by John BINDER
Paul is not your typical business owner or father. His unique hobby has turned into
another business. Paul is the founder and President of Classic Tube, a manufacturer of
bent tubing products for the automotive and industry segments. When you walk into Paul’s
office, you can tell that his passion is more than meets the eye.
Paul Fix has both a love for race car driving and sports car racing’s past. Paul is
one of the very few professional race car drivers based here in WNY. The Williamsville
resident is making history as he has becomes a prominent driver in the (SCCA) Trans-Am
Series. A professional racing series that covers the US and Canada.
This series airs on CBS and Speedvision, the Trans-Am Series is America’s
performance car, road racing series. The Trans-Am Series, in its 37th year of competition
in 2002, is the longest running road racing series in North America. Paul will be
competing in a 2002 Jaguar XKR this year.
Fix, 37, will run all 12 races with the Trans-Am this season. If a main sponsor can be
found, the team may expand its involvement to include other racing series. They will begin
the campaign at the Miami Grand Prix in Florida in April.
Fix is also an accomplished racer of historical sports cars. He began racing Solo II
locally 15 years ago and then set out to run the Sports Car Vintage Racing Association
(SVRA) and Historical Sports Car Racing (HSR) Series. He has won multiple races on both
circuits and multiple podium finishes.
Fix and his wife, Lauren, are nationally recognized race car drivers and racing safety
instructors. Lauren Fix is an award winning automotive expert and appears regularly on the
Today Show and the Oprah Winfrey Show to name a few. She has been involved in the
automotive industry since she was a kid.
The two married in 1989, the same year they started Classic Tube.
Fun still dominates for the Fix family. Their daughter Shelby, 9, and son Paul III, 8,
both race go-karts. “Mom and Dad are the pit crew,” said Paul III. Both he and
his sister hope to become pro drivers. This is where it all starts for kids.
“I just want to expose them to what we like and see if they like it,” their
father said. “I’m not saying my kids are going to be the best race car drivers.
But I’m going to give them every opportunity.”
Paul has been in the spotlight on many TV shows for his many talents as a successful
business owner and as a professional race car driver with the family that races together.
John Binder is a freelance writer.