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The Inspiration Behind the 2012 Mustang ALS Awareness Car
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 Carey Hall
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Although
not known at the time, the inspiration behind the 2012 ALS Mustang
started back on January 10th of 2010. It was then when a number of guys
from around the country, all with a passion for customizing vehicles,
got together at Hall’s Motorsports Refinishing
(HMR) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Everyone was there to share their
experience and application knowledge of a new “spray-on” chrome
technology.
Carey
Hall, owner of HMR, was well connected in the racing industry; and for
years his company has painted Indy cars for many of the biggest race
teams on the circuit. His passion for racing literally spilled over onto
the race track as the fueler in the pit crew for Sarah Fisher Racing
and the Dollar General car.
No
one had ever chromed a whole Indy car before, and with Carey’s
contacts, HMR became host to what promised to be a weekend of
camaraderie; chroming one of the coolest cars. Everything was going
well, the first ever all chrome Indy car was created.
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Right
after the last piece of the car was chromed, Carey and his wife Carla
had left the HMR facility briefly for a follow-up doctor’s visit. Carey
had developed a weakness in his hand and a slight slurring in his speech
just a few weeks earlier. After returning from the doctor’s office,
Carey took all the guys on a tour of the Andretti Autosport complex just
down the street from his shop. On the way back, Carey shared
devastating news that he had just received with Gary Watson, owner of Creations n’ Chrome in Valencia, California.
When
they returned to the shop, Gary came into the HMR spray booth with
tears in his eyes. Shocked and concerned, Dan McLaughlin of Spectra Chrome in Clearwater, Florida asked him, “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“It’s
Carey- He has ALS!” Gary exclaimed. Not knowing what ALS was, Dan
asked, “What is that?” “It’s a death sentence,” Gary said, as the tears
in his eyes then rolled down his cheeks.
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 From Left: Gary Watson, Sandro Rodrigues, Carey Hall, Eric Corum,
Colin Cardosi, and Dan Mc Laughlin
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 The Hall Family
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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) is
a progressive neuromuscular disease. It can strike anyone at any time,
and there is no known cause and no known cure. Every 90 minutes, someone
is diagnosed with the disease; and every 90 minutes, someone else loses
their battle.
As
anyone can imagine, the mood became very somber at HMR. Everyone shared
sadness and disbelief as they tried to take in the horrible news.
"When your friend and comrade is just diagnosed with a terminal illness,
it’s hard to know what to say or what to do," shared McLaughlin. "One
just feels numbed with emotion. You can’t help the big impact it leaves
on your soul."
What
has even a bigger impact is to see how this man, Carey Hall, has dealt
with accepting and living with this cruel disease; and continues to
fight and enjoy life just as he did before his diagnosis. He is a great
father of three boys and has an incredible wife who has been there to
support him with what seems like unwavering strength.
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It
is Carey’s passion for racing and the love of what he does that keeps
him going strong and directed. Although he is not able to dump fuel in
the Dollar General car any longer on the weekends, Carey can still be
found at his shop each day running the business of painting and
customizing vehicles right down to the scooter he travels on.
"No one deserves to live with ALS and the huge challenges it presents
each and every day," said McLaughlin. "The world should know about this
cruel disease and the devastating effects it has on the people’s lives.
Something needs to be done to learn about the cause. Something needs to
be done to find the cure."
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Carey Hall dumping fuel in the Dollar General Car in 2010
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 Carey with his customized scooter in 2011
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In
2010, Creations n’ Chrome won Best in Show at SEMA for an American
Cancer Society themed car. Wanting to make a difference not only for
Carey but for ALS awareness across the country, Watson applied to Ford
Motor Company and was awarded a 2012 Mustang to enter into a SEMA
competition as an ALS Awareness Mustang. When completed, this
inspirational masterpiece - with its red and black chrome carbon fiber
paint scheme - will be a one-of-a-kind, street-legal, race car inspired
2012 Mustang GT. It will serve as the flagship vehicle for ALS
awareness, and a legacy for those who have been affected by this
disease.
Building
out the Mustang is an intricate, time-consuming, and detailed process
that has become a labor of love for Gary and his wife Kristin. Our
spokesperson, Parnelli Jones, said it well; 'We are in a race to save
lives”.
The
ALS Mustang was inspired by the story and life of Carey Hall; but for
those who know Carey, the strength and attitude he maintains in the face
of ALS can be the true inspiration for all. The ALS Assocation Golden
West Chapter is proud to have Creations n‘ Chrome and Parnelli Jones
joining them in this important mission to help raise ALS awareness and
generate funds in honor of Carey Hall and all people living with ALS.
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