Flea Ruzic
@ripjetson9
Followers
16K
Following
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Media
3K
Statuses
12K
Joined May 2015
After @SantinoFerrucci crashed i walked over to see if they needed any help putting their car back together. They wasn’t sure what they were doing at that time so i walked off. A few minutes later someone came running over to get me, “come on, were gonna fix it and race”.
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The guys at the shop worked hard all winter. I feel good with this new aero package going into February speedweeks. It's not every day you have a car capable of passing @DaleJr on the outside.
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Alternator quit charging in south Georgia. Shops all needed 2 days to fix it. I bought 6 batteries and started driving the fuck home! Im gettin 180 miles per battery 😂. @elonmusk ain’t got shit on me🤘🏼
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Sorry it took so long to get this finished but hey, im a busy guy🤷🏻♂️. Hope you like your @cbnationals ride @J_Allgaier . We’re loading cars up and im goin to sleep. See ya’ll in Tulsa ✌🏼.#ColorMeLucky #TeamRipper
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Kid walks up 2 days ago and asks if i would show him around the gallery. He showed some interest and said he would be back tomorrow with a final decision. He showed back up yesterday with his decision made. Kid obviously has a great eye for art. 👍🏼
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Well, here it is @JesseColwell1. Thanks to @JoyceLReynolds1 for the idea, @hairtoday67 for the polishing, @DougCanham14 for the graphics, and former @cbnationals winner Donnie Beechler for helping us get AJ’s nod of approval #SuperTex
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When the @cbnationals is over don’t forget to return your refrigerator to your hotel room 🤘🏼
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If u walk off the track and leave my crashed car out there don’t bother coming back to the trailer. Just walk out to the parking lot and get straight in ur mazda 👌🏼. Ill mail your shit back to ya.
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Most people run down to celebrate with their driver. @Paul_Silva57’s frugal ass ran down to see how much he spent on fuel tonight 😂🤘🏼
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Alot of people have asked why I haven’t been racing much. I try to be pretty straight with everyone so here’s whats up. I’ll get back to normal life soon once i figure it all out 😂✌🏼
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Its all fixed up and ready to go again. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO STOOD AROUND THE CAR TELLING ME HOW STRAIGHTEN THE DOWNTUBE!!! . I feel very fortunate ive made it this far in life with such limited abilities 👍🏼
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Every now and then u run across a person that makes a difference in your life. Steve Reynolds is one of those people. This years @cbnationals car is a throwback to one of his pro pulling tractors. Sorry it only has 1 motor on it🤷🏻♂️. Hope u like it old man. I love you buddy 👍🏼
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Hand built! Price is irrelevant. This thing will be here long after im gone.🇺🇸✌🏼
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Thank you to everyone that has reached out over the last few days
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Im just here for the atmosphere…. This place is fucking awesome! 😂
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I'm gonna give you a fuel line that'll hold an extra gallon of gas. I'm gonna shave half an inch off you and shape you like a bullet. I'll get you primed, painted and weighed, and you'll be ready to go out on that racetrack
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Have confidence and take pride in everything you do. Nobody can do that for you. It doesn’t matter if you’re sweeping a floor or building a missile, do it to the best of your ability. If your ability sucks, then care enough about yourself to get better✌🏼
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Made it home safely and drug my ass outa bed to take my mom to lunch. She started crying when she seen me walk in. I asked why she was crying and she said “I haven’t seen you in 10 days, how did you do at the chili bowl”. All is good in my world! Love you all 😘✌🏼
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Just picked up our @cbnationals frame at Precision Plating in Quincy Illinois. Not many things impress me but Eric managed to do just that. We may have even one up’d @1sam91 today. Shes shiny!!!
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Super excited to hand this over to @MandyPittman & @DarynPittman this weekend. It will be auctioned off Friday August 10th during the Knoxville Nationals in the @JJR41Updates auction. This will be the only one ever made like this #Forever41
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When @DaisonPursley was stuck laying in the hospital i sent him a painting. We all know how much those hospital clocks suck to stare at. While doing rehab he had to do a painting using only his left hand. He came down and handed me that painting today!!! 😎
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Hard to believe people come get me and let me beat the literal fuck out of their race car with a sledge hammer. My job rocks 💯🤘🏼
Flea Ruzic @ripjetson9 is over here working on Bayston’s RMS frame, heat, bending back in place, welder is out now, this is a race against the clock!
