I was a big fan of Crystal Pepsi during its brief existence (1992-1993), until the formula was changed to give it a "citrus" flavor~ I was so excited when they brought it back this year as the original "cola" flavored version~ For the first time in 23 years, I finally got to taste my all-time favorite soda again~ And yes, it was totally worth the wait!~
This post is gonna be a mix of my history with Racing Champions diecasts, my love for Crystal Pepsi, and a bit of "Diggity Dave" history~ It's kind of odd writing about myself, but I wanted a Crystal Pepsi car, and I didn't want anyone else but me to be its driver~ haha~ Well, here we go.. let's shake this thing like a Polaroid picture~ :P
The history of "Diggity Dave"~
The name "Diggity Dave" was given to me back in 2001, by the drummer of a former band I was in~ That band was called Oblivian (spelled that way because there was already a band called "Oblivion"), and you can listen to our version of the Nirvana song "Something In The Way" here~ Starting in 2007, I started performing solo as "Diggity Dave and his Cheap Guitar Band", as it was difficult to book shoes when you have several people on different schedules~
I had a lot of fun playing music, and doing live shows~ During a three year time span, I played over 200 shows, in eight different states along the East Coast~ I shared the stage with the likes of Jesco White, Hank Williams III, and Joe Buck, and many lesser known bands~ Jesco White had asked me to be in his upcoming movie "The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia", but I turned him down, and shortly thereafter quit the music business~
Towards the end of 2009, I started getting offers from places on the West Coast, and even overseas~ This kind of creeped me out a little but, well a lot... and I basically got scared and quit doing music~ I like being noticed for doing things, but I also like to have my personal life, where I can go somewhere and be just a face in the crowd~ I left the music business at the end of 2010, but played my final show in 2011, at a benefit show put on to help pay the funeral cost of my good friend/local musician Austin "Vomit" Goins~
My love of Crystal Pepsi~
Do you ever feel like everything you like, no matter what it is.. gets taken away from you?~ That's how I felt about Crystal Pepsi, as well as the MilkShake candy bar~ As I look back on it, there weren't many people that liked Crystal Pepsi~ The only people in my 5th grade class that liked it was myself, and a girl named Rachel~ We were "Team Crystal Pepsi", but that was the problem I guess... "Team Crystal Pepsi" didn't have that many fans~
Back in 2004 I made a Myspace account, and not long after that I found an online petition to "Bring back Crystal Pepsi"~ I pleaded with everyone I knew to sign that petition, and even went around messaging strangers to sign it as well~ I sure wasn't the only person doing it, but there still wasn't a whole lot of people begging for a comeback~
Flash forward 23 years later, and Crystal Pepsi is finally back on the market, although only for 6 weeks!~ The first sip I took instantly took me back to the 5th grade, chugging Crystal Pepsi with Rachel~ haha~ A well known YouTube personality has laid claim that he brought back Crystal Pepsi on his own, with his own followers.. but I can attest to that, and say that there were a lot of people signing petitions for its return back in 2004, and probably even before that~ It was the voice of all of us who wanted to taste this tasty nectar once more~
My Racing Champions background~
My history with Racing Champions cars goes all the way back to the first year the cars were issued~ I got my first Racing Champions car back in 1989 at the local Food Country USA grocery store~ I chose Dale Earnhardt, and from then on.. I was snatching up every 1/64 Racing Champions car I could get my hands on~
I probably only had about 150-200, but I did have several rare ones, including the #33 Bobby Labonte Dentyne car~ I opened every single one of them too, and played with them on the floor, having pretend races~ I could kick myself for opening up that Labonte car.. but heck.. I was a kid~ I didn't see it as rare.. to me, it was just another car in the field~ The drivers I let win my pretend races the most were Jay Fogleman, Butch Miller, and Dave Marcis~
As I got older, I moved to Virginia with my father, and left the cars at my mothers house~ She gave them to my younger cousins to play with, and at least 1/2 of them are still down there at her house.. my daughter now plays with them~ I looked for the Labonte car one time when I was down there, but never found it~ I got back into collecting last June, and now have over 1,000 Racing Champions pieces, of all different scales~
Family life~
These days I'm a family man, and don't have time for much else~ Having a family of your own fills up your free time pretty quick, but I couldn't be happier~ I've done a lot of fun stuff in my life, I've met a lot of awesome people along the way, I have a wonderful wife and 2 healthy children, and I'm still alive to watch them grow~ I couldn't ask for any more than that~
As a kid, I never thought getting older would change me in any way~ I was content on being who I was at the time, and thought that's how it would always be~ And for some people, it is always the same.. they never grow up, and never learn from their mistakes~ I'm glad that I was able to get out of my bad habits, and survive through it all~ Getting through my rough years has brought me to my wonder years, and hopefully growing old with my family~
Diggity Dave #27 Crystal Pepsi Chevrolet~
Well, here she is.. the Diggity Dave #27 Crystal Pepsi Chevrolet~ I used Ken Schrader's #25 car as the "donor" car for this one~ I picked number 27 because it wasn't used much with Racing Champions cars, and it's one of my favorite numbers~ It sure would have been cool if I really was the driver of this car, it's pretty cool looking, and it fits my style~
Rick Wilson also drove a white and blue #27 car @ the Brickyard one year, so that also played into the number selection~ I like the card, as I'd hope I would, since it's of me~ All in all I give this car an B+ on the Racing Champions quality scale~ I had to deduct points because it isn't real, I messed up on the first photo, and I wish the rims were silver, instead of gold~ Other than that, it's a fine car, and I'm proud to have my name on it~
As always, I'd like to thank each of you who stopped by to check out the blog~ Please subscribe up top to get email notifications on new posts~ Below are some videos of my music, along with a video on Gordon's Dupont car he ran at Bristol last year~ :)
**Bonus Car** Diggity Dave #77 Milkshake Candy Bar Ford~
Jeff Gordon's final Dupont car, filmed by me~
My first ever recording~ Elvis Presley cover - 2000~
Diggity Dave "Up on Mars" Hasil Adkins cover~
Diggity's Playhouse skit~
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