Thirty years...

[Krooser]

Saturday marks the 30th anniversary of my last race with my modified during the final night of the IMCA "Florida Series" @ Lake City Speedway.

We arrived late, caught the tail end starting spot in the final heat. Managed to transfer to the consi, then the semi and had my best finish of the series with a top five finish in the main running against the best drivers in the series (with the biggest motors... no claim rule that week). All this on a dry slick, rutted up (oiled sand IIRC) track that had zero prep after an All-Star Series sprint car/late model show the previous night.

The back story... After blowing an engine at New Smyrna's fast 1/2 mile asphalt track during the week we got an offer to be able to work on the car at Rusty's Engine shop in Ocala. My only crew guy, Terry , and I worked thru the night on Friday with only one interruption... The Cops!

Seems a patrol car saw us working on the car in the fenced in back lot with only a couple shop lights on and the cop thought we were stealing stuff. We got a rude awakening when about ten police cars showed up with lights a blazing and the local SWAT team climbing the 12' fence with ladders. We hit ground on command, were cuffed and interrogated until a call to Rusty got us out of hot water.

Sunday I had only one ticket for the 500 so Terry took in the race and I stayed at our Atlantic Ave. motel watching it on TV.

We got home on Wednesday night managing to break a u-joint on my Dodge van hauler just a few miles from home. We were so broke we didn't have a quarter to call a wrecker so I dialed zero (no 911 in those days) and the operator connected me with the Milwaukee PD. Dispatch sent a squad out to our location and that officer called for a tow truck.

What a fun 14 days!

[over4T]

Ah, the memories we, at the time, don't realize we're making. Good story Krooser.

[dmr37]

it's great that you can look back now and smile about this