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Richard Rawlings

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Richard Rawlings
Born (1969-03-30) March 30, 1969 (age 55)[1]
Fort Worth, Texas, United States
EducationEastern Hills High School[2]
Occupations
  • Businessman
  • reality television star
Years active2002–present[3][4]
Employer(s)Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill
Gas Monkey Garage
Gas Monkey Live
Known forStar of Fast N' Loud and "Garage Rehab"
Owner of Gas Monkey Garage
TelevisionFast 'n Loud
Spouse(s)Karen K Grames (1993–1994)

Suzanne Marie Mergele (1999–2009, 2015–2019)

Katerina Rawlings (2020-Present)

Richard Rawlings (born March 30, 1969) is an American[5] entrepreneur and media personality. He was the star of the reality television show Fast N' Loud[5] on Discovery Channel. He is also a proprietor of the Gas Monkey Garage[6] as well as both the Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill[7] and Gas Monkey Live music venues in Dallas, Texas.[8] Beginning in 2014,[9] Rawlings was featured in national television commercials promoting Dodge vehicles and financing.[9]

Early years

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Rawlings was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1969. As a child he went to auto shows with his father and constructed cars, having purchased his first at the age of 14. In the next six to seven years, he graduated from Eastern Hills High School[2]

In 1993, Rawlings married Karen K. Grames, but they divorced the following year.[10] In 1999,[11] Rawlings started the printing and advertising company Lincoln Press.[12] Also in 1999, he married his second wife, Suzanne Marie Mergele, in Las Vegas, Nevada.[10] The couple divorced in 2009, but remarried in 2015.[13] On March 11, 2019, Rawlings announced via his Twitter account that Suzanne and he were separating and filing for divorce.[13]

Gas Monkey Garage

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In 2002,[3][4] Rawlings launched Gas Monkey Garage in Dallas, selling Lincoln Press in 2004.[14][15][16][17] The shop customizes classic and hot-rod automobiles for customers worldwide. From 2012 to 2020, the business was the focus of the Discovery Channel series Fast N' Loud.[1][18]

Rawlings also co-hosts the show Garage Rehab on the Discovery Channel since 2017,[19] which is about overhauling struggling automotive shops, along with co-hosts Russell Holmes and Chris Stephens.[20][21] He pitched the concept to the network circa 2015.[22]

In 2022, Gas Monkey Garage became title sponsor for Peter Hickman and FHO Racing at the Isle of Man TT Races.[23]

Cannonball Run/Bullrun

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In May 2007, Richard Rawlings and co-pilot Dennis Collins allegedly broke the 1979 Cannonball Run time from New York City to Los Angeles of 32 hours and 51 minutes. The two bet rival Jay Riecke that they could beat the time in their 2007 Bullrun entry, a black Ferrari 550, modified with extra fuel cells. Their final time was 31 hours and 59 minutes, but much debate remains in the legitimacy of this time, as the distance and times do not match up. They were the only pair to defeat the 1975 mark by Rick Cline and Jack May in a Ferrari Dino, as all other competitors did not leave and arrive at the correct locations or took alternate routes that did not follow the original Cannonball Runs of the 1970s. Even their personal heroes Dave Heinz and Dave Yarborough in their Jaguar XJ-S that set the 1979 record left from Darien, Connecticut, instead of Manhattan.[24]

Food and music venues

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In September 2013, Rawlings started Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill in Northwest Dallas[25][26][27][28] and a second location at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport opened in March 2014.[29][30][31] Rawlings indicated a desire to open a third Texas location outside of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.[31][32][33]

In October 2014, Gas Monkey Live, a venue dedicated predominantly to live music, was opened.[34] The venue closed in May 2020.[35]

Rawlings, started a new restaurant venture, Richard Rawlings' Garage. The first restaurant opened in Harker Heights, Texas, in 2016,[36] and it permanently closed in March 2019.[37]

In 2019, Rawlings licensed the Gas Monkey brand to a line of energy drinks.[38]