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I promised my dad before he passed that i would always make sure my mom was cared for. With her Alzheimers getting worse its hard for me to care for her from a cell phone at 2am 3 states away. Simply put, i quite racing so i can be here for her and im good with that 💯
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What did u see on ur drive home today? . Me. well i got past by a f***ing pink elephant drinking a martini😂
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19yrs ago i worked here. I was called into a meeting where 2 suits and 1 jackass told me i was overpaid & they would be cutting my salary. I told them to stick their job in their ass . 2yrs later they closed their doors. Im still doing ok i guess 😂
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When my dad retired he always wanted to move to Kingman Arizona. Never happened tho. A few weeks before he passed we talked about it again. Well he made it there today. I placed some of his ashes & one of his hats on a nice hilltop overlooking town. Bucket List Completed ✔️
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My new hot rod is finally ready to roll in the trailer. I truly appreciate everyone that helps out on these race cars. Threw it back to an open left side for the old school fans 👍🏽
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A person realizes who their buddies are when ur stuck on the side of the interstate. All the race teams that everyone hold in such high regards drive right on by. Thanks to @BThomas91t and @Dalby4D for being decent humans today👍🏼
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Several things at play here. 1) @spencerbayston came down and asked me himself. To me thats means alot. 2) @GPP9299 does a fair amount of business with me during the year so I’d do anything for Billy. 3) @DaveEstep3 and @Lacey__Doyle dug in their trailer at a sprint car race one.
Yes yes & yes! 😊.
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I got a random call from Mike Allgaier today. Heres a short story id like y’all to read
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I got to meet DJ Vanderley this past week and study his crashed race car chassis. Ive been trying to figure out how to get my message across for the last few days. Generally i just post stuff on here exactly how i would say it to u in person. There are problems across the
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Icy Chili Bowl level 10 has been mastered. Not my fastest run by any means but we kept it out of the fence. Gota thank my traction control guy, my tire prep guy, and of course all my sponsors. Im going to bed 🤘🏼
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Complete 👍🏼. Don’t judge, remember im a welder not an artist 😂✌🏼
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Easily one of the worst days of my life. 17yrs just wasn’t long enough little Maddie ❤️
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When we left the building at night we did not dare leave our flag flying in the dark 👍🏼🇺🇸
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I spent $12 to get in @BGSRacing. Im gona walk up to the ticket booth and give them another 50 bucks!. Ive never been so entertained in my life 😂😂😂
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You ever have some random dude come up and ask if he could groove some tires??? Im 6’1” and 210lbs and I wasn’t about to tell his ass no 😂. Thanks for helping out this week @JReaves77
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It ain’t a spike and it ain’t no bullet, it’s a Ripper and my buddy @jake_neuman3n just ended the @KKM_67 win streak tonight 👍🏼
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Date night with mom. We broke out the @jetsonwagon and even picked up a sponsor for tonight. Every time i pick mom up we take pictures and she always asks “why we are taking pics?”. I say “i post them cause people like to see what we are up to”. And she always replies “nobody
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Here u go @braddoty18. Yeah, i know it took 16 months to build it, but it will last a lifetime👍🏼. Its an 86/40 built to Gary’s specs. Hopefully the powdercoater doesn’t crash it tomorrow putting it in the oven 🙄✌🏼
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Got bored tonight, picked up a paint brush for the first time since early March. Most paintings take me and hour or 2. This one took 5 months 😂🤦🏻♂️
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Nothing better than seeing something make it to the proper place. This painting is going home with @__a__emily__ , daughter of TMC icon Harrold Annett 🇺🇸
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I feel like an absolute deadbeat when i see what this guy is doing 😳💯.
“Only you hold the key to your true potential.”.
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I didn't get as far as i wanted today but it's getting really close. Should have it finished tomorrow
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From ur first midget win to your last midget win, the talent has always been there. Now it’s permanently etched in history. Congrats Champ! @Logan_Seavey
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I had a very interesting 4hr meeting in Belleville today ✌🏼
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My final obligation for this year is done. That still doesn’t mean i get the next 8 days off tho 🤦🏻♂️. Hope everyone has safe and Merry Christmas ✌🏼
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The old joke: “you know how to make a million dollars racing? Start with 2 million” . @sharkracingWoO proved that all wrong. I’ve seen em live like refugees, home built trailer, used tires, pulling off to save motor time. Those boys “EARNED” that million the hard way 👍🏼👍🏼.
