Jason Scrivner founded Fast Track Auto Repair after years of working for auto shops that only had their own, not the customer’s, interests in mind. He told us the defining moment was when he didn’t feel comfortable sending his wife to the shop he worked at, “that really was the writing on the wall for me…it’s time to make a change.” Scrivner says a lot of scare tactics are used when people go in for auto repair but most customers are savvy enough and know when they’re being taken advantage of.
For Fast Track, he wanted to build a sense of loyalty with his customers. “I wanted customers who felt like they could send their sons, wives, daughters, and grandmas into the shop,” he said, “and know that they would be taken care of.” More often than not auto repair is not a small expense, and Scrivner keeps this in mind. He works with customers on the more costly repairs figuring out a way to spread the cost over a period of time so it doesn’t break their banks, “I wanted to keep to the roots of humans being humans and helping each other.”
The care that Scrivner shows for his customers also translates to care for his employees. When Skylar Mojica, a lead technician at Fast Track, moved from Florida to Colorado last August she didn’t know anyone in town. Having worked as an auto mechanic for several years prior to her move she applied to Fast Track and they “welcomed me with open arms.” She said that Scrivner has done a lot for her, from being a mentor to going the extra (quarter) mile and putting her up in his own house for a time. Working at the shop has been a great experience for Mojica, “[the work] can go from the most simple stuff from oil changes… to working on classic hot rod cars that are worth half a million dollars.”
Besides the general automotive repair Fast Track also specializes in custom cars. Scrivner thought that it would be fun to dabble in the customs game and just work on one car, but, once people saw the job he did the requests started flooding in. However, this expansion into specialized auto body work came with its own set of problems. Having only one location to service the daily drivers as well as the custom cars requires some logistical gymnastics. The equipment used for the average services (oil changes, tire rotations, etc.) moves around the shop quite a bit. While the hot rods stay for a longer period of time as they are transformed into works of art.
“Something as simple as a scratch can be a twenty or thirty thousand dollar mistake,” He says of the growing pains.
To alleviate this issue Scrivner is in the process of building another five thousand square foot garage dedicated to the hot rods. In this new location, each vehicle will be given its own allotted space so there will be plenty of room for the cars and none for mishaps. With the growth on North College Ave, Scrivner says it’s only natural that Fast Track expands its presence.
Working on hot rods for a living, Scrivner says it’s hard to pick a favorite, “everyone always asks me that.” For him, the favorite stems from a childhood dream. A poster on his bedroom wall. A red and black 428 Cobra Jet Mustang. Being able to work on something that hung on his wall when he was a kid was a big deal for him, “success is measured in your own mind… so I felt accomplished at that point.”
As far as how he got his start in the automotive industry, Scrivner’s tale is a classic one “working out in the garage with dad.” This experience greased his wheels and led him to his first job as a lube tech doing oil and tire changes when he turned sixteen. Early on he noticed that he needed to learn more if he wanted to make it in this business and went to trade school. He worked his way up to managing different places and eventually in 2013 thought it made sense to strike out on his own. Even now that he runs his own business, the goal isn’t monetary gain, although he understands that is an important part, “it’s more important to me to see somebody walk out the door and be truly happy with something I was able to provide for them. That’s where the rewarding experience comes from.”
