Mike Schultz’s dad restored antique and classic aircraft for a living, so that mechanical aptitude carried over to Mike at a young age. “My dad got me interested in the inner workings of an automobile engine, so I bought a 283ci small-block at a garage sale with money I saved up from delivering newspapers at 4 a.m. every day before school,” Mike tells. “With help from my dad, I built my first engine at 12 years old.” That introduction to engine building carried on to a lifetime of not only the mechanical side of cars but also a lifetime of racing them.
As a youngster, Mike started out driving karts and instantly became addicted to hard cornering and the lateral g-forces that accompany the practice. That foundation of performance driving carried on into adulthood and a ’65arrived they were informed no beer until they helped lift the body off the frame and onto a cart he built so he could strip and prep for paint.