That picture was the real deal for sure!!! I was out there watching this team grow from nothing to what it is today!.
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My first attempt at making some animated trophies. These are heading to the West Texas Crude Nationals next week. I’m trying to figure out how to get them to spout oil up in the air in victory lane 😂
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A snapchat conversation got me going thru an old file cabinet today. In 1993 i was 1 year out of high school, i cleared $287 a week and i ran a midget on my own with a high school buddy as my only crew. Always looking up to @1sam91 i made sure my stuff was clean even tho i was
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I have a dude that works for me that is the most creative sumbitch ever. I wish I could find 10 more people like him. He’s always building something cool
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My daughter posted this but she keeps her account private. I never had any kids of my own. I never seen myself as being responsible enough to raise a kid. Truth is, being able to call @ChelsieNovy my daughter is the coolest thing in my life 👍🏼. Love you daughter!
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20yrs ago I remember the weeks and months after the attacks. Every house had an American flag in the yard. It was the most united i have every seen this country. Its was a time we all looked after one another. It is sad how divided we are today, just absolutely fucking sad 😢✌🏼
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Here are the trophies for the West Texas Crude Nationals. Im still waiting on a few parts to show up to finish the drive motor and nameplates. Thanks to @Josh_Baughman17 for the opportunity. Tune in to @SpeedShiftTV to see who wins these on May 12-13th 👍🏼
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I struggle building things like this cause i don’t know when to stop. I mean, if you’re going to build a front porch you might as well build a dog to put on it right . On a side note does anyone have any experience with running dirt through a blender??? 🤷🏻♂️
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Spent the afternoon with my mom. It was a nice sunny day so we just strolled around. 2 weeks ago was the first longterm memory issue that i noticed. She didn’t remember getting me my dog Macie. Today she asked me how i got the nickname Flea. The fact that she will eventually
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The mystery rental gets returned this afternoon. Me & @jasonmcdougal69 autographed it lasnight 😂✌🏼
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I don’t fault people for being born into better situations. I do fault those who are disrespectful and think they are owed something tho. Kid might turn into a great racer or he might not. However he is EARNING his way to do what he wants and I RESPECT the fuck outa that 💯.
"𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙜𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩.". Meet the 11-year-old from Arizona who owns his race car and self-funded his entire trip to the @Lucas_Oil @TulsaShootout.
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All bullshit aside we built a car, the process was extremely enjoyable and challenging. The car honestly handled better than i thought it would out of the box. Do we need to change some things? Absolutely, but we are 10x smarter leaving here tho. I’ve had some texts from people.
UDPB: Shawn Wood (@felipesdad) and Flea Ruzic (@ripjetson9) put together one of the most unique sprint cars that has ever competed in a Knoxville Nationals this year. It's a fun experiment they're doing, just to see what happens in a car built specifically for it.
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I keep working well into the night to satisfy those customers who order stuff 2 days before the @cbnationals and pay for it in April! 🤘🏼
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Walk into truckstop:. “id like 6pcs of chicken” . “sir we only sell 3pc and 4pc”. “Can i buy 2) 3pcs?” . “So u want 6pcs correct?” . This country is soooo FUCKED!!. Glad I didn’t have to explain my 120 gallon fuel purchase to her 🤦🏻♂️
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Parking update for @Xtreme_Outlaw @MillbridgeRacin. I pulled in and parked, not one person gave two fucks about where i parked and i was eventually greeted with a “hey, if you need anything let us know” 👍🏼👍🏼
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I spent 9hs on my back today wiring this f**kin thing up. She’s fueled up and ready to go tho. If we can’t take it to the race track we’re gona cruise the strip in it 👍🏼
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Ive had this in the back of my mind for a while but have been hesitant. @timclauson gave me the nudge i needed yesterday 👍🏼
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Broke mom out of the hospital again today. She says “im hungry, lets go to longhorn” . waitress takes our order and mom says “I can’t decide what i want” i said just order it all. So thats what she did! . She’s currently complaining “I can’t believe they brought me this much
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Its not everyday that you get to touch greatness. An authentic @evelknievel cane has arrived. I can’t believe what im holding
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I remember being pitted next to @KeithKunz at the Belleville Nationals maybe around 2007 and at that time he had a car with a gaerte, another with an esslinger, one with a fontana and maybe a 4th car with a mopar. Anyway Keith was laying in the dirt on a 105° day rebuilding a.
