Once he found someone with whom
he could rallye, marriage would be easy by comparison.
Bill, that's one reason Great Race has a separate (money) prize for best
husband/wife team. Not everyone can do it! I'm fortunate Janet is really good
at this, and she likes it. Few TR club people are excited about TSD rallying
anymore, but we're hoping to change that. How may wives/girlfriends go to a
TR club deal, only to stand on the sidelines while the menfolk bench race?
Here she is an equal partner, and can relate to the other teams directly. We
do have our moments, especially if I don't do EXACTLY what she tells me! On
any given year there are only 4 or 5 husband/wife teams, and we narrowly
missed it last year.
Most teams are made up of folks from different parts of the country, not
friends that see each other every day. I also understand brothers make pretty
good teams, as they know they have to make up at some point. The Fredette
brothers in their '34 Ford pickup almost beat us last year, overcoming their
Parkinson's.
Corky Coker (of Coker Tire) runs with his son Brandon (who is probably 13
this year). Brandon thinks the TR is the coolest car in the race! There are a
few father/sor or daughter teams running. At least one sibling is competing
against dad!
One team last year got so flustered with each other they just went home, not
telling anyone. They disappeared! Another two guys yelled at each other at
night in the hotel so loudly we thought murder was imminent. They were doing
badly, and the navigator finally abandoned the driver. One of the high school
X-cup girls jumped in and suddenly his scores were much better! They finished
up doing just fine. Perhaps total strangers take more care with each other...
One guy from a Packard club searched high and low for a navigator; that club
is getting so grey, health was a factor.
One of the most interesting teams are the two guys racing the WW2 Jeep. They
were army buddies in WW2, both captured in the Battle of the Bulge, lost
track of each other for 35 years, then hooked up at a battalion reunion. They
ran last year but broke down late in the race when the drain plug fell out of
the transfer case. They are back this year: I hope I can have that much fun
in my 70's!
Lots of great stories in GR. If you can make it, be sure to allow plenty of
time to meet the racers.
Steve & Janet Hedke
1957 TR3 "Team Scrappy"
Great Race #45
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