Dewey and Boogeyman – A Racing Saga

Some enthusiasts and drivers build reputations that stand alone amongst many of the others in our vast Subaru community. Many gain provenance purely because of their performance reputation while demonstrating very little notice for their self promotion or showmanship. Others are more gifted performers, where they exist more as a brand within a sub environment inside the community. No matter who they are or what they do, these individuals came from somewhere out of the figurative woodwork. Eric "Dewey" DeWitt and his well-known 1995 Subaru Impreza L - known fondly as Boogeyman - has been making a major splash within the exciting StreetMod Class over a long string of seasons. Like many youngsters who got an earlier taste of car culture and motorsports, this product of the midwest was first smitten immediately by the glamour of the life through simple exposure through gaming, film, and other media until he was hopelessly engulfed. "I grew up in rural western Michigan. Car racing just didn't seem like something even remotely feasible to me", Dewey explained. "I still loved watching anything I could on TV. I love racing and competition, period. So, high school track and cross country were what I filled that with." DeWitt's eventual exposure to the challenging motorsports world through a virtual lens was a powerful connection to push his life forward effectively. "I managed to borrow a Sony Playstation for a month and one of the games that came with it was Gran Turismo. That was my first taste into modifying cars and racing cars against each other."

There is a defining point in an enthusiast's life where they realize that this passion is more than just a fading crush. Once the spark grows into a full on blaze, the true soul of the individual feeds into the desire and the lifelong obsession begins. "There is no denying Gran Turismo played a huge factor," Dewey confirmed as he further reflected on that first gaming exposure. "The idea of being able to take a seemingly tame pedestrian vehicle and run down 'fast cars' with it was fantastic to me." Living out a fantasy through technology still left him with a lot to learn as he began to grow into a man and gain his own sense of purpose and ideals. "When I graduated high school, I needed something to fill that void left by Track and Cross Country not being in my life anymore. Cars and racing took over. At first it was 'less than legal' drag racing, then more legal drag racing with some autocross mixed in." As life moved forward, the jumping points continued to appear, helping DeWitt realize that his spirit was being fed with more subliminal messages than he realized. "This didn't seem real until I joined the Marines and was in California for MOS training”, he explained. “It was 2000 and the import community was in full swing." A favorite spot for Dewey and his pals at that time was out at street races. "This introduced me to a whole different part of the community that I had no idea existed.", he explained. "From then on I was hooked. Then 'the movie' (The Fast and the Furious in 2001) came out and it became a social phenomenon. Everyone started talking about the new WRX coming over from Japan. I had to have one.” 

The enthusiast's journey naturally takes a lot of twists and turns as the individual gets more inspired and directed to where they want to stand within the community. The most seasoned and practiced members of our community know that experience is only achieved from a diligent commitment to education and a serious course dedicated to practice. Without any strict rules to what this practice needs to be, the inspired will follow the road and do what they need to become skilled and successful. This was not a distant or far-fetched dream for DeWitt as he fell into this mold quite perfectly and took all the forward moving cues brilliantly to solidify his future. "I went to a few track days but it just wasn't something I could do often," he said. "Then, while working for an online retailer that was a sponsor of Gridlife in 2016, I got free tickets to a Midwest festival to drive HPDE (High Performance Driver Education). I stole my girlfriend's (now wife) 2005 STI and, with my tuner, we both co-drove her car the whole weekend.”, he shared. “We had a riot and both of us basically asked, ‘Why are we drag racing, this is so much better’.", he remembered fondly. "Then when I realized I was running times similar to those in Street Class, we both decided to enter in Time Attack the next year." By this time, DeWitt was not only on a journey to somewhere great, inspiring, and, eventually rewarding, he was actually becoming woven into the road he was born to travel. He was truly feeling all the bumps, grit, and gravel within his lifeblood.

Now, with all this being said, we shouldn't assume that spending decades transforming from an inexperienced, passionate enthusiast into a fully developed motorsports practitioner is an easy journey or painless existence. Again, becoming an expert in any field requires a lot of work and collection of knowledge to achieve a specific position to climb to a level of provenance in your specific industry. In the enthusiast world success and respect can be achieved in a similar way, but the road of hard knocks and pain can supply the best level of character and accolades. Many individuals, no matter what the industry, feel free about referring to themselves as professionals just because they may appear to know all and be all within their circle of associates. Even though Dewey has gathered more bumps and bruises, put in more time, and gained more education on this journey than a lot of others who are more sharply illuminated, his ego remains in check and his purpose is solid. "Calling me a ‘professional’ is a stretch.", DeWitt proclaims with humility. "This all started with me just wanting to prove I belonged and should be taken seriously. I think I accomplished that.", he said with conviction. "After being diagnosed with a tumor in my head then regaining a serious perspective shift on what I wanted, I went headlong into this." he confirmed. "I really wanted to win a championship and make a dent in the sport. So, if I were to die, I would at least be remembered." Anyone even remotely familiar with Dewey's timeline will agree that he has made more than a dent and become truly memorable.

