Rachael and I had only driven a few miles, and she was already staring at the google map intently.
"You're going to take a left at this next street", she declared.
"No..no I'm not", I shook my head and continued straight on IL-47S.
"You missed our turn... now it's recalculating", she pointed at the phone.
I pulled over on the shoulder, and breathed in, then released a deep sigh. "Where is your route sheet?"
I waited while she rifled around with a small flash light on her side of the car until she found it. Dale had only been about a 1/2 mile ahead of us in the Gremlin, and I watched helplessly as he disappeared over the next hill.
"What does it say after the first checkpoint", I questioned her as she placed the sheet on her lap and held the light over it.
"Huh...it says we stay on IL-47S for at least twenty-six more miles."
"Same thing you did to Michelle on day one, you have to reset the google map after we pass a checkpoint or it will try to re-route us back again!"
"Yeah", she shook her head, "you're right...sorry."
"Can we get back to the journey ahead of us now...please?"
"Carry on, my Captain!" She motioned with a sweeping gesture towards the open road, "jerk...it was still a weak burnout!"

We drove about ten more miles, and she pointed out that the Dart and the Ruster had been pulled into a station we just passed on the right.
"Didn't see the Gremlin, so he must still be in front of us. Little early for gas, we're only about sixty miles into this tank!"
We covered another eight miles, and saw a line of about six Drag Week cars pulled over onto the shoulder. The road was pretty dark in that area, so even though I slowed to about thirty, I only really made out the first two cars.
"We aren't going to stop?"
"Naw", I shook my head, "I saw a few thumbs up, and with that many guys already there, if they can't fix it, we probably wouldn't be able to either!"
"Who was it?"
"Jason Tabscott in the Camaro with the hood up", I explained to Rachael, "and then Randy Flanklin's 64 Skylark behind him, but I didn't make out anybody else."

"We're going to make a right on Plank Road up here in a few miles", Rachael informed me.
"How far into the route does that put us?"
"Eighty miles", she confirmed.
"Ok, I'm going to pull into this BP up ahead and fuel up", I explained.
"We can go a hundred and ten on a tank, usually, sometimes more", Rachael smiled at me, "so now who is stopping early?"
"I know, but it seems like nothing has gone well since we ate...i just need to get out of the car, stretch my legs, and hit the reset button."
"You hafta poop!"
"Dear Lord!" I shook my head, "I can't take you anywhere!"
She was still laughing uncontrollably when we pulled up to the pump.


#29 Ronald Maguire Black 69 Dodge Dart
Day 1: 12.70-107.4
Day 2: 12.25-110.1
Day 3: 12.66-98.1
Day 4: 12.18-112.7
Day 5: 12.31-110.3
Final Average: 12.426-107.76

Ron was fellow Canadian Ross' trunk monkey for a few years, and that usually sets the hook pretty deep. I don't have all the stats on how many co-pilots end up participating with their own cars, but the numbers are pretty high. The 340 powered A-body represented well despite a rough start and an early lift on Wednesday which easily took a couple tenths off the final average.