] It's a JK."
A Jeep Wrangler is a rugged SUV made for off-roading. The 2017 model is part of a specific Wrangler generation (the JK), and it’s the kind of Jeep people often customize for trails and adventures.
The Jeep Wrangler is a rugged off-road SUV known for its removable doors and roof and its body-on-frame, trail-focused design. In this episode, the host specifies a 2017 Wrangler, which falls in the JK generation—an era many Jeep fans associate with classic Wrangler styling and strong aftermarket support.
Term
JK
"[1175.1s] It's a 2017 Jeep Wrangler.
[1177.4s] It's a JK.
[1178.3s] Yep.
[1178.4s] So how did that interest or where did getting involved in the Jeep community?"
“JK” is Wrangler-speak for a particular generation of Jeep Wrangler (the 2007–2018 era). It’s basically a shorthand so Jeep people know which version you mean.
“JK” is the internal generation code for the Jeep Wrangler produced from 2007 to 2018. Using generation codes like JK helps enthusiasts talk about the specific Wrangler platform and its common parts and aftermarket compatibility.
"And so I had a good friend of mine.
[1198.3s] He was working at the GMC dealership and at the time I had a GMC Acadia.
[1202.8s] So I would take it in to do oil changes and whatnot."
The GMC Acadia is a regular family SUV/crossover. In the story, it’s the car the speaker had before they ended up getting a Jeep.
The GMC Acadia is a midsize crossover SUV from General Motors, typically used as a family vehicle rather than an off-road trail machine. Here it’s mentioned because the speaker had an Acadia while working with a GMC dealership contact before switching to a Jeep Wrangler.
"So we're looking for new partners when it comes to wheels, tires, bumpers, steps, accessories. That'll be front and center."
Those are car parts people often upgrade after buying a vehicle. They include things like wheels and tires for grip, bumpers for protection, and steps for easier entry—plus other add-ons they want to show at the event.
These are common categories of aftermarket off-road and appearance upgrades. In the segment, they’re looking for partners to supply these items so they can be featured prominently at the FlexTread booth.
"This will be in the truck and accessories section of SEMA. I believe that's what they call it. I don't remember. It's like overland and truck."
Overland is a style of car setup for road trips where you can go off the pavement and carry gear for camping. Here, they’re just saying SEMA groups trucks and overland-related stuff together.
Overland is an automotive hobby category focused on long-distance, self-sufficient travel—often with vehicles set up for dirt roads, camping, and carrying gear. The speaker uses it to describe how SEMA organizes the show areas for trucks and related builds.
Select text to request an explanation
The Muscle Car Plays, online podcast, episode number 649.
This week, a special bonus show for you to end the month of May together.
Brie Lynn from Houston, Texas, after a 10-hour drive to Florida in a Jeep sat down with our
man Kirk Hansen at a Jeep show of all things to talk about autism, specifically about her
son Winter and a very special thing she's doing from now until SEMA in conjunction with
legendary interiors.
Now, you're going to realize why she's there and you're going to realize that this topic is
near and dear to all involved.
But please listen to this interview because you're not alone out there.
Your kid is not alone out there and this lady and one company are doing their part to raise
awareness and funds to help because we're all in this together.
Just one Jeep at a time energy shifts with winter.
I don't know what it is when kids on the spectrum get together, but something happens between
this like a club.
There's a secret club that we don't know about and they all know it.
It's kind of like our Jeep community.
It says we're a cult, but we're really not.
We're really cool people.
Okay.
This is the Muscle Car Plays online podcast brought to you by National Parts Depot.
This is the weekly show dedicated to people worldwide who love American muscle cars.
If you're buying, selling, restoring, even racing them, this is the place for you.
Now, here's your host, Rob Kibbey.
Yes, indeed.
I am Rob Kibbey and welcome to the Muscle Car Plays podcast.
Well, hey, we have a special show, a bonus show, and this was not scheduled.
As you know, our network here releases three muscle car places a month and every now and
then you got a five week month and that's means you take two weeks off.
Well, not so here.
