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SANDY — Clark Searle is a fixture at two automotive shops in Sandy.
The 28-year-old car enthusiast has been working on perfecting his 2006 Subaru WRX for years, pulling out the engine and making upgrades with the help of Heads Up Performance and neighboring Lindsay Machine Racing. However, just as Searle was closing in on his goal of having "the baddest little Subaru around" about nine months ago, he was diagnosed with cancer.
Searle seemed to be doing better at first, but the cancer "returned with a vengeance" in August, according to Scott Horner of Heads Up Performance. It was then that the two shops decided to step in and finish the project in Searle's place.
"The car is a motivation to fight and keep rolling and putting up with all of this stuff," Horner said. "He's just going through a lot. They'll try something and it will throw something else out of whack, but when he's delirious… he'll talk about the car. He'll be dreaming that he's got the car or he's taking people for rides... You know it's right there on the tip of his unconscious mind, because as soon as he's awake he'll be rambling on about it."
The biggest push to complete the restoration took place from Friday to Sunday, with the car starting up with its new engine that Sunday night. LMR posted the event on Facebook, drawing support from other local companies and car enthusiasts.
Horner said some people drove long distances to participate in the effort — even though they hadn't met Searle before. One person who didn't know Searle installed a "new killer stereo" just because he knew others who were involved and wanted to contribute something. Others brought by food and drinks to support those who were working on the car. Some of Searle's family members were present as well.
"His father couldn't say two words before he would start choking up, just because of what it meant to him and his family, and what he saw in Clark," said Horner, who has known Searle and his family for more than a decade.
Horner said Searle is a friendly guy who is always willing to do a friend a favor. Searle also brings life to LMR's shop, according to LMR employee Kyle Cook.
"He would do anything for anyone else," Cook said. "This is kind of just us giving back to him. He's got a really big heart."
Searle was released from the hospital Friday after receiving treatments at the Huntsman Cancer Institute for several weeks. Now he's staying at a rehabilitation center, but people working on the car were able to take Searle to show him the status of his Subaru over the weekend. Horner said they hope to take him for a drive soon.
"(For auto enthusiasts), in normal day life you have this inanimate object that provides all this motivation and pleasure," Horner said. "A lot of people don't understand it, but in times like this — medications and things like that can do a lot, they can help and even solve issues, but if you don't have a fight in you then it doesn't matter whether the medications do anything. It's stuff like this that's the carrot you're chasing."
