Boone, Dad, Darren, and I had visited US131 Motorsports Park on our initial Hot Rod Drag Week way back in 2006, but it was even less memorable than our stop at Norwalk the day before. We drove all night to get there, slept four hours at our motel, rolled in late, pitted in the lanes, made one pass, then loaded up and left. I doubt if we stuck around for more than 90 minutes that day.
So I had been looking forward to the visit, and was thoroughly enjoying our time at the facility. From the time we turned in our slips, until the time we rolled out of the gate to head for Indy, we spent an additional three and half hours on the grounds; and strangely, unlike the previous two days, I didn't really mind.
Boone was hanging the front bumper on the Duster, which sounds crazy to attempt mid-week, but the rules in Super Street require one, and if enough guys fell out to put him in contention, he wanted to be legal. I walked over to chat with him as he worked.
"Well, is the facility as nice as you remembered it from the last time?"
"That's funny", Boone laughed, "other than the trees behind the staging lanes...and the gate in, I don't remember our last visit".
"Me neither, really", I shrugged, "But we couldn't have asked for a better day than today, the weather was perfect!"
"We are doing better than our friends who put the piston and rod in the ladder rack truck, and hung out all afternoon at Columbus are right now!" Boone jerked his thumb to the pit spot behind us, and I looked over the fender of the Duster. The 04 Silverado wasn't getting any attention, but they had the 98 Trans Am up on jack stands and two guys were under it.
"What are they doing to it? Looks serious!"
"Rolling in a set of main bearings", Boone shook his head.
"Those two are hard core! Would we do that much to stay in?"
"Maybe, when we were their age", Boone laughed again, and shook his head, "But we're too darn old to attempt that kind of stuff anymore!"