I've gotten to know Benji through his web site and he is another great example of the type of people you meet driving a Suzuki! I'm really looking forward to wheeling with him this summer at ZookiMelt, I just hope I can keep up!

1. Tell us your full name?
 Benji Arlsani

2. Where and when were you born?
 Chicago- August 12th, 1970 -

3. Do you have any brother's or sister's?
 2 Brothers - 1 sister

4. Where do you live now?
 Fort Worth, TX.

5. Where do you work?
 Next Day Gourmet

6. What do you do there?
 National Healthcare Manager, my company sells restaurant equipment. I deal with Hospitals.

7. Do you have a Nickname that you like to go by?
 TX_Zuki

8. How did you get this Nickname?
 A group of wheeling friends up in Chicago just started calling me TX, then when I went to a Samurai they added the Zuki.

9. How many years have you been into the sport of off roading ?
 10 years.

10. Who, or what first got you interested in the sport?
 I always loved the way 4x4's drove.

11. Are you involved in any off-road club's? If so, what is the name of your club?
 Not really a club, but I wheel with folks from www.zukikrawlers.com & www.texas4x4.org

12. What kinds of 4x4's do you own?
 I own a 87 Suzuki Samurai Tin Top chopped up, I have also owned a 78 Ford Bronco.

13. Tell us about your Suzuki?
 87 Zuki, I use to restore & wheel Big Broncos, I was out wheeling with a group, one guy shows up in a little samurai, I laughed to myself thinking what's this guy going to do? By the time we went on our second trail I knew I wanted a Samurai. My current Samurai is my second one, I had to sell my first one to start my own business.

14. How long have you had it?
 This one for 2 years

15. Does it have a Nickname?
 Not yet.

16. How often do you get to wheel?
 2-3 times a month

17. What modifications have you made to your rig?
 6.5 Tcase- D44 Front with chromoly axle shafts & CTM's. 14 Bolt rear- both locked with 5.13's. Trailready Beadlocks with 39.5" IROKS. FullExo/Inter cage 2 link front-3 link rear with 17" Big Horn Air shocks. Soon to have a tracker motor & 8:1 gears!

18. Bolt on Mods, or make it yourself?
 All custom made.

19. What's your level of mechanical skills?
 What's a wrench? Shade Tree, I'd go pro but NASCAR hasn't called yet!

20. How challenging are the trails you like to run?
 The harder the better, the bigger the rock the better :-)

21. What's the scariest moment you've ever had off-roading?
 Watching a fullsize blazer flip backwards with 5 people in it, no cage!

22. What was the funniest?
 I was driving along night wheeling, I heard something in the front of my Zuk, I go check it out to figure out my wheel & tire were gone. The funny part was my buddies laughing at my expression, I didn't realize it had falling off because it was under my Zuk holding it up.

23. What have you learned from the sport that you can apply to your everyday life?
 Have fun!

24. What other outdoor activities do you enjoy?
 Camping, fishing, and working in the yard.

25. If you could sit down and talk to anyone, past or present, who would it be and why?
 My mother, great women and a great heart. I can't say why, but I have some questions for her.

26. Books on tape, or sit down and read?
 Sit down & read.

27. DVD at home or Theater?
 DVD.

28. What is on your MP3, or in your CD player right now?
 The Killers - Lifehouse - Cold Play

29. Radio, CD's or "Trail Music" when your wheeling?
 CB most of the time, we like to harass one another.

30. When you're not off-roading, or working, how do you like to spend your time?
 I was big into Martial Arts, finished Tae Kwon Do, Karate and Aikido.

31. If I gave you a free ticket to visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
 Albania to visit my fathers family.

32. What did you want to be most as a kid?
 A cop

33. If you could learn to speak any language that you do not already know, what would it be?
 I know a little bit of Albanian, I would want to know more.

34. What is your best time of the day, morning, noon, or night?
 Morning.

35. What's your most embarrassing moment (so far)?
 When I started working as a food salesmen when I was 21 years old I pissed on the side of my pants, lol I was using a customers restroom, I broke the sink to make it look like that's what happen. As soon as I walked out of the restroom, the customers son yelled out, did you piss on yourself? I wanted to kill that kid.

36. Have you ever met anyone famous, and if so, who?
 Bill Murray & Walter Payton, I met them both in Chicago, Bill was sitting next to us at a Cubs game & met Walter at a bowling alley.

37. If you could give any piece of advice to a future off-roader, what would it be?
 Always lock it up, don't run open diffs.  :-)

Thank you Benji, and you are now off the Hot Seat