For all my haters out there read this article and pay close attention to the number 37th and then post your idiotic questions you idiots!!!!! That’s not what I really want to say but you get my point 👂👀👂.
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I see me and cactus jack were captured in one of our finer moments. Im surprised there weren’t more people telling us how to fix it @Jarrettrector1 😂.
.@ripjetson9 & Jack Yeley discussing how each would fix the LF shock mount. #imalwaysright #youarealwayswrong
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Straight up, u ain’t lived until u snuck into a cemetery at midnight to get a pic with the King of the Canvas…… Bob Ross 🖌🎨. Paint in Peace Bob ✌🏼
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First painting is complete. Be patient with me folks, I’ll get better 👍🏼. Thanks for the boost to get started @jankybobby
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One is ready for powder coating the other is ready for upholstery. 9 cars later these are still enjoyable to build
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18yrs ago i moved back to illinois & started my business. I had $1800 to my name, i bought $800 worth of tubing & got started. Tommy Scott always made sure i had work. He bought stuff he didn’t need just to keep me busy & let me stripe parking lots with him for extra $
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A person would never believe that this barn sits about 200 feet from a bustling city intersection with every modern convenience known to man.
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For all the fabricators in my pit at chili bowl preaching how i should repair the frame on the 14 car here’s your chance. U are hereby cordially invited to show up at my shop in Springfield Illinois tomorrow to impress me. Ill even buy lunch 😂👍🏼
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Taking mom to her favorite place to eat. She knew i was gone but she just cant place where . “How did chili bowl go?”. I went to Knoxville mom. “Oh yeah thats right, who won?”. Kyle larson. “Who’s he drive for?”. Paul silva. “Never heard of him”. 3 minutes later. “So did you
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If u have to clean your trailer after a rain out then you know how long it takes. Especially with people tracking mud in. Well, im changing the rules. Next person to drag a cow patty in the trailer is getting punched in the face 😂👍🏼
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My mom just came by work to see me. I offered her a welder and a helmet but she said “its Saturday, I ain’t working” 😂✌🏼
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2) log chains.1) 1025 torsion bar.1) porto power.1) high school diploma . What could go wrong😂
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Experienced the highs & lows today. Said a final goodbye to my dad this morning😢. Since my daughter was in town i got to spend time with her & my grandson this afternoon. I feel like i ended the day on a good note😎. Thanks everyone for the thoughts & messages this past week✌🏼
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Whoever said money doesn’t buy happiness is a fuckin liar. 500 cash got me this sweet station wagon! Pretty sure that makes me happier than @elonmusk 😂✌🏼
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YOU DAMN RIGHT I GOT TIME FOR A PAINTING!. I can prolly sell this sumbitch for 175 bucks which is fine 😎✌🏼
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Here’s the finished product. All hand built and welded together using a 1985 @MillerElectric welder. The same welder my grandpa taught me how to tig weld on. He always told me “master a trade and you will always have work”. Be kind, stay safe ✌🏼
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We stopped the race and none of these fuckers threw a punch🤷🏻♂️😂.
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Every year we draw for a secret Santa gift in the family. $25 is the spending limit. Ive built the gifts the last 4 yrs. The time spent building is equal to driving around shopping. This past Christmas i pulled my 2yr old grandson out of the hat. I spent 18 bucks 👍🏼
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He probably worked 118hrs this week, mowed the lawn, changed a starter on the toter, assembled 2 new cars, reroofed a house, and hasn’t slept since mid April, but @robertballou81 kicked ass tonight. Love him or hate him, but i like the motherfucker!!! Congrats bud 😘
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We couldn’t find 14 buses, but @J_Allgaier did attempt 14 cans of brake clean . “Anybody can jump a motorcycle. The trouble begins when you try to land it” .@evelknievel stuck the landing today 👍🏼
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Since my daughter (@ChelsieNovy) finally posted it i guess its safe to tell y’all i got a brand new granddaughter a few weeks ago ❤️
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Just finished my grandson’s Christmas gift & thought id share it. Thanks to @BillCanham1 @DougCanham14 @chromedude1 @jay_mcquinn & @felipesdad for their help on the latest edition to the Team Ripper stable. With any luck he won’t like it & we can move on to a cheaper sport ✌🏼
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