Let me start the long list of appologies for not having posted to the list
sooner. I arrived home last wednesday night and have enjoyed all your
postings. The Road America event was the culmination of more than a years
work on the car since I ran the stop sign and drilled a Honda last June.
Thanks to those of you who hosted my entourage along the way and now Joe
Alexander and Uncle jack have joined Susan Kahler as people who I have
schlepped my way across the country on their backs. To add to the
excitement for Joe, we scheduled enough time lost in Iowa to arrive just
before 12:30 in the morning. Joe opened shop and had sold 3 copies of
Kastner's book before 1:30 am. I then proceeded to dig out the street in
front of Joe's house with the motorhome, throw a couple of youngen's on the
living room floor and had Joe tuck me into his guest bed. Next morning, I
pop out of bed and Jan, joe's wife has the donuts and coffee, waiting. I
recommend this experience to everyone on the list.
On to Road America and the long list of excuses. What a great track,
about the time I got used to going that fast it was time to go home. I use
this excuse a lot. Screaming into those corners at all out speeds and
getiing passed by three or four Triumphs at a time was a great experience
and beautiful to see. I blame my $400 MG motor for this although this is
the best $400 motor I have everr purchased as it lasted the entire weekend
and performed well except for a blown head gasket which was for the wrong
engine anyway so its replacement only made things better.
The Elva activities were cool and I managed to make both the concours
and the big photo shoot on the lawn which was the main reason I went. I
finished in the Elva race ahead of all the open wheeled Elvas (but behind
all the closed wheeled ones, see $400 engine story)
Joe built campfires at night and the kids incinerated marshmellows both
friday and saturday nights. Joe's son hand crafted a new rear transmission
mount for the TR4 from a chunk of a 2 X 4 in the fire light (pound for
pound, stronger than steel). My wife pryed me away to go down to Siebken's
one night for a beer. All my buddies in New Mexico didn't even know about
the bar where I invested a the summer of 1985 trying to score. I can only
tell them if they haven't disgorged their stomachs onto the lawn somewhere
on the Siebken's grounds, they're not real racers.
After the races on Sunday it was off to our next victim's place, Uncle
Jack. Jack did a good job of keeping us on course although we did throw him
a couple of curves by our own interpretation of route instructions. On the
way we jetsioned our Motorhome's canopy onto some Illinois orange barrels.
What a noise that made. Once at Jack's place we were quick to photo and
quiz him on the flow bench he has set up in the garage. Serious business.
>From there it was on to deploying sleeping bags throughout the property and
testing the capacity of Jack's showers and septic system.
It was truly a pleasure to meet other members of the list such as
Scott, Ernie, Irv, and Tony. I am envious of you who live in close
proximity of the track and these great folks. Thanks again and the guest
bed at Cedar Crest, New Mexico is always open to the FOT..................
.......Cheers Henry Morrison (engine and parts made it to New Mexico intact)
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