J.R. Janicek resides in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a Certified Fraud Examiner, but spends a lot of time freelancing as an automotive journalist after hours. His passion for cars started with spending weekends with his uncles at figure-8 races in Louisville, Kentucky. By the late 80s, J.R. was paying a lot of attention to the mini-truck genre, going to all of their shows and hangout spots. After graduating from high school, he joined the U.S. Marines and spent a year in Japan where he became familiar with their automotive culture. In 1999, he started photographing automotive events for online and various local print publications while attending college. He eventually established a freelance photography company that primarily covers the custom automotive niche for various online and print publications internationally. In his free time, J.R. dreams of someday owning a full blown custom 1949 Oldsmobile 88, watches old television shows, runs a fantasy football league, and studies military history.