And this is, frankly, a good opportunity.
So our show network director is Kirk Hanson.
I've mentioned Kirk's name on the show here for about it.
Kirk and I have been friends for nearly 20 years now.
But just a year ago, he came on here to be our full time network director.
Well, Kirk was recently at a Jeep show with another company that we know well here,
legendary interiors.
They're not an advertiser with us.
They're just a good partner company that we've worked with over the years.
They make great muscle car interior fabrics and kits for all the makes and models.
I got them in my Chevelle.
I got them in my generally just a neat, great American made in the USA type company.
They have a premium floor mat line and that's called FlexTread.
They're in a number of markets, but especially Jeep.
Well, long story short, that's why they were there at that Jeep show and Kirk was there.
And they have a special edition floor mat for a campaign for autism awareness.
The funds that are made from the profits of those lines are going to fund autism awareness.
Well, there's a lady there that got involved who has a child that was diagnosed with autism early on.
Her name is Bre Lynn and she loves Jeeps and she drove her Jeep to a Jeep show.
And between now and SEMA, they're going to honey up this Jeep and try to raise some funds for autism awareness.
So why are we sharing this interview with you?
Well, first of all, our job here on this network, it is to entertain you, of course, and inform.
And almost always, it's about the topic of cars or the business of cars or something like that.
You know, personally right now, one of the biggest topics on my car mind is doing an LS3 swap in my Chevelle.
That's what's on my heart right now.
But when Kirk brought this interview to me, it just seemed like a no brainer.
It seems like something we're supposed to be doing.
The right thing to do is to share this interview with you and share this topic with you because maybe this one is for you.
Maybe this is one that you need to give to someone that you haven't even met yet that is struggling with a kid with autism.
My kids don't have autism, but I can tell you when you're dealing with things that your kids are struggling with that you can't physically see.
It is very, very exhausting, very frightening and very tough.
So I'd like you to listen to this again.
If it's for you, please absorb it.
If it's for somebody you need to give it to, whether it's now or in the future, please do that.
That's your job on this one.
You take care of that part.
We'll take care of getting this show out to you.
So please enjoy and share again.
Again, this is just a bonus show.
Since we're releasing this in a timely fashion, let me do this for you.
A reminder of next week.
Next week is the High Performance Expo in Charlotte, North Carolina.
I will be there.
My son, Dallas, is going to be there.
He's going to take some classes.
And frankly, if you're going, you should take some classes to theHPX.com is the website.
When you register, use this code MCP26 MCP26.
I don't know that that gets you a deal, but that helps them know that their marketing message was heard here on the muscle car place.
And that can help out.
If you're seeking a job, go there.
Look, man, the networking in the aftermarket in the racing industry is pretty old school.
It's not just LinkedIn ads here and there.
It's relationships.
It's meeting people.
It's physically going to where they are.
This show is in the heart of race country and a lot of aftermarket companies are there and it's not very much money.
It's a very easy show to get in and out of.
So I hope you'll attend.
If you're on the fence, go give it a day, flying and flying out, drive in, drive out.
TheHPX.com is where you go.
I'll primarily be there on Wednesday.
It's a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday show.
I'll be a judge in the new product competition at 4 p.m.
There's an AI discussion at 5 p.m.
that I'll be attending that will be held by a lot of people in the aftermarket, including the AI guru from Amazon.
And if somebody of that stature is there to talk about how they sell and move and position product, I want to know about it.
And maybe you should too.
So theHPX.com is where to go.
But I'm really down in Charlotte for another big reason, for racing.
Burn Q, the Dallas Kibbe Racing Update.
The Dallas Kibbe Racing Update, driven by Lexani tires, Lionheart tires and rolling big power tires, all available for purchase easily at simple tire.com.
Now, here's the update.
Loose is fast and on the edge of out of control.
So this will be a big week for us.
The release of muscle car places is all kind of timed around this right now.
Depending on when I record the next muscle car place show or not, this may or may not have happened.
But Dallas is going to do his debut and a late model on June 6th at Orange County Speedway.
You should come.
