We may receive a commission when you use our affiliate links. However, this does not impact our recommendations.
When the NASCAR season ends, SPEED TV reporters John Roberts and Ray Dunlop burn rubber to their woodshops.
What does the smell of oil, rubber and exhaust have to do with woodworking? Plenty, if you’re John Roberts and Ray Dunlap, two passionate woodworkers who also happen to be famous names in the world of NASCAR. John (above left, with Kevin Harvick) is the host of SPEED TV’S NASCAR RaceDay pre-race show. Ray (above right, with Todd Bodine) is a pit reporter in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series. Both of these guys enjoyed woodworking well before they started their current careers and have their own woodshops in the same town in North Carolina. They see their shops as a place to balance their fast-paced NASCAR careers with a bit of tranquility.
Huge windows and wood floors create a work-friendly environment in John Roberts’ shop.
“It’s hard to be on the road more than 38 weeks a year, but that all disappears when I start woodworking, says John. My shop is my place of seclusion, peace and quiet.”
A vaulted ceiling makes John’s shop feel bigger than it is.
Tired of bumping and banging with cars, bikes and other family storage needs in a cramped garage shop, John has recently pulled away from the field, completing a brand-new shop with enormous windows that overlook his backyard and Lake Norman in North Carolina. “I definitely built my shop for the gorgeous view of the lake and the boats. There’s nothing better than woodworking while looking out over the water.” John laid out the shop just the way he wanted, and even though he was out of town for most of the construction, he did much of the finish carpentry work himself.
A centrally located workbench, great lighting and open tool storage highlight Ray’s shop.
John learned woodworking while he was in college and steadily built his skills over the years. He primarily builds cabinets, furniture, shelving, entertainment centers and jewelry boxes. He also uses the shop to make parts for outdoor projects that include gazebos, decks, fences and trellises. John recently had the honor of building huge Director and Adirondack chairs for the set of NASCAR RaceDay for the Daytona 500.
“Woodworking is my stress reliever,” says Ray. “What makes it so great is that when we finish the racing season in November, we’re off the road until we test at Daytona in January. For a couple of months, I can go out to my shop, work a full day and relax. I can put on my tool belt and work there for eight or 10 hours, like it’s my real job.”
Generous work surfaces and open floor space are also key elements.
Ray learned carpentry and woodworking from his uncle and has honed his skills through magazines and television programs. He builds cabinets, furniture and bookcases and also uses his shop to complete home renovation projects—Ray admits that some of these projects have been going on for over ten years.
“Planning my shop was really interesting,” Ray says, “because I studied pictures of many different shops. I was able to lay out my shop from a blank sheet of paper and arrange things properly. I like having the shop connected to my garage—this makes it easy to move in lumber and plywood. I also like having plenty of space to work and having all my tools easily accessible—just like the pit crews at Talladega. For fun, I’ve added some NASCAR memorabilia along the walls. I’m happy with the results, although I wish I’d incorporated more storage space.” Join the club, Ray.
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
