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I'm sitting here feeling melancholy about not attending this year's tour I decided to relect some on my top 10 most memorable PT moments. Feel free to add you own! In fact, you'll probably have a hard time thinking of only ten.
(in no particular order)
1. Doing the long haul with my brother in 2010: We shared bunk beds most of our life but in the last 13 years we've been seperated by half the country. Spending a week together without family interruptions doing something we both love is a nice memory.
2. Tour Generocity: The quick things fellow gearheads do for one another without thinking. Bob giving me some gas when I was about to run out at the Proving Grounds last year, some denatured alcohol for my GN when I was at the bowling green dragstrip, free alcohol of other vareties, and folks willing to share rooms with almost complete strangers.
3. Tour Repairs: Doing a midnight carb swap that lasted far into the early morning under the roof of a Holiday Inn express while no one in the Hotel got any sleep due to massive burnouts and live music was played has to be one of the most lasting memories. The owner/manager of the hotel was very gracious nto to call the local authrorites.
4. My first powertour stop: 2001 Effingham, IL. I drove my 1969 Mustang Convertible with my Father-in-law as passenger. The first time anyone sees all of these cars at once and witnessing cars you've only seen in magazines is pretty cool. After doing the tour multiple times I forget the specticle of it all. For instance, at this stop the Illinois State Police closed the highway in front of Mid-America so that a wheelie truck could "demonstrate." How cool is that? I also witnessed a prostreet Chevy pickup blow it's engine on the chassis dyno only to be followed by about 1000 high fives among the crowd.
5. Drag Racing: Posting a better time than 90% of the cars including a twin turbo ls1 Nova and my brother's supercharged Mustang in my lil ole v6 Buick was great. Not that I remember much about it. ;) Also beating a new vette in my first offical drag race in the Chevelle was a nice start. I'll never forget Matt Layman riding shotgun and yelling after I shifted way to early, "he's gaining on us!!!!!" and the look on his face when we won.
6. Meeting new folks: Enough said, their are people I've only met once or twice on tour and I still can call them. I butt dialed someone the other day and it was like old times. I still wonder what happened to folks I've spend a good time with only to never hear from them again.
7. Helping others: I was able to save the entire tour for a guy when I had the only spare turbo buick ignition module within a 3 day reach. (The NAPA guys on tour told him 3 days until they could get him one) Sure it put me behind schedule, but all of us have been on the receving end of that situation. (If not, you haven't driven old junk long enough/or you're the luckiest person I know) Plus, the guy had his wife with him. It's one thing to break down, but to be stranded 5 states from home in a car your wife told you not to buy , and your wife is WITH YOU when it happens. Man, it may be safe to say I saved that guy's life.
8. Serendipity: Took the wrong turn, but found one of the best/most gorgeous stretches of road I've ever seen in the middle of nowhere. It was a lucid daydream manifested by God. I'm convinced. I can't tell you where it was in Illinois because I was lost.
9. Goofy things: Driving while distracted is dangerous, but so is driving the speed limit down a 4 lane highway with long stretches of nothing! To break up the monotony requires your fellow powertour to drive along side you with his feet sticking out of the window. If you're not Rex Ryan and feet aren't your thing perhaps some other kind of powertour hijinx. Being flashed in Lincoln, NE by some girls in a Mustang tops the list, but the girl mooning in the backseat had a hairy butt.
10. Traffic Jams. Just kidding! The best part is it's not over.. there is always another next year.
(in no particular order)
1. Doing the long haul with my brother in 2010: We shared bunk beds most of our life but in the last 13 years we've been seperated by half the country. Spending a week together without family interruptions doing something we both love is a nice memory.
2. Tour Generocity: The quick things fellow gearheads do for one another without thinking. Bob giving me some gas when I was about to run out at the Proving Grounds last year, some denatured alcohol for my GN when I was at the bowling green dragstrip, free alcohol of other vareties, and folks willing to share rooms with almost complete strangers.
3. Tour Repairs: Doing a midnight carb swap that lasted far into the early morning under the roof of a Holiday Inn express while no one in the Hotel got any sleep due to massive burnouts and live music was played has to be one of the most lasting memories. The owner/manager of the hotel was very gracious nto to call the local authrorites.
4. My first powertour stop: 2001 Effingham, IL. I drove my 1969 Mustang Convertible with my Father-in-law as passenger. The first time anyone sees all of these cars at once and witnessing cars you've only seen in magazines is pretty cool. After doing the tour multiple times I forget the specticle of it all. For instance, at this stop the Illinois State Police closed the highway in front of Mid-America so that a wheelie truck could "demonstrate." How cool is that? I also witnessed a prostreet Chevy pickup blow it's engine on the chassis dyno only to be followed by about 1000 high fives among the crowd.
5. Drag Racing: Posting a better time than 90% of the cars including a twin turbo ls1 Nova and my brother's supercharged Mustang in my lil ole v6 Buick was great. Not that I remember much about it. ;) Also beating a new vette in my first offical drag race in the Chevelle was a nice start. I'll never forget Matt Layman riding shotgun and yelling after I shifted way to early, "he's gaining on us!!!!!" and the look on his face when we won.
6. Meeting new folks: Enough said, their are people I've only met once or twice on tour and I still can call them. I butt dialed someone the other day and it was like old times. I still wonder what happened to folks I've spend a good time with only to never hear from them again.
7. Helping others: I was able to save the entire tour for a guy when I had the only spare turbo buick ignition module within a 3 day reach. (The NAPA guys on tour told him 3 days until they could get him one) Sure it put me behind schedule, but all of us have been on the receving end of that situation. (If not, you haven't driven old junk long enough/or you're the luckiest person I know) Plus, the guy had his wife with him. It's one thing to break down, but to be stranded 5 states from home in a car your wife told you not to buy , and your wife is WITH YOU when it happens. Man, it may be safe to say I saved that guy's life.
8. Serendipity: Took the wrong turn, but found one of the best/most gorgeous stretches of road I've ever seen in the middle of nowhere. It was a lucid daydream manifested by God. I'm convinced. I can't tell you where it was in Illinois because I was lost.
9. Goofy things: Driving while distracted is dangerous, but so is driving the speed limit down a 4 lane highway with long stretches of nothing! To break up the monotony requires your fellow powertour to drive along side you with his feet sticking out of the window. If you're not Rex Ryan and feet aren't your thing perhaps some other kind of powertour hijinx. Being flashed in Lincoln, NE by some girls in a Mustang tops the list, but the girl mooning in the backseat had a hairy butt.
10. Traffic Jams. Just kidding! The best part is it's not over.. there is always another next year.
I just love my 
, 2013 LH, 2014 LH
. And arguing with Darrell about the best bourbon.
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