Born in Chicago in 1955 during a time when the country was captivated by space exploration, missiles, and rockets, my fascination with space began early on. My mother encouraged this passion by buying me space toys as a child, which laid the foundation for my future in rocketry. In 6th grade, I won the district science fair, and many thought I would pursue a career as a scientist or engineer. However, my life took a different turn when, at 13, I hopped on a motorcycle and became enamored with speed. From then on, my world revolved around going fast—street racing Dodge cars, Yamaha, and Kawasaki two-stroke race bikes, which brought me immense joy.

After graduating from Irving Crown High School in Carpentersville, Illinois, in 1973, I briefly attended Elgin Community College, but my rebellious nature and love for fishing, street racing, and motorcycles led me to drop out. I had always been a mediocre student, often playing hooky to pursue my interests. One exhilarating nighttime activity was a game called Rat Racing, where we raced hot rods at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. Miraculously, no one was seriously injured during those daring escapades.

Fist fights seemed to find me frequently during those years, with my record standing at approximately 8 wins and 2 losses. I even once took on an entire bar filled with Rednecks in Wisconsin, but that encounter didn't end well for me.

In 1974, my fascination with aircraft design, aerodynamics, and land speed records took root. I spent countless hours at libraries, voraciously reading books on these subjects, which became the foundation of my self-education. I never attended college, yet I found myself lecturing on rocketry and advanced automobile design at the University of California on five occasions.

At the age of 20, I designed the body for a rocket dragster known as Concept 1 - Instant Insanity. This exceptional dragster achieved remarkable speeds of 280 miles per hour, surpassing the slower piston nitro-fueled dragsters of that time. My thirst for speed also led me to modify a Ski Doo 775cc TNT Snowmobile for winter enjoyment, although it was ultimately wrecked during a jump attempt.

In 1984, I moved my family to California and joined the Southern California Timing Association, further indulging my passion for land speed racing. I became a member of "The Land Speed Racers" Club, which set speed records at El Mirage dry lake and the Bonneville Salt Flats.

My collaboration with Kenny Lyons and Big John Petri led to the creation of the Becker/Lyon motorcycle streamliner, which set an impressive 16 class speed records in the 650, 750, and 1,000cc categories over three years. Later, as crew chief, I worked on Ron Pruett's "Pretty Woman" C and B gas land speed car, which achieved 15 records at speeds exceeding 254 miles per hour, even reaching over 300 miles per hour one year, making it the fastest naturally aspirated car globally.

I also had the thrilling experience of assisting Art Arfons with his J-85 turbojet motorcycle streamliner, Green Monster 23. There's even a video of me attempting to film it from the roof of a rental car while holding a VHS camera at 117 miles per hour as the jet bike streaked away to over 300 miles per hour.

During this time, I engaged in numerous projects, including building various small displacement motorcycle streamliners, and even installing a government pulse jet engine in one, which I dubbed "Defiant." Notably, I collaborated with rocket experts Robert Truax and Ken Mason to develop the propulsion system for my ice racer rocket sled "Sonic Wind." Over five years, Larry Hayes Sr. and I built Sonic Wind, a liquid rocket-powered ice racer, using a mix of old missile and aircraft parts. Computer simulations projected its top speed potential to be an astounding 915 to 926 miles per hour, and I added a 4,000 lb. thrust solid rocket kicker engine to push it past 1,000 miles per hour. Although I made several attempts to run Sonic Wind during the winter, financial troubles and marital issues plagued me, resulting in the loss of everything I owned.

The movie "Landspeed," featuring Billy Zane playing a character based on me, captures this tumultuous period of my life. Despite facing financial hardship and adversity, I maintained my belief that everything that happened to me was a gift from God. These experiences, marked by numerous scars, have shaped me into the person I am today. I never claimed to be a self-made genius, rather a determined individual who stumbled upon extraordinary opportunities—gifts, in my view, from the Almighty.

My journey took an unexpected turn when my partner, Ken Mason, sold the rocket engine, a reworked ICBM missile engine, to the Australian land speed team without my knowledge or approval. False accusations followed, with them trying to pin the blame on me for breaking federal ITAR laws. As a result, Homeland Security, the FBI, the Office of the Air Force OSI, and NASA secret service agents came to arrest me. It took years for the truth to prevail, and eventually, they cleared me of any wrongdoing.

During this turbulent period, my focus on the land speed car project waned due to a lack of a rocket engine. However, I found myself assisting Mike Charlton in running his jet-powered motorcycle streamliner at Bonneville. This collaboration resulted in the documentary movie "Sick Mick and the Boys."

In the midst of challenges, I worked as a building contractor and curator at the Colonel Vernon P. Saxon Jr. Aerospace Museum in Boron, California, a job given to me by Homeland Security. My primary responsibility was safeguarding valuable liquid rocket engines from theft or unauthorized sales. I dedicated seven years to building up the museum during this time.

In the midst of my journey, I crossed paths with Mad Mike Hughes, and together, we perfected a steam rocket for high-altitude jumps over canyons. Mike's exploits were documented in the movie "Rocketman" and the television show "Homemade Astronauts." Tragically, Mike died during his third steam rocket flight, cutting short the development of our Rockoon spaceship named "Space Raven," designed to reach 62.8 miles up, the Von Karman line.

Despite the challenges, I persisted and built "Glory," the most powerful speed car ever constructed by a human. Powered by a million-horsepower Thiokol XLR-99 rocket engine modified for ground use, "Glory" promises to be an incredible machine. I plan to face Glenn Britain in a drag race, where he will pilot a super-efficient J-79 jet car I designed, and we aim to break the sound barrier on land. I'm also working on establishing the Daredevil N Speed Museum.

Additionally, I am the original founder of the Petgrave/Stanback liquid rocket research lab in Compton, California. This student-run group has just completed the "Compton Comet," a liquid rocket set to reach the Von Karman line. I wish them the best of luck in their endeavors!

In summary, my life has been a rollercoaster of thrilling experiences, unforeseen challenges, and the unwavering belief that every event is a divine gift.