Because I have been 50% deaf since childhood, the melodic sounds of a finely
tuned exhaust note were not only heard, but felt by this young girl. Many of
my tactile encounters are partnered with sound. Quite different than the way
most people "hear," my "listening" is a more involved process of sensing,
interpreting and analyzing. It has driven people crazy over the years trying
to figure out how I understand so much about ICE's, rockets, jets and other
propulsion energy devices.
If my life depended on it, I could not translate my level of spatial
comprehension to the satisfaction of an empirically trained engineer, but I
can talk their language with relative ease. Always have, always will, no
book learning required. I understand people like Preston Tucker, Red Adair,
Amelia Airheart, Madame Curie, et al. It is my opinion that these folks
immersed themselves in the process and the process revealed itself to them.
At age 7, when I first recollect becoming aware of engines, that
"ruppety-rup-rupp-pup pup" that leaked out from the warped wooden boards of
the garage across the street, it was as if the Pied Piper had taken up his
flute, as if the moth detected the blazing bright bulb and I have been
following the tune ever since.
Crazy as hell, but it is a journey loaded with tales of many splendid
trips -- fast trips usually, but even the ones that crawl along have given
me cause to pause throughout my life.
Best of all, the sounds that have given me the greatest joy have always been
brought to life by the most amazing people I have had the good fortune to
know. When I stand in the pre-dawn quiet, all alone in the middle of the
salt flats, I smile to myself thanking God for his gifts to me as the sun
spills out over the Newfoundland mountain range and ignites the crystalline
surface with colors galore.
It is a great time to be alive.
LandSpeed Louise
-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Turk <kturk@ala.net>
To: dahlgren <dahlgren@uconect.net>; DOUG ODOM <popms@thegrid.net>
Cc: Land-speed@autox.team.net <Land-speed@autox.team.net>
Date: Thursday, January 27, 2000 3:57 AM
Subject: Re: Youngsters
My High school shop teacher was a guy Named Gary Densham..... I think he
races funny cars now.....
Not that I don't remember polishing aluminum on his car in auto shop and
going to the next class with the smells of Nitro.... and yes that was an
impetus to racing for a young kid.
This thread is exactly what I was trying to start with my constant harassing
folks to do the Intro's... wanted to hear how we all got into cars in the
first place.... for some reason I enjoy hearing the tales.... Keith
----- Original Message -----
From: dahlgren <dahlgren@uconect.net>
To: DOUG ODOM <popms@thegrid.net>
Cc: <Land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2000 5:23 AM
Subject: Re: Youngsters
> Real nice thought even if they never race a car in their life..Kinda
> what is all about in the big picture..I remember working on Nascar
> Modifieds as a very young boy and will never forget the 'chances' to get
> a ride while they pulled it up on the trailer.. My neighbor had one that
> Carl 'Buggsy' Stevens drove before he was famous. An injected SBC, at 12
> I could do the air density stuff and come up with the right pill size
> while my buddies were struggling with their 'hill buggies' LOL.. Those
> sounds and smells are what got me in the racing business for life. All
> started at the tender age of 8. Later in high school as a senior we had
> a substitute auto shop teacher that claimed to drive a TF car. He had
> pics and brought in the fire suit and we talked a lot about racing and
> safety but all thought he was BS'ing us all. He finally brought it in
> and fired it and did a short couple of burnouts in the parking lot. I
> got the honor of priming the blower with alky to fire it while two
> buddies wrestled with the starter.. A real hoot if there ever was one. I
> thought we were going to break every window in the building.. Oh well
> sorry to ramble but this thread reminded me of some nice days gone by
> now..
>
> Dave Dahlgren
>
> DOUG ODOM wrote:
> >
> > Dick, Your message about your crew member in school made me think. I
> > take our car down to the local high school auto shop once a year. The
> > shop teacher makes arrangements with the other shops and even the math
> > teachers to have a small assembly. The kids ask a lot of questions and
> > are interested. We try and explain how much math and calculations it
> > takes to run fast or for a record. The fact that an attractive woman on
> > the team drives the car with the E motor in it and is in the 200mph club
> > brings extra interest from the girls. At lunch time the word has spread
> > and a lot of non shop kids come down and take a look also. I think if we
> > can get some of the younger people interested more people will enjoy the
> > sport.
> > The shop teacher will have one or two kids that are the top of
his
> > class and I'll let them come over to the shop on a weekend and help with
> > some little thing on the car. I'm no teacher, but if you show some kid
> > how to make a fender brace with the shrinker - stretcher and you put the
> > part on the car that he made, you will see their eyes light up.
> > Just a thought, Doug
>
|