Ok, I promise this will be the last time I post links to all the previous renditions of this tale...it's just that brother Boone tells me each time I do, the stats show people are still bothering to go back for a look. Maybe they are new readers, maybe it's just a long, boring winter for our northern friends.
I still have a few installments to make on the build(up) thread, but I was getting bored and wanted to at least get started on this one.
Hot Rod Drag Week 2015 really started when we headed out of Dale's back yard, with Rachael, Skippy, and I loaded up in the front seat of the trusty 1 ton, followed closely by John Hindley and his wife Opal in their Dodge dually.
My buddy Mike gave us directions to cut through Claremore, and catch the Will Rogers Turnpike (Interstate 44) there. This would be another of those times I would regret taking a shortcut that people normally use with their daily drivers, not respecting the fact that I'm driving a bumper pull trailer, 32ft long, with nearly 19K GVW! We found ourselves bumping along right through Claremore's small downtown area on Main Street. The stop lights were so close together that my rig, combined with John's would fill the entire space!
We drove by a Quick Trip just as we entered the on-ramp for the Turnpike, and noticed the Ogle Family at the pumps, making their trek up from Texas. Charley was pulling his gold 72 Challenger, Jason was pulling his yellow 73 Cuda, and their parents were hauling the two Drag week trailers on a utility trailer! They would pass us about forty miles later with horns beeping and big waves...yep Drag Week 2015 was officially ON!!
Our first stop for fuel was Joplin Missouri. Where I grew up in Northeastern Oklahoma, Joplin was our closest "big city",(even though it isn't) and we went there often to shop or for entertainment. This was my first visit back since the 2011 Tornado, and it was awesome to see the new, beautiful, St. Johns Mercy Hospital that has rose from the ashes of the one that was destroyed.
As we drew closer to Springfield, I began to worry if we would make it to Lambert's before they closed at 9pm, so I had Skippy counting down the miles as we approached while I was watching the time. "I found a shortcut that will knock off sixteen miles", he announced proudly. For the second time that day, I found myself regretting the mention of a shortcut, as I quickly found myself on small, rough, poorly lit two lanes. We made it to the restaurant at 7:40, and were seated at about 8:20. The place has always been quite a spirited experience, but our late arrival muted that somewhat, as the jovial and rowdy staff were clearly on their last legs of the evening! The walls are covered with old license plates, hubcaps, and tin signs of eras gone by, and John and I noticed the one at our table immediately, and took it as a good omen for the week to come!
"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks"
4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