If you're in the Charlotte area, you should come.
It's Northwest or Raleigh Durham.
That will be his first time racing one of those cars.
He's now tested one twice.
The last test that we did was just last week.
He learned a lot.
He learned enough to spin it out.
If you haven't spun out a race car, then you haven't driven it hard enough.
You know, I know that he's nervous for that.
I know that he's excited for that.
And frankly, I'm both of those as well.
But it's a big deal, man.
The whole summer of Charlotte, though, won't be late models.
My goal is to get him a handful of late model races this year as he grows in his desire to be a race car driver for a living here.
As well as other disciplines outside of NASCAR.
But June and July, he's going to be racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Legends car.
It's basically every Monday and Tuesday, all of June and all of July.
You got a little short term apartment, VRBO down there.
I'm not planning to live there full time, but I'll be down there about half the time.
If you want to go see one of those races in person, you shoot your plan.
The good news is that they're streamed.
I'll announce the streaming location here.
The first week of June is just a practice.
Sure, they're not going to stream that.
But following that, they'll all be streamed and it's really, really well done and it's fun to watch.
I've found that racing for me isn't that fun unless I know who I'm rooting for.
And in this case, I know who I'm rooting for.
So we'd love to share that with you.
That's where we'll be next week.
This concludes the Dallas Gibby Legends car racing update and late model racing update presented by Lexani tires, line heart tires and RBP tires.
Make sure that you go purchase your tires at simple tire.com.
And believe it or not, it's pretty easy.
A special shout out to one of our favorite listeners who did me a little solid here.
Eric J. Phillips needed a set of tires.
He went to simple tire.com, ordered up a set.
And then on their chat, he said, I just ordered four tires from your site for the first time.
I wanted to let you guys know that I heard about you as a sponsor of the muscle car place and the Gibby and Friends show.
And I think their AI bot said, thank you for sharing that, Eric.
We're glad to hear you found us through the muscle car place and the Gibby and Friends show.
And that's how it works today.
Thank you, Eric.
And by the way, if you go buy yourself a set of tires at simple tire.com, please do the same thing that Eric did.
That's the coolest thing.
I didn't ask him to do that.
He just did it.
That's awesome, man.
So appreciate you.
They have a lot of offerings at simple tire.com.
But just want to thank both of they and the team from Lexani, Lionheart and RBP Tires for putting this together.
It's going to be a fun campaign.
All right.
Don't forget, once per month, we do have Mr.
Rick Schmidt from NPD on to talk all things National Parts Depot or anything you like.
You can send in your questions for July.
The June show is already recorded.
You can send it to Robert at themusclecarplace.com.
And of course, visit nationalpartsdepot.com to bruise for all your muscle car parts needs because they find the source.
They expect the best.
There is a difference and they've got the goods starting in June.
Rick's on video.
It happened.
The video shorts will be pretty epic.
OK, here's the feature interview.
This is Bre Lynn and Kirk Hansen from a Jeep show with floor mats doing their part for autism awareness.
Thank you, sincerely, the Legendary Interiors and their sister company, FlexTread, for putting this together.
Enjoy.
Please listen if this applies to you.
Please share it if you need to make sure somebody else gets it.
The Muscle Car Place Weekly podcast interview is brought to you by our good friends at National Parts Depot.
See them through the link at themusclecarplace.com.
Welcome to the Muscle Car Place.
This is Kirk and we are in Panama City Beach in sunny Florida for a Jeep show.
It's called the Jeep Jam.
Why is a muscle car podcast at a Jeep show?
There is a muscle car link.
We'll get to that in a little bit.
First, I want to introduce Bre Lynn with us.
Tell the listeners where you're from and how far you have to drive to get to Panama City.
Well, I'm Bre.
We are from Houston, Texas.
It took us about 10 and a half hours.
Only had to stop three times for a fuel.
So Jeep did really well.
10 and a half hours in a Jeep.
That's dedication.
It is.
There's no doubt about it.
It's worth it.
So again, what's the muscle car link here?
So first off, we're here with FlexTread floor mats.
