About FastDad Machine Works

FastDad Machine Works was built to prove that it’s never too late to chase what you love—and to do it with precision, pride, and purpose.

Built on experience. Driven by passion. Powered by new lungs.

Hey there—I'm Todd Stark, founder of FastDad Machine Works.

I’ve spent over 50 years in the shop turning wrenches, welding steel, machining parts, and solving problems most folks would walk away from. I’m an ASE Master Technician with Advanced Drivability Certification, a lifelong gearhead, a former pro tech, and a race car driver with a serious addiction to making things go fast—and making them the right way.

Why I Started FastDad Machine Works

After a long and satisfying career in the automotive world—dealerships, small shops, and everything in between—I hit a hard stop at age 70. I was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a life-threatening lung condition that nearly sidelined me for good.

But I wasn’t done yet.

On January 2, 2022, I received a double lung transplant. That gift gave me a second shot—and I’m using it to go all in on the work I love: fabrication, welding, machining, and race prep. I call it mechanical marketing—because when something works this well, it sells itself.

Why It Matters

This isn’t just a job shop. It’s a second chance. A way to keep doing what I love. A way to share what I know. And a way to keep pushing limits—mine and yours.

If you're tired of cheap parts, shoddy work, or shops that don’t call you back—I get it. I run things different. I take my time, I treat your project like my own, and I don’t cut corners. I still believe in doing it right the first time.

So if you’ve got a project worth building, a problem worth solving, or a car worth racing—I’m your guy.

🏁 Racing is in My Blood

My racing roots run deep. I trained at the Jim Russell School for Racing Car Drivers in England, took fastest lap in my Formula Ford class, and placed third in the SCCA Regional Championship two years in a row in the ’70s. I’ve raced at legendary tracks like Road America, Blackhawk Farms, Grattan, Waterford Hills, and even local stock car tracks like Elko Speedway and the late Raceway Park.

Now at 75, I’ve passed all my SCCA competition license physicals and I’m rebuilding my Formula car to get back on the track where I belong. That’s part of why I started this shop—to fund my return to racing and help others build better, safer, faster machines.

🔧 What I Do

FastDad Machine Works is a full-service welding, machining, and fabrication shop built on decades of hands-on experience. I work with:

  • Racers & motorsports teams

  • Farmers & tradespeople

  • Hot rodders & garage tinkerers

  • Small businesses & fabricators

  • Anyone who needs something custom, accurate, and made to last

If it’s metal, and it matters to you—I can probably make it, or make it better.

I look forward to building for you.