What a good time that was! Good cars and better friends. Some highlights................
Dean's "new" Yukon 1967 Convertible. Wow is all I can say. That is the best preserved convertible I've seen in a very long time. Original top and headliner, not to mention the rest. It's a must see.
Every time I see Art Gutierrez' car it's a treat, and with the new engine, can't wait to see it run. Maybe Sacto......
Standing in the staging lanes next to a rusty barndoor with a big engine. The driver starts it up and it sounds like it's got straight cuts but with sandpaper in between.......... He gets out, opens the hatch, SMACKS the fan shroud twice and it shut up. I couldn't stop laughing as he pulled ahead and made a pass!
The kindness of the DEEKS, allowing us to park with them and having many offers of food and help (special thanks to Todd Fuller for detail work!). The same offer was on the table from DKP as well, we just ended up closer to the lanes. Both great clubs.
Chatting with the Volks Chancellors. Lot of history there........and great people.
Finally, seeing Russ Welch back on a track and driving the Split. He hasn't driven it much since completion, due to Chemo and a lot of other factors, so it was a treat. Larry Rick and I drove the cars to the staging lanes and called Russ (who was selling in the swap meet area) to come over. The plan was for him to make one pass and call it a day. It was really nice to meet Mark Trembly, who was doing tech and passed the split. Ron Fleming was kind enough to let the guys in the staging lanes know to let us line up against each other, so we got up front and "turned the corner" at the 'dale. I got the left lane and drove around the water box to stage. Russ, not having driven on a dragstrip in say, 35 years and having a TON of people staring at him, drove right through the water. I looked over at him and smiled, and saw that he was waiting for me to stage first. No problem. We staged and the tree lit. Knowing I was handicapped with about 1/2 the power of Russ' Split (172 HP 2165 vs. Pepco/built1600SP HP unknown) I got a huge hole shot (.129RT) and launched. It turns out Russ' RT was .510 and then he spun through first gear as the tires were cold and wet from the box. It looked good for my lane until he hooked! At about 1/2 track or so he went past and all was good. As fate would have it, he ran a 9.675.
After the run, we came back down the return lane with Russ in front, but instead of going back to our parking area, he headed back to the staging lanes! Right on! We laughed about the process and Russ said he would go around the box the next time....... Lots of pats on the back from old friends while we waited it out for another go. Sure enough, back at the lights.
Spilt on the left. Right as I'm going around the water box I see him pull right into it again. Oh no, I thought, but then he did a bitchin' burnout and looked over laughing and smiling. Game on. I staged first, knowing that he wouldn't........ The tree fell and I left well (.029RT) but again, by 1/2 track, he was gone. 9.189 for the Split. There's a lot left in that car too.
Funny thing was, my wife and kids and extended family were there as well, cheering us on, and as I was making the pass, I could see my kids jumping up and down at the fence and I waved at them! That got the DKP laughing!
Anyway, enough rambling, but it was a special one for me, and I know for Russ as well.
Hope this link works. This was the first pass. Thanks to Ron Johnson for sending it to me.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bw2racNXkwqjbF8xMV9OUnM0Qk0/edit?pli=1If you turn it up and listen closely, you can hear the blower whine on the ragtop!
The Cal-look Lounge
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