Like many car people, Kurt grew up around cars and racing. His dad and uncle were drag racing locally when he was a toddler with a 1965 Impala SS and a 1964 Olds Holiday Coupe respectively. Later they graduated to a 1956 Chevy. When they were finished racing, Kurt's dad purchased a 1955 Chevy Nomad in 1969. That car has been a member of the family ever since. Kurt's love of Tri-Fives and especially the Nomad was cemented over his youth.

Each year Kurt's family goes on an annual family vacation to a new location in the U.S. These locations are picked for them by the leaders of national car clubs, first the National Nomad Club and then the Chevrolet Nomad Association. Thanks to these “clubs” Kurt has been to almost every state in the U.S. He swam in the Atlantic Ocean at 16 and the Pacific Ocean the next year; being fortunate to have met and made friends with people from all over the country and around the world. So much so that the national conventions are almost like a family reunion for Kurt.