That is a sister company of legendary auto interiors.
A lot of our listeners will know legendary auto interiors because they are kind of the
premium supplier of upholstery for muscle cars when it comes to Mopar charger,
challenger, kudos.
And then they went into GM muscle cars as well.
So Camaro Chevelles, GTOs, Oldsmobile 442, pretty much all the muscle car stuff.
And they are the premium line.
So one of the elements that Martin invested in was floor mats once he started after he
got so many lines involved.
So when he did the custom floor mats for muscle cars to keep those machines going full time,
he also went into Jeeps and trucks.
So that's where FlexTread steps in.
So FlexTread is a sister company of legendary.
Legendary is a company that a lot of these listeners will understand and know.
But just also FlexTread is a part of that.
So that's why we're here.
More importantly, you met Martin at SEMA last year.
I did.
And Martin is definitely a passionate person.
And he had some floor mats there on display that had the Autism Awareness logos on there.
And that drew your attention.
And I'll let you kind of take the lead on that.
How did that happen?
I was there taking some pictures and content for my company.
And I had some friends that were there actually, and they spotted it first and sent me a text message.
So when I responded, it was about a few hours later, I was like, where was this location?
And they're like, oh, well, we forgot.
If you've ever been to SEMA, it's massive.
Yeah, it's every building there.
Right.
So I'm sitting there, you know, running around trying to figure out where they are.
Well, it turns out they're actually in the same area that my company was in.
Just three rows up, found them and just was in awe of the design, how they looked.
So I had approached the booth and I was just kind of like curious,
and just to get a little more information.
And like I said, 10 out of 10, super impressed.
Yep.
So the Autism Awareness is a campaign that Martin has kind of put together.
But more importantly, when he met you, you were able to share your story about your son.
So your family's here with you.
Go ahead and kind of give an introduction of all your kids.
Then we can definitely focus on the winter story and tell more about that.
So I have three beautiful children.
William, he's going to be 16 soon.
Winter, he's 12.
And then Sophia, she's 11.
And my bonus daughter, Izzy, she's 14.
I claim her, but yeah.
Winter, tell us some of his interests.
What does he like to do?
Oh, game.
He's a gamer.
He's very smart when it comes to gaming.
Anything science or math, super excited about that.
Big Star Wars fan, big, big Star Wars fan.
Darth Vader is it, the color red.
Which, if you notice on my Jeep, max and color is red because it's his Jeep.
Not my Jeep.
I just make the payment.
But super smart kid and just overall ball of energy and has his moments where,
you know, you're like, what's going on?
So the Jeep is obviously themed with all the autism awareness that you, it's called Grace.
Let's kind of dive into how did you find out or understand like the journey
in winter and understanding his autism and how did you get the resources that you need?
So winter, when he was first born, great kid.
Like I said, he was with me the whole time.
Taking him home was great.
And then shortly about six months into his life, he started waking up in the middle
of the night, screaming, crying.
Doctor sat there and told me he was just having night terrors,
which didn't make sense to me because he's a baby.
Like what are they possibly dreaming of?
Fast forward a little bit to his one year mark.
I had a good friend of mine.
She had a baby two months after winter was born.
He was already walking, talking the whole nine yards in winter was not like he would
babble, but he wasn't talking.
The walking was a struggle for him.
He was crawling, but everything else was just kind of slower pace for him.
And so as his year progressed, I started asking more questions at the doctor's office and
they're like, oh no, he's just a late bloomer, like just excuses left and right.
Well, then at the age of two, his night terrors kept getting worse.
And his speech just was so delayed for me.
So I was the one who requested speech therapy, got it.
And by the second meeting with the therapist, she did tell me, she's like,
I can't diagnose.
However, I do believe he has autism, which sent me kind of a whirlwind because
I had no idea what it was.
I'd never been in that realm or anything.
I didn't even know where to even start to look or who to ask.
And I got with the doctor, his pediatrician.
And honestly, they didn't really have a whole lot of answers.
So we did a referral to a neurologist that everybody recommended.
