By Henry Kelsall
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Fast N’ Loud was for a long time one of the most popular automotive shows on U.S. television. The Discovery channel show was famously fronted by Richard Rawlings and Aaron Kaufmann, who would create and restore vehicles for the show at Gas Monkey Garage. The Garage is now famous on YouTube thanks to Rawlings, but one of the show's other stars was Christi Brimberry, who featured in 55 episodes of the show.
Brimberry has been through a lot recently and has started to become more open about some of her endeavors in recent months. She has battled through cancer, and has posted updates of her life on Instagram. On her Facebook page, she has also posted which episode was her favorite of the show, and it was the one that featured a tribute to the legendary Burt Reynolds from the Smokey and the Bandit films, who sadly passed away in 2018.
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1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Special Edition Engine Specs
Manufacturer | Pontiac/General Motors |
Production Years | 1970-1981 |
Configuration | Naturally-Aspirated V8 |
Displacement | 6.6-Liter |
Power | 200 Hp |
Torque | 325 lb-ft |
Fuel | Gas |
Notable Applications | 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am |
(Sourced from Motor Trend and Ultimate Specs)
The clip that Brimberry shared featured a couple of fun impersonations by Rawlings and herself of Reynolds and “The Bride in Distress” among other appearances from the Gas Monkey Garage crew. This includes Aaron Kaufmann starring as Snowman.
Rawlings drives the iconic Pontiac Trans Am Firebird that the film made so famous, and Tom from the Garage gives chase while driving a classic police car in an amusing remake of the famous Reynolds classic. Rawlings and the team clearly have a lot of fun recreating scenes from Smokey and the Bandit and portraying the characters.
The tribute is also interlaced with scenes from the real film. The team shows the bride hopping into the car with Reynolds, as well as the real Sheriff and Snowman from Smokey. In the real Smokey and the Bandit film, the Bride is standing in the middle of the road as Reynolds comes around the corner before he has to come to a stop. He says to her “I don’t want to get married” and she simply replies with “Does this thing move?”.
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Brimberry Was The Office Manager At Gas Monkey Garage
How Brimberry Got The Job At Gas Monkey Garage
- Brimberry's husband was Richard Rawlings' hair stylist
- Rawlings needed an accountant for Gas Monkey Garage and offered the job to Brimberry
- Brimberry would work as the office manager for Gas Monkey Garage
- She left the garage and Fast N' Loud after 55 episodes of the show
As we have detailed in another feature on HotCars, Brimberry worked as the officer manager at Gas Monkey Garage. In this role, she handled much of the accounting and scheduling projects of the company. She kept track of the workshop accounts, and she also assisted Rawlings in helping the organization grow into the huge business it would eventually become. Brimberry would also work on scheduling the projects for the workshop, as well as handling the purchasing of new cars and parts, plus making sales.
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Brimberry Recovered From Cancer In 2021
YouTube channel Quick Shift also documented her life after Gas Monkey Garage, and in 2013 she also spoke about how she got the job at Gas Monkey Garage. Her husband was Rawlings’ hairstylist, and as he needed an administrator, he approached her to work for the company and the rest is history.
Post-Gas Monkey Garage, Brimberry would sadly contract cancer but at the end of 2021, she celebrated being cancer-free and has recently claimed she is fitter than ever. The clip she shared on her Facebook page is a nice reminder of Fast N’ Loud’s glory days, and it was a show that made itself a dedicated home for Hot Rodders like Brimberry.
Sources: Christine Brimberry Facebook Page, Gas Monkey Garage YouTube Channel, Quick Shift YouTube Channel, Ultimate Specs, Motor Trend