No Regrets is a club that you've probably heard a lot about over the last few years. Let's get something out of the way first and foremost. No, we're not covering the club because Ernie Macias, President and Founder of No Regrets, has worked on the magazine. He doesn't get special privileges just because he worked here. Rather, the entire club as a whole has grown a lot in the past eight years. With the quality of rides reaching cover quality (including this issue), what started as a small SoCal crew has now grown to span the globe.
They call themselves "The big, small club" because they have chapters worldwide, including Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. However, most of the chapters have less than 10 members. In fact, they used to say that most chapters had less than five members, but the last few years have been really good for them. If the No Regrets club could be summed up in a phrase, it would be: "lifestyle minitruckers."
Every member of No Regrets lives the minitrucker lifestyle, day in and day out. They're not just normal enthusiasts, who are into this as a hobby. Define that however you want, but what it means to the club is supporting one another during good times and bad; through truck buildups, and through the loss of close friends. They'll go to shows near and far, or just meet up and BBQ at a member's house. Either way, they are there for each other and give it their all. On the other hand, they're a truck club first, and they don't forget that by thinking it's all about the people. Trucks come first, because if they wanted to just be a people club, sing around a camp fire, roasting marshmallows, then they would go join the Boy Scouts of America.
All in all, No Regrets has seen some really great times, as well as some sad in the past eight short years. They recently lost a brother and member, Scott Childress, which was extremely hard on everyone. But as a club, they pulled through it and would like to dedicate this story to Scott.
Here's an in-depth look at what makes N.R. what it is today. For more information, check out noregrets.
History Of The Club:
Like many clubs, N.R. started with an idea. They wanted to take the best qualities of some of the best clubs in the nation, then make it their own. Ernie Macias was influenced by a few clubs, such as Negative Camber, Severed Ties, and Relaxed Atmosphere. He liked how N.C. had such high standards, how Severed Ties has quality rides, but still manages to remain true to itself and its old-skool roots; and how Relaxed Atmosphere is so down-to-earth and laid back. Combining the good qualities of "the big three," N.R. is old-skool, with most chapters holding monthly meetings, and still running painted logos. They're also a laid-back group. You can always find an N.R. member with a cold brew in hand, relaxing under a canopy at a show, all with a smile on his or her face. And holding to their standards, they don't make it impossible to join, but they do make it a challenge.
How It All Started:
In March of 2000, Ernie had an altercation with Brian Goude, the president of FFF. He knew that he didn't want to join another club, so in May/June of 2000, he started No Regrets with Gary Stalling, who is another ex-FFF member, and his best friend. The two came up with the name for several reasons. The first reason is the obvious one, it was a small shot at FFF. They left FFF and had no regrets about it. Second was their lifestyle choice. They would be a band of dedicated minitruckers, and a lifestyle club-not just some guys looking for something to do on the weekend. To this day, they live life to the fullest, and live it with no regrets. Back in the day, they used to say, "If you're not going to show dedication to the club and its standards, then you need not apply."
What Does The Future Hold?:
More features, more covers, more parties, and of course, more babes. But seriously, as a club, they hope to show future generations of minitruckers that minitrucks aren't just for the farms, they can be beautiful show cars, and when built properly can look like art cruising the local interstate.
Club Lowdown
Date Founded: May of 2000
Number of Chapters: 19
Total Number of Members: +/- 200
Website: noregrets.cc (still under-construction)
Main Contact: Send e-mails to Ernie Macias atbaggedmitsu@aol.com
Major Accomplishments:
Multiple covers, and Lowest Club award at Forbidden Fantasy 2008.
Major Contributions:
We are the first club to have chapters in Japan, New Zealand, and Australia.
Good Times:
Anytime they're together, it's always a good time. Taking home the Club Participation trophy at the Relaxed Atmosphere All Star event in '07 was also a blast.
Bad Times:
When they lost their beloved brother, Scott Childress. He wasn't just a member, he was a brother to each and every member. He was the Georgia/southern states rep.
Club's Most Important Characteristic:
N.R. is known as the kind of club that knows how to have a good time. It's filled with members with good attitudes and good personalities, who also build badass rides. One thing that many people point out is that a vast majority of the members sport N.R. tattoos. This isn't a requirement, but it does show the amount of dedication and respect the members hold for the club and what it stands for.
What It Takes
Full Logo
* A minimum one year of petitioning, exceptions are rare
* Must be voted in by a majority, from the prospective chapter.
* It only takes one person to start a chapter, that's why they're still "the big, small club"
* Once you're in, you're in for life not exactly like blood in, blood out; but they do take it very serious. If you ask to leave the club at anytime during petitioning, or as a member, you may never come back to the club.
Prospective (Petitioning)
* Four-corner adjustable suspension, juice, or bags
* Custom wheels, 18-inches or bigger
* Primer is OK, but not if the vehicle appears to be stock
* Body-drops are not a must, but they are a plus
* You must ask to be a part of the organization. We don't invite membership, the way we see it, a person must want to belong. When people are asked to join a club, they believe that makes them special. We want people to ask to join our ranks because they desire to be a part of a better organization.
* You can get in with a car, truck, van; lifted or lowered, but not a motorcycle