And they kind of educated me on what ABA therapy is, what autism is,
but still didn't have solid answers of where it came from, the whole nine yards.
It wasn't until my career in the medical field got deeper.
And then I understood that it just kind of happens in the womb when you're pregnant.
It's not something that's hereditary or you just pass on kind of thing.
It just happens.
It kind of made me feel better, but not because it's my son.
So anyway, moving forward, it was hard because there was no connection with other moms.
And I was referred to mom groups.
However, not all moms think alike and some have more opinions than others.
So it was kind of like a no for me.
So I just kind of did what I possibly could.
Autism Speaks was a good resource where I was directed to.
They're a really good foundation.
And they hosted a couple of different walking events in Houston.
So we did the Autism Speaks Walk downtown, which is a lot of fun.
And Winter had a lot of fun doing so.
And they had good resources there.
But the biggest one, it's called Three Graces.
They have been a part of Winter's journey from the start.
I absolutely love them.
The amount of resources that they have in the Texas area.
They haven't gone nationally yet, but in the Texas area is phenomenal.
Yeah, it's scary.
It's a tough journey.
It seems like definitely there's god moments that happen, right?
Like even in our journey with our son, there was certain people that spoke up at times
that sparked an interest in the back of your mind that was like,
I need to pursue this or I need to look deeper into this.
It seems like, you know, having that one person that was like,
I think this, you need to look into this.
You know what I mean?
Those are definitely moments that when they come along and you get that gut feeling,
you have to pursue that for sure.
So Winter, tell us a little bit.
I think you shared with me about the time where he actually called you bombing.
It was five years.
Is that true?
For the first five years of his life, I was daddy.
And I have plenty of daycare videos where I'm picking him up and he's just,
daddy, daddy.
I'm like, I'm still mommy.
It was kind of like a, can we just work on this?
And his speech therapist, Ms. Rebecca, she's phenomenal.
She spent forever working on it.
And Mother's Day 2018, he said mama.
And then when I asked him to say it again, he wouldn't.
And so like, it was just like that little bit of hope that I had right there.
Like he's almost there.
And then just a few months later, 4th of July, we were sitting there watching fireworks
and I was sitting there just like recording and all of a sudden you hear mama.
And I looked back and I said, what did you say?
And he just kept saying, and I have a whole video of him just sitting there saying, mom.
And it was, oh.
Oh, that's awesome.
Yeah.
It was important to me because as a single mom, during that time,
going through this whole process by myself, it was hard.
And then being called dad on top of that, it's like,
dude, I love you.
But, you know.
I need this one thing.
Just one thing.
You know, single moms, I mean, and there's single dads too, who go through this journey.
And then you're also stuck in the realm of where do I go?
What resources do I have?
You just feel alone and it was important.
So let's talk about, Grace, the Jeep.
What year Jeep is it?
It's a 2017 Jeep Wrangler.
It's a JK.
Yep.
So how did that interest or where did getting involved in the Jeep community?
How did that all begin?
What inspired that for you?
So I've always loved Jeeps because they remind me of Legosets,
because you can do whatever you want to them.
And so I had a good friend of mine.
He was working at the GMC dealership and at the time I had a GMC Acadia.
So I would take it in to do oil changes and whatnot.
And one day he called and he said, hey, I know you're looking for a Jeep.
And I said, yeah.
And he goes, well, we just got one.
One of our sales guys traded his Jeep in to get one of the Dodgers that they had.
I said, oh, okay.
He's like, but I think you're really going to want this one.
And I was like, why?
He said, well, it's a Sahara, but it's the winter edition.
Oh, okay.
And I was like, there's no way.
So I went in and heard the paperwork.
It literally says the winter because it has the white heart top.
I had no idea they even had that.
Yeah. So it's a winter edition.
So I ended up, we got it.
It took some time to decide on what I wanted to do with it.
I knew I wanted to put puzzle pieces all over it,
which, you know, that seven and a half hour project in the driveway was a lot,
but then came the name.
So my steepers were cool people and we have to name our vehicles.
And that was a tough one.
