In the United States, the automotive industry is more so a way of life than an enthusiast’s hobby. Since the dawn of internal combustion, Americans have been enamored with speed and engines. This absolutely applies to Aimee Shackelford, a California woman with racing in her blood.
Aimee has auto industry roots dating back several generations. Fast forward to now and Shackelford is living bicoastal to keep up with the demands of her numerous businesses. Still, her efforts have come with major dividends, as she is tapped into absolutely everything when it pertains to car culture.
On the heels of SEMA 2024 in “Fabulous” Las Vegas, Nevada, Aimee was kind enough to make time for Playboy’s Gabriel Santiago. Follow along as the two chat about everything from Aimee’s first vehicle to planning her next car rally.
Playboy: Let’s start at the beginning—where are you originally from?
Aimee Shackelford: I was born and raised in San Pedro, California. I’m a fourth-generation resident in that town.
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Playboy: How did you initially fall in love with motorsports?
Aimee Shackelford: I was raised in an automotive family. My great uncles and grandmother actually built sprint-midget race cars in San Pedro. There used to be a lot of dirt tracks here in Southern California. They would go race them and then they started building them for people like Rajo Jack and Allen Heath. As a child, It was really cool hearing those stories since they stopped doing those races in the 1950s. My uncles built these cars, my grandfather would paint them and then my grandma would sneak in and watch what they were doing so she could learn, too.
Playboy: What was your first car?
Aimee Shackelford: I had to get what I could afford, which was a Ford Escort. I did what I could do to it and kept it really clean. That was my first car, then I graduated to a Honda Civic. After that, I got my first 3 series BMW.
Playboy: Back in the present, you’re a titan of the automotive industry. Tell me about what’s going on at Gear One?
Aimee Shackelford: Gear One Agency is a company that I co-own. Basically, I took my passion for automotive and turned it into a business. I previously worked in human resources and that’s not a fun job. Gear One is the most recent business that I have along with my partner, Johnny Valencia. We have clients like Barrett Jackson, MotorTrend, and Koenigsegg. We manage automotive events that can draw upwards of 60,000 people.
Playboy: In that same vein, what’s the latest with Exotics on Broadway in Monterey, CA?
Aimee Shackelford: Exotics on Broadway is an event that I started along with my business partners Ramin Arami and Fred Courtot in 2015. We started this show because we wanted to create a free show for the public during Monterey Car Week, which is really expensive. For example, your average Motel 6 goes for about $700/night. So, we created this event on Cannery Row by Monterey Bay Aquarium. We’ve gotten so big that we had to find a new home just up the road in Seaside, CA. We basically cover about nine blocks in downtown Seaside! Even better, Seaside created a beautification project for their Broadway street. We were honored to be a part of helping them grow the community and business so that people will start coming there and enjoying it all.
Playboy: Talk to me about what it takes to manage goldRush Rally?
Aimee Shackelford: goldRush Rally is where I first started. It was created from an online forum. It’s funny because forums are not cool anymore, but 10 years ago, they definitely were. goldRush Rally was created because we wanted all these members from different parts of the country to come together and do a rally.
It started as a friendship rally in 2008. Crazy as it is, we are now coming up on Year 17 for goldRush Rally. I’ve been a part of this for 17 years. I help come up with the routes and acquire sponsorships. I’ve gained many, many friends over the years from this rally. After starting as a three-day event, it’s now nine-days long! There’s about 200 people that go on this and 100 exotic cars driving approximately 3,000 miles.
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Playboy: Can you describe to me your favorite features of the Audi R8?
Aimee Shackelford: Well, the V10 R8 was on my bucket list of cars that I wanted to own. I also really love the Iron Man tie in with Tony Stark. When looking at mine in particular, my favorite feature is the GMG Racing exhaust. I love that way it gives the car that extra boom. I really love how fast this vehicle is, but other than that, the longevity of the R8 is great. I have 65,000 miles on mine and I bought it at 10,000 miles. I’ve driven it quite a bit and it just keeps going like the day I bought it.
Playboy: What are the absolute top aspects about Monterey Car Week?
Aimee Shackelford: You have to go to Ocean Avenue to check out the amount of insane cars that drive down that street. You will see absolutely everything drive by there. Also, 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach is a must. It’s the most beautiful place that I’ve ever been. From there, my event, Exotics on Broadway, should be at the top of your list. We have the largest gathering of hypercars during Monterey Car Week. I’m planning to try and get the Guinness Book of World Records there next year to come out and count the number of hypercars in attendance.
Playboy: Can you tell me about your experience as a female thriving in male-focused industry like automotive?
Aimee Shackelford: I get asked this a lot, and honestly, and I wish it was talked about even more. I want to inspire more women to get into the automotive world. It can be intimidating because it’s such a male-dominated world, but it’s not as scary as you would think. I was taken in very well and respected, but you have to have thick skin.
I’d love to see more women on the racetrack. I’d love to see more women at these exotic car rallies we put on. It’s maybe 10% women in attendance. Right now, I have an emphasis on spending a lot of time networking and working with other women in the automotive industry. Hopefully, this helps spread the word and culture to the younger generation.
Playboy: Right now, what does “a day in the life of Aimee Shackelford” look like?
Aimee Shackelford: I wake up in the morning, go through my emails, handle any social media obligations and go to yoga. I’m very big on hot yoga, especially for the mental benefits. From there, I usually have a bunch of meetings. I work until six or seven at night—sometimes longer. I’m a workaholic!
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