Nomad Raceways - Free test drives!

JIM CUNNINGHAM MUSEUM DIRECTOR – EVENT PRODUCER LIFELONG VINTAGE SLOT CAR ENTHUSIAST RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION SPECIAST EXPERIENCE SUMMARY Slot car enthusiast from age 6. Began rebuilding obsolete slot cars for competition at age 9. Interest in museums since childhood, travel to and study of art, automotive and technical museums has always been a priority. Motorsports fan, particularly of Formula One and vintage series, attending races, car shows and speed festivals, often as a vendor of slot car entertainment and goods. Active participant in slot car building and racing with hundreds of race wins in all scales. Began collecting with very first slot car. Collection is now over 700 cars, is focused on golden-era scratch built, kit built and improved factory RTR cars. Nearly all of the collection is in excellent cosmetic condition, correct period composition, tuned race ready. Collection has been continuously updated and displayed for 16 years at several locations and has been awarded at San Diego Country Fair. It is used in frequent demonstrations and vintage bracket races. Designed and produced “Dino Derby” a show/race series for 1960’s era slot cars with a judged show and bracketed vintage races in 2002-4. Event attracted 75 entrants including some from Germany. Founded Nomad Slot Racing, in 2003, operating as a webstore, and commercial raceway with a unique format embracing both golden age vintage slot racing with club and bracket events, but also contemporary product, building a following of new and casual racers. Nomad Raceways now focuses on slot car event production, with clients worldwide. Written technical and inspirational articles for magazines including Model Car Racing and Bicycle Trader. Assistant producer on episode of History Channel Modern Marvels 1960’s Tech episode. Designed and produced Custom slot car track for Mariah Carey’s “touch My Body” video. Founded CyclArt, Inc, a business focused on accurate restoration of bicycles in 1976. Recognized as a foremost expert in vintage bicycles having lead a team of craftsmen in reproducing graphics, fabrication and refinishing Concours award winning bicycles for discriminating collectors and nostalgic fans alike. Collected and maintained a comprehensive reference library and parts inventory as well as a state of the art restoration shop. Produced and promoted Concours d’ CyclArt, a series of cycle events including judged competition, display, rides and seminars annually from 1984 to 1997. Paid attendance at events reached 1800. Established judging criteria for bicycle division at prestigious motorcycle events and participated as judge at Cycle Rendezvous events in North Carolina, Great Western Bicycle Rally and classic bicycle events at Nagano Japan. Maintains Facebook for Nomad raceways Nomad Slot Racers Club, and Central Arkansas Slot Racers. Active in online slot forums. Exceptional leader by example with conflict resolution skills. No health issues. Flexible schedule. Enjoys travel. Can relocate. CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENT DETAIL 1964 Began slot racing hobby at age 8 as family built then converted a model train layout to HO raceway. First cars were Model Motoring vibrators, followed by Thunderjets and other brands and models as they became available. Fascinated by slot racing, Jim bought Car Model Magazine, Model Car Science and other magazines at local news stand and followed the hobby developments and exploits of racers like PDL and John Cucras intently. Maintains a comprehensive library of slot car publications to date. 1966 Began 1/24 commercial racing. Jim’s father bought him a Cox BRM kit and offered to buy more only if Jim won a race with his car. Jim did so and after noticing how competition diminished once he dominated a race series, he began a personal policy of retiring his race cars when they won a race. This lead to experiencing every form of slot racing and to an extensive collection of race tuned cars. Jim maintained constant participation in slot racing until this day. Eventually racing in about 50 different shops and clubs and accumulating a collection of about 700 cars. Jim’s scratch-built cars are finely crafted and innovative, placing and winning in high profile events like the Marconi Proxy events produced by Philippe de Lespinay in 2001-4. 1974 Founded CyclArt by adapting tools and skills from model car and slot car building hobby. Self-taught, but soon impressed and retained a network of dealers in Southern California. 1975 Hired by Masi Bicycles, then producing the finest racing bicycle frames in the USA. With 10 days Jim was given full responsibility for painting all Masi USA output. 1977-79 Partnered with Master frame builder Mario Confente Sole responsibility for specification and installation and operation of the painting facility. Responsibilities also included customer service and purchasing. Confente sales exceeded all expectations and the company achieved national recognition as an industry leader in its first year. Jim also resumed refinish and frame repair operations as CyclArt. 1979 After the untimely death of Mario Confente, Jim re-established CyclArt as an independent operation. CyclArt expanded to 15,000 square feet and 12 employees. We had a nationwide dealer network and numerous small production accounts. A custom MRP system was designed to streamline operations. We began contracting for design and prototype services, executing full line annual redesigns for startups and the industry’s largest bicycle manufacturers. Further growth seemed possible, but despite solid financials and business plan, financing could not be obtained to take CyclArt to the next level. By 1988 CyclArt, was an industry leader in high end bicycle refinishing, prototypes and restoration. Jim developed procedures and documented comprehensive operations manual and lead a team of craftsmen, sales and office staff to success and self-sufficiency. He was then able to apply his talents to other projects, while retaining supervisory, administration, sales, marketing and customer service duties at CyclArt. 1984-1997 Founded and operated Concours 'd CyclArt, an expo for high end and vintage bicycles. The event expanded from 200 to 3000 participants in three seasons. Proceeds were then donated to start North County Bicycle Club, with Jim as founding member and newsletter editor. The club remains a center for community activity. Jim established judging criteria for restored bicycles and judged several prestigious bicycle shows across the US and Japan. Travel to the East continued with consulting and vendor visits as developed vendors in the US, then Taiwan for decal printing. By 1990, CyclArt paint and decals graced frames for 28 different manufacturers in the industries larges trade shows. 1989 Flood damage necessitated a sudden move to new facility. A larger facility was built to accommodate larger finishing accounts. As accounts either folded or moved production off shore, focus was returned to restoration services. Services such as leather saddle rebuilding, brokering and appraisals were added. An inventory of vintage lightweight race bikes and components were sourced catalogs and marketed. Website design specification, content creation, video script and direction and Facebook pages for CyclArt and Nomad Raceways. Creation of formal procedure manuals for bicycle restoration and complex inventory management of vintage parts. Training and management of craftsmen. Execution of complex custom and reproduction refinishes. Decal graphic design and reproduction. 1996-1998 Adapted and marketed TiBrite, a colored anodizing process for titanium exclusively to the bicycle industry. 2004 to Present Founder and COO of Nomad Raceways, an innovative hobby retail and entertainment company. Developed club racing program, retail store, web store and entertainment division. Nomad has provided entertainment on site and in dozens of locations across North America, Europe and Dubai, UAE. Events include family and community celebrations, company parties, promotional events, VIP entertainment, trade shows and competitions. Demanding corporate clients include Intel, Google, eBay, Kaspersky Lab, MC2, Neiman Marcus, Audi USA, and many others. Designed and built several innovative, state of the art analog and digital slot car tracks for hobbyists and for commercial use. Clients nationwide and in Mexico and Russia. Pitched Slot Mods track concept to Neiman Marcus and participated in Christmas catalog offering. Supported owners of Slot Mods and similar tracks. Sold several high end scenic tracks for Bill Schneiderwind. 2016 Sold CyclArt to HIA Velo. Contracted to establish CyclArt as finishing department in ambitious startup making high end carbon fiber bicycles in Little Rock, Arkansas. 2018- rededicarted to full time operating Nomad Raceways. Travels to events and maintainns Namopadd office and Cntrakl Arkansas Slot Racers Club from home in Littel Rock. Developing local market for Nomad Raceways.