Autobiography

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On May 12, 2015, Rawlings published his first autobiography entitled Fast N’ Loud: Blood, Sweat and Beers.[39]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Richard Rawlings". Discovery. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "School News – 2". Greatermeadowbrooknews.com. March 24, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Fast times for Dallas entrepreneur Richard Rawlings, star of Discovery's 'Fast N' Loud', Dallas Morning News". Dallasnews.com. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Fox411 QA: Gas Monkey Garage team flips classic cars on Discovery's 'Fast N' Loud'". Fox News. June 6, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Q&A: Fast N' Loud's Richard Rawlings – D Magazine". dmagazine.com. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  6. ^ "Richard Rawlings on Taking Back the Gumball Record and Hanging With Motley Crue". maxim.com. November 13, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  7. ^ "Why Richard Rawlings' biker bar is one of Dallas' hottest concert venues". dallasnews.com. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  8. ^ "Motley Crue Teams With Dodge in Dallas, Talks 'Great Things' Ahead on Final Tour". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  9. ^ a b Richard Rawlings. "Richard Rawlings Featured in New Dodge Commercials: GYSOT, MOPAR FANS! – GAS MONKEY GARAGE | RICHARD RAWLINGS | FAST N' LOUD". Gasmonkeygarage.com. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  10. ^ a b Rawlings, Richard (2015). Fast N' Loud: Blood, Sweat and Beers. Great Britain: William Morrow. p. 48. ISBN 9780062387875.
  11. ^ "'Solo act' works best for biz owner". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  12. ^ "Incentives Taken to a New Level at Lincoln Press". businesswire.com. July 19, 2004. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  13. ^ a b Makitalo, Georgia (March 13, 2019). "'Fast N' Loud' Richard Rawlings Divorcing Wife, Closing Restaurant". Tv Shows Ace. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  14. ^ "Duplo Digital Finishing Solution Yields Big Digital Print Dividends" (PDF). realbusiness. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 16, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  15. ^ "Time to shine". americanprinter.com. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  16. ^ "Lincoln Press". bbb.org. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  17. ^ "Lincoln Press". Manta. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  18. ^ "Gas Monkey Bar and Grill". tmbbq.com. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  19. ^ "Discovery Channel Orders 'Garage Rehab' Series (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. August 8, 2017.
  20. ^ "Celebrity Drive: Russell Holmes of "Garage Rehab"". MotorTrend. February 8, 2019.
  21. ^ "Chris Stephens Talks New Season of Garage Rehab". Autobody News.
  22. ^ King, Scott. "How Discovery's Richard Rawlings Branded His Way To The Top". Forbes.
  23. ^ Admin (February 11, 2022). "GAS MONKEY GARAGE BECOMES TITLE SPONSOR FOR HICKMAN AND FHO RACING AT 2022 ISLE OF MAN TT RACES". Official Peter Hickman Website. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  24. ^ "Did Rawlings and Collins Break the Transcontinental Record?". jalopnik.com. May 14, 2007.
  25. ^ "From Reality TV to Restaurant: Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill is Now Open". Eater Dallas. September 18, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  26. ^ "Restaurant Review: Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill". dmagazine.com. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  27. ^ "7. Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill". BizBash. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  28. ^ "Your Exclusive Hard Hat Tour To The New Gas Monkey Bar And Grill". cravedfw. August 6, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  29. ^ "New Gas Monkey Grill Opening At Teminal D In DFW Airport This Month". cravedfw. March 11, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  30. ^ "So Long, Winter!! DFW Airport Expects 3.2 Million Travelers for Spring Break Travel Period Beginning Today". The Business Journals. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  31. ^ a b "DFW International Airport: Spring Break Underway at DFW Airport With Deals and Treats for Over 1.1 Million Expected Passengers". dfwairport.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  32. ^ Sarah Blaskovich (March 12, 2014). "Restaurant Openings: Reality TV star Richard Rawlings opens second Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill - GuideLive". GuideLive. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  33. ^ "ExpansionWire". Eater Dallas. March 12, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  34. ^ "Gas Monkey Live! to Open in Dallas, October 2014". ON TOUR MONTHLY. September 5, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  35. ^ "Gas Monkey Live, founded by reality TV star Richard Rawlings, has closed after six years". Dallas News. May 26, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  36. ^ "Richard Rawlings' Garage Website". Richard Rawlings' Garage. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  37. ^ Brooks, Jacob (March 4, 2019). "Richard Rawlings Garage closed down in Heights". The Killeen Daily Herald.
  38. ^ "Home".
  39. ^ Darling, Cary. "DALLAS - Richard Rawlings gets 'Fast N' Loud' with success | Star-Telegram.com". Dfw.com. Archived from the original on October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
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