As DeWitt's story of growth, building, and redemption continues, we can clearly confirm that he works and drives hard to carve a deep mark of inspiration in the Subaru community. We can also declare that he has a lot to show for all that work. Rewards through pure grit, infectious attitude, and an iconic chariot which transports him to victory time and time again. Again, as mentioned, DeWitt's 1995 Subaru Impreza L known as Boogeyman has repeatedly mixed its name and reputation with the sweet flavors of success and victory in many a time attack event throughout the sport. Dewey's well-known ride, capable of measuring up to 1000WHP, is equipped with a 2.3L destroked EJ257 engine from IAG performance - a motor featuring an ETS Rotated Turbo Kit with an ETS MaxFlow Header and a G-Series G35-1050 turbocharger from Garrett. The turbo features their premiere aerodynamic technology which delivers an impressive increase of flow and efficiency. According to Garrett specifications, the "6862 turbocharger" (a 68mm compressor and 62mm turbine wheel) can deliver between 700-1050 horsepower for engine displacements ranging from 2.0L – 5.5L. On a good day, with all this technology and mechanics firing seamlessly, DeWitt's base tune will create 667 WHP and 463 ft-lb of torque at 6,800 RPM. Many know that this stunning combination has helped Dewey and Boogeyman break records around the circuit including a memorable first place Street Modified Class run at the 2023 Gridlife Mid-Ohio event - just to name one. “In 2023 we won our first championship thanks to the support I got from IAG Performance and them hiring Dylan Dupee who literally became my "ride or die" on this program", Dewey said with gratitude and pride. “Dylan has put entirely too many hours into this program to not be mentioned so we need to find a way to bring him into this. When we had a major fire at the last race in 2023 (Laguna) we had to totally redo the car.”, he remembers. “That is really Boogeyman 2.0 and it's just now coming together and showing its real potential. He had to clean up YEARS of sins committed by myself and others on the car (temporary fixes for permanent problems) and the car now is more sorted than ever and we can finally start chasing times vs learning the car.”

Honestly, it would be ridiculous to think that when a strong spirit built with such passion, dedication, and determination comes to an impasse in life, it would simply give up when all the predictable boxes have been checked. Eric DeWitt has experienced all those stalled moments, those periods of challenge, and even moments where life has delivered a threatening blow that may cause some to hang up their helmet and turn off the road. A true triple threat - an inspiration for life, community, and performance, Dewey constantly looks forward, holds on to hope, and never takes for granted what effort and passion has delivered so graciously. "Now, the car has advanced further than we ever originally imagined, I have someone who wants to win as much as I do who is involved with the program, and we are trying to win, not only another championship, but set some really ‘benchmark’ records like being the first Street Mod car to run ‘sub 1:30’ at Gingerman.", he proclaims. It is an undisputed fact that DeWitt is dedicated to his community of enthusiasts and his love for the brand. Any new enthusiast would be wise to listen to his words. "At this point, I'm doing this for the community as much as myself, IAG, or anyone else." he confirms "I've been told this platform 'isn't viable in this day and age' and 'new cars are just so much faster' or the 'Subarus are trash' - comments from every angle. Proving them wrong, not only for myself, but for the community that loves these cars, makes this all worth it.", Dewey says with conviction. Punctuating his drive for encouragement, he adds, "So when you get told 'that's stupid' just flip them the bird and get to work. We are inventing and refining new and crazy ways to go fast in these cars every day. You won't find a better community than this. When one of us wins, we all win!" 

Finishing our outline of a life well lived would not be complete without including a few words of encouragement for the community that stands close to the heart of Dewey and Boogeyman and everything they work diligently to accomplish. We asked him what advice he would give an enthusiast interested in pursuing a life in motorsports and what things are most important to consider when preparing to hit such an impactful goal. Of course, his answer was both helpful and honest, but also something you might hear from an older brother, not an accomplished, rewarded driver. Again, his giving personality and experience comes out clearly through his words. “Before you build anything, go to an event,” he advised. “Maybe crew with someone for a weekend. See what actually goes into this. Make sure it's something you really want.”, he kindly warns “The reality is, no matter what platform or what type of racing you want to do, if you want to win, you need to be obsessed. It's going to take over your life. Are you ready for that?” DeWitt transcribes his own experiences - not all without challenge or disappointment - into a mantra of support for those in the community who may be on the outside looking into a world of glamour, excitement, and non-stop success with rose-colored glasses. It is easy to fall in love when you can’t see beyond the beauty. “Everyone should go to the track at least once.”, he continued. “Not to compete, but to drive on a road with no speed limits. It's amazing and totally changes your perspective. Then, don't build a car then figure out what class it fits in. Build to a rulebook. It will save you a ton of money and heartache.” Reflecting on his own success and what the true reward has grown to be, his last words inspire by saying, “We are taking this platform to places nobody ever thought possible and it's exciting for not only us, but the community as a whole. As we learn, everyone learns."

It is the primary goal at Subimods to create a powerful channel between the growing community of inspired enthusiasts and the productive marketplace who provides a plethora of quality solutions which assist in bringing victory to their lives through the performance of their cars. 

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