DodgeDe@cs.com wrote:
> I too would rather park on the fun field than hunt for parking; besides
> having a cooler and a place to take a break close by is pretty cool too. Besides it
> forces me to do a good detail on the Dak 8-). I'd have taken the Durango to
> the fun field if the truck was down.
> I'm going to South Mountain (not called that anymore) but just to watch. I
> hope the new owners didn't ruin the old school charm of the place.
I don't know too much about it, but the new name they gave it was
actually its original name when it was formed by a car club back
sometime in the 50s or so, so maybe they are actually going to go
nostalgia with the whole thing? (I think its called the Quarter Aces
drag strip, which I initially thought was really stupid since its an
1/8th mile strip, but some guys on the MML explained that the Quarter
Aces car club created the strip, hence the name.)
I'll probably only be heading over if I decide to race. I've been
there many times as a spectator, and each time I drive up and have to
hemorrhage cash to get through the gate, I vow to stop going back
there. :-) My local track charges half what they do to RACE, let
alone spectate. I can never seem to find a good spot there either;
its usually so full that I end up on the hill near the traps and I
can't see the starting line. Anyway, that's enough complaining about
South Mountain for me. :-) It is really cool to see all the old
Mopar iron in its element, hammering down the track, which is probably
why I have kept giving it a second chance. :-)
> I love being
> able to get so close to the tree and watching the old mopars launch. I'm kind
> of funny about being away from home and going racing without a trailer. I
> drive to the local strip but I can always get a ride home to get the Durango and
> the trailer. 8-)
I know exactly what you mean. Its about 300 miles for me, so three
times as far as AAA will take me. ;-) A couple of years ago, when I
got a hankering to get back to the track, I made a throttle stop for
my Cherokee, which bolts onto the throttle body and stops the linkage
at whatever point I adjust it to. Its pretty crude but it does the
trick. That way, a day at the track is no harder on the vehicle than
just normally driving off from a traffic light on the street. Its a
tad embarrasing since it means I'm really slow :-) but its just
bracket racing anyway, and if it lets me race without worrying about
the drivetrain, then that's the price I have to pay. I just need to
try for consistency, manage the weather and stay awake at the tree.
If I have a problem at South Mountain, that's what it will be - the
tree. Except for a trip or two out to the track a couple of years
ago, I haven't been to the strip in probably 8 years or so. The guys
who show up at South Mountain are some of the best racers in the area,
they have their vehicles dialed in and *will* cut fantastic lights.
So, its probably an exercise in futility on my part, but maybe I'll
head over anyway and see what happens. So, if you see a purple
Cherokee with the holeshot performance of an oil tanker, that will be
me. (Especially if it gets eliminated in the first round.) ;-)
> I think mine is the only Tor Red (orange) one I've seen so far. Not many
> folks nuts enough to take one apart and paint it an old mopar color. What can I
> say I wanted it to match the Charger.
Its distinctive for sure! I'm going to need to repaint my Dak one
of these days, the roof is all burned from UV exposure or something;
what used to be black is grey. :-( The thought of making it Sublime
or Plumb Crazy has crossed my mind. :-)
> I hope to run into you. Sounds like mine might stand out a bit more but I'll
> keep and eye out.
I dunno, I think I might actually stand out more due to the
ordinaryness of the Jeep in a sea of custom vehicles. :-) (As in,
"huh? what the heck is that thing doing in here?) If I get a chance,
I'll stop at a coin-op car wash on the way down, but I'm not making
any promises. ;-)
> have a safe trip
Thanks, you too! (And to anyone else who is planning to make the
trek.)
--
-Jon-
.- Jon Steiger -- jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@jonsteiger.com -.
| '96 Kolb Firefly, '96 Suzuki Intruder, Miscellaneous Mopars |
`-------------------------------- http://www.jonsteiger.com --'
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