Troy Trepanier, the man behind the magic that is Rad Rides by Troy, runs one of the country’s most successful custom build shops in his hometown of Manteno, Illinois. Like many enthusiasts, Troy was originally inspired by his father and grandfather’s interest in hot rods, fabrication, modification and restoration. Troy and his father, Jack, opened Rad Rides in 1995 and the rest is pretty much history.

Over the past 20+ years, Troy has received countless automotive accolades, built land-speed record holding vehicles and inspired generations of builders. What most people don’t know is that Troy donates a large amount of his time and personal resources to building something that doesn’t have four wheels – his community. Troy has built and restored the baseball and football score boards of several Manteno schools. Not only that, but he goes above and beyond to perform field maintenance at these campuses as well. Troy’s sister Annette mentions, “He has a love for sports and all of the kids are involved in athletics. He has given countless hours of work to our school district and he loves doing it, so the athletes have the best facilities to play on. Most people do not know this side of him in the car industry.”

Nominated for putting the place he calls home on the map, Troy recently received the Manteno Historical Society’s annual Lucille Thies Personal Achievement Award for his work in the automotive industry. Add one more honor to the long list! Let’s all take a second to applaud Troy for not only making a name for Manteno and building some of the coolest cars to ever grace asphalt, but for putting his community first and providing a better tomorrow for the youth of today.