"Why do YOU have to be at the track Monday morning?" was Joel's response. Well leading up to Drag Week, I've been in the process of refinancing my house. It took longer than I thought, but on the Wednesday before we left I got a phone call from the Mortgage company, and they said "Congratulations, your mortgage is ready for closing next week!" Umm next week? I told them I'll be on vacation next week. "No problem, we can meet you at your hotel." Ahhh, I'm not staying in a hotel, as we will have Joel's camper in the truck. I'm also not sure which hotel I'll be at, or what city, during the week. After all, anything can happen on Drag Week. Plans must be fluid. Thinking to my self, where will we be for sure during Drag Week? I know we will be at Martin US 131 Dragway on Monday morning. Can you meet me there? "Sure" was the response. Shaking my head in disbelief, I think well OK, lets do it. What time? Earlier the better. "How does 7:00am sound?" Perfect. That gives me time to take care of the paperwork, then make it to the drivers/crew meeting. So the entire time we are headed to Michigan, at Stanton, and headed to the start of Drag Week, and not even sure we are going to make it, let alone we are now not staying at the track, I'm very worried I won't make this appointment. Joel assures me that we will at least be there, but I still have my doubts at this time.

Joel managed to get us a hotel room for Saturday night near US 131 Dragway, but by the time we arrived it was after midnight. In 2018 at Drag Week we were right at the track on Sunday's Tech day, and it was no problem getting the car to the front of the line, and wiz through tech. This time would be different, as I knew once we arrived at our hotel, Joel wasn't about to get up early in the morning, and make the trip to the track before sunrise. See Joel can't hardly function without 8 hours of sleep. Even if it's 7 hours, and 59 minutes, he's in a foggy daze for hours, possibly the entire day. Mind you he isn't a crabby person in the morning, that's my part... At least Joel thinks that. (I don't like dilly dallying in the morning, or anytime for that matter).

With a decent nights sleep we get up Sunday morning, and get ready for our trip to the track. I ask Joel what his plans are now that he's had time to think about it. "Well, we (we meaning you) are going to the track, and change out the fuel pump, as I have a spare. We will start the event, and just see where it goes. I never know if this could be my last Drag Week, and I'd be upset with myself if we didn't try." My first thought was we are in for a LONG week, but lets roll with it. The potential for a last Drag Week really hit me. I've enjoyed these events over the years that most can't imagine. Spending them with Joel has been even better. It's rarely crossed my mind that we WOULDN"T be going. But as time has taught us, too many people that we have known from these events, have been taken way too early in life, and never take that for granted. I couldn't help think of Mopar Billy, when I last saw him in 2018, and he was talking about how 2017 might be his last. When I asked him why the change of heart, he told my, he didn't want to pass up the opportunity to make memories with his family, and friends. Little would we know, Billy would be gone shortly after. He is deeply missed, and the reason Joel and I will try and continue his passion, and honor him by writing these stories.

As we roll into the gate of US131, the end of the tech line is already at the front gate. It stretches all the way to the base of the tower 3/4 of a mile away. We park the truck and trailer, and roll the Coupe out. I start removing the Race fuel pump from the car, and Joel locates the replacement. As I pull the pump off, and start switching out the fittings onto the new pump, it becomes obvious there is a problem. The fitting going into the pump had ben screwed in too tight, and was pushing on the inlet screen, which then tore up the pump some. We ran out of pipe thread tape, and I was able to get some from a fellow Mopar racer. He was racing his 1969 Charger R/T that was painted up like the General Lee. Those guys had everything to completely rebuild the car it looked like. Got the new fittings installed in the pump, and the pump back in the car in no time. Just had a couple wires to reconnect, and we were about ready. Joel was wandering around in the trailer trying to sort through things we would need Monday morning. You only get a half hour AFTER the Driver/crew meeting, and then all the stuff you need for the week must be by the race car, and the truck and trailer, in the impound area. It was important that this stuff be ready to go first thing in the morning.

Joel fires the car up, and we drive to the end of the tech line, still out by the front gate, about 1/3 of a mile from the truck and trailer. We do a small meet and greet, as there are a few familiar faces next to us.Two cars up is Jay Grabiak, and his '55 Chevy Gasser, and his two kids. Earlier in the year at Midwest Drags, Jay won the give away car, a beautiful 1966 Nova built by Havