Sal Donato
Owner & Mechanic
Philadelphia Motorsports
Philadelphia, PA US
“They said it can't be done. I mean, don't tell me that. Because to prove someone wrong-that it can be done-that drives me.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationSal Donato
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
Grew up in the Poconos, where he was exposed to racing early on in life, via the nearby Pocono Raceway.
He'd always liked working with his hands and making things; he was helping his dad build cabinets at five years old.
He went to school to study electronics, but he quickly realized that while he loved electronics, he didn't love school; he wanted hands-on work.
Volunteered as a mechanic and found the hands-on environment he was looking for, as well as mentorship from older mechanics around him.
Built up a solid reputation as being a good mechanic; one day, a friend needed help building an engine and no shop would help him.
Fueled by the belief that he was building engines that couldn't be built, Sal threw himself into shrinking and rebuilding custom-fitted pieces.
Soon his pieces were in high demand, and he knew it was time for him to take the leap and start his own business.
Loves his job so much that he says if he won the lottery tomorrow, he'd still show up at the garage on Monday, ready to tinker.
Career
Owner & Mechanic
I love working on cars and build custom race cars and modifications.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Sports
Building Things
Interviewed By
Connecting the Dots
In Washington D.C., the road-trippers interview human rights attorney Brittan Heller who speaks about "connecting the dots" of one's inklings instead of forcing life into a direction. Later, in Philadelphia, the team speaks to race car mechanic Sal Donato before interviewing Christine Borelli and Stacey Cruise, two educators who worked to revitalize a crime-ridden school.