It kind of like bounced between like Spectrum or Grace wasn't really on the realm
of things until randomly this TMI moment, but I was literally in the shower
and I just had this moment of Grace show Grace to even those that are different.
And it was the weirdest moment, but I'm like, it's all God, you know,
because my prayer was always I want to make a difference.
I want to send a message in honor of winter,
but I want to reach families and moms and dads that go through this every single day
and be a sign of hope for them that they're not alone.
You know, there are resources out there.
And so when Grace came and then it was like an instant show Grace to even those that are different.
That's amazing.
So and I will say definitely at these shows we've done too.
This is our second show.
We did a Jeep Beach and Daytona earlier this year and the attention that it draws,
you know, people just absolutely love it.
There's so much of a connection of people that have kids that are autistic
or other people that have family members that are just instantly drawn to it
outside of just it being colorful and being something that people are drawn to.
But it opens that door for people to share their story
and allows them to understand that they're also connecting with someone
that's walking through a journey that they may be walking through.
We talked with a couple for a solid 30 minutes yesterday
and was just hearing them out and, you know, their grandparents kind of raising their
granddaughter or grandson, rather.
But just hearing their story and just how passionate they are,
there's just such a bond and such a connection in the community of automotive.
I mean, yeah, we get into our cars and we get into our jeeps and our trucks and everything,
but it really all boils down to people.
What brings us together as a community?
The cars are an element, but it's the people behind it.
Right.
Have you got any stories that you through the different shows or anything that
you want to share that have definitely made a...
I've heard so many. Oh man, so many.
There's a little girl. I saw her twice in the Houston area.
Both times she would come up and she didn't even look for me.
She looked for winter because her parents also drove a jeep.
She would purposely sit there and look for winter just to go up and be like,
I'm awesome, just like you are.
And winter's like, why are you touching me and your girl?
But every single time and her story is super powerful because she was diagnosed right around
the same time winter was at the age of two. However, she's still...
She's two years older than him, but she still does not speak fully.
She does the babbling and she has a lot of...
You know, sometimes at the grocery store and the kiddo is trying to get a piece of candy
and all of a sudden parents say no and they just slam on the floor and they're crying.
She has a lot of those, not intentionally. It just happens to her.
She gets so angry, but when she is around winter, for instance,
she'll sit there and come up and touch him and she doesn't touch anybody,
but she touches winter and she's super happy.
But this family has struggled with this poor kiddo walking around just in public areas and
all of a sudden she just goes into these fits. This also ties into my message, which is super
important. I really want people to understand when things like that happen, you see families that
struggle with having a child that is on the spectrum or just special needs in general.
When they throw those fits in the store, wherever it may be, don't stop and stare,
show grace, even those that are different because we're not all the same. We all have
moments. Even if you don't have a disability, we get angry, we do dumb things and we don't want
to be judged. So don't stop and stare. If you look great, but don't point, it's not needed,
but show grace and whenever they first met me and saw the Jeep message on the back
windshield, her mom, but she just teared up because she's like, that is so important. You don't
understand how important it is to us to know that you have that message because we struggle with this
daily. People staring, pointing, laughing, other kids making fun of her and it's not anything that
she can control, it just happens. So her energy shifts with winter. I don't know what it is when
kids on the spectrum get together, but something happens between them. It's like a club. There's
a secret club that we don't know about and they all know it. It's kind of like our jeep community
at recess there and says we're a cult, but we're really not. We're really cool people, okay?
So we're on a campaign right now where we're doing multiple shows. The goal is to end at SEMA this
year and have your Jeep at front and center at the flex tread booth. We are also in the process
of kind of giving it a revamp and a freshening. So we're looking for new partners when it comes to
wheels, tires, bumpers, steps, accessories. That'll be front and center. We've made some really good
connections. All those announcements will be made soon and I definitely want to reach out to all of
our listeners that it will be at SEMA to keep an eye out. This will be in the truck and accessories
section of SEMA. I believe that's what they call it. I don't remember. It's like overland and truck.
