The people of Chicago have a lot to be thankful for as November approaches. The Cubs are in the World Series; Jay Cutler is all but gone from the Chicago Bears; and the TV series Garage Squad is still on the lookout for local classic cars to save.
This third season of Velocity’s week-to-week, car-to-car reclamation project continued its tradition of finding beat up wrecks in average folks’ garages and rebuilding them into show cars. This third season’s final episode airs tonight on Velocity. Before it airs and as the show looks to next year, we parked show star Heather Storm long enough to discuss her role on the program and where Garage Squad might go in the future.
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Storm co-hosts Garage Squad with NHRA driver Bruno Massel and lead mechanic Joe Zolper. Meanwhile, she’s a business woman and marketing figure in the food and beverage industry. A native of Montana, she earned an Environmental Science degree with a focus in water quality, exploring more than 20 countries. She looks to take this varied experience into her work on cars on Garage Squad.
“As the sole female in the garage, I see an opportunity to be a role model to girls by portraying women the way I was taught to be — strong, intelligent and not afraid of dirt or hard work,” Storm said. “I bring my natural curiosity, enthusiasm and strong work ethic which builds on the camaraderie of the group.”
Storm brings her sense of storytelling to every car selected for the show. She doesn’t pick the machines the group works on, but she likes finding the personalities within the cars and their owners.
“Anyone is able to submit their car to the show via the website, www.garagesquad.tv,” she explains. “The cars are selected based on multiple factors some of which include condition of the vehicle, story behind the vehicle, availability of parts, timing and location. I don’t have any involvement on selecting the cars that we work on so it’s always a fun surprise for me when I get the list.”
With the third season wrapping up and a fourth en route, Storm has some hopes for where future episodes might lead: “Currently, we film the show in the greater Chicagoland area. I would love to see the show travel to different areas in the United States – then the world.”
“In addition to offering fans from all over the opportunity to have us rescue their car, we would also have a more dynamic backdrop and diverse cast. I think expanding in this way would create a greater sense of community amongst fans.”