Yeah, I think so. I think you're right. So that's where we'll be. SEMA's already said that they're
going to support us and put us in a great spot. So we're just really looking forward to seeing how
all that falls into place. So I just want to definitely let listeners know too that to support
this, there is a special edition mats that Martin has created with flex tread that has the autism
awareness on it and the campaign for Jeeps. You can also get it for trucks as well as muscle cars.
All the proceeds to that will be donated. We're still working out the details on that, but it will
most probably be the group that you have connected with in Austin or not Austin. Where is it? Houston?
Sorry. It's okay. It's okay. But really trying to get the word out there and more importantly,
just allowing your story to connect with families and allow people to know that not alone in us.
And to really hone in on what again, this kind of God moments when someone speaks up,
if you don't open that door, then that opportunity never comes and allowing people to know when you
get that gut reaction to take action. Is there anything that you would want to tell a parent
that maybe at that point in their life where they have a concern, what kind of words of wisdom would
you have that you walk through in your own life that you could share? Honestly, ask questions.
There's never such a thing as a dumb question. And when it comes to your child, ask. And if
you're not happy with that answer, get a second opinion, get a third opinion. I mean, I got six
from six different pediatricians. I didn't want to settle because I wanted anything and everything
I could for him. And so ask questions, get connected either in your community, reach out to you,
either Autism Speaks, they do have a lot of good resources. If you're not local to them,
or if you live in a smaller community, hop on Facebook and get in some of the mom groups.
There are so many different small organizations that are willing to step up and help you
when it comes to speech therapy, occupational therapy, I mean, all the things. And, you know,
ABA is great. It didn't work out really well for winter. It didn't do well in the classroom setting.
So our therapy actually came to our home. That was really nice. But it also depends on
insurance as well, I guess. However, don't give up. It may seem like you're alone,
but you're really not because you have a really, really awesome kid that you get to now advocate
for and be their voice. And don't give up. Treat them exactly how you would want to be treated.
Don't make them feel like they are different, even though they are different. Don't make it
obvious, you know, let them flourish into their difference, if that makes sense.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, level them on their level. Yeah. And that's how winter came up with his own saying,
I have autism. Autism doesn't have me. When he said that, it was such a powerful
moment in my life because that's God working in him. And I firmly believe that he had to discover
it and he did. Well, such a mirror of your passion and your love. It's been a pleasure to get to
know him and meet you as well. We feel like family. And it's really two interactions,
but just stories kind of unfold and there's such a powerful connection there. So if people
interested and want to support further, they can always go to flex tread floor mats. Also,
legendary auto interiors, you can contact anybody there just telling that you heard about it on
the muscle car place and tell them you heard winter story, you can reach them and contact.
How could people get a hold of you if they have further interest and like to connect with you?
I'd be happy to share my contact information if you guys want to Instagram or anything.
Instagram is Jeep Jeep Grace on Instagram. We don't have a Facebook, but we do have Instagram
says Jeep Jeep Grace. That's our main source of contact. Okay. And we'll have all of this on the
flex tread page as well as more stories and video content that's coming out here soon. And obviously
more live video and more coverage at SEMA. So I really appreciate the story you're sharing with
us and letting us have this opportunity to connect with other people. So thank you, Bree.
Thank you guys for welcoming me with open arms and winter especially. I mean, the fact listeners
probably don't. But yesterday, the fact that he chose to sit right next to you, that was huge.
Because when I tell you he's not really a people person at first, he gravitates to people he loves.
Yeah. That's awesome. We love him. Well, thank you. Of course. Thank you guys. Thank you.
There you go. Thank you, Bree. And thank you, Kirk. That is it for this week. Be back next week,
that first week of June. Make sure that you're following the Kibbe and Friends show. And between
now and then, hit me up on Facebook or Instagram anytime. Be sure to subscribe to us on Apple
Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. And you can find every single show plus all the merch at the home
page of themusclecarplace.com website. As always, don't forget to keep chasing your dreams. Like,
keep letting me chase mine. Thanks for listening, everybody. Bye-bye. Thanks for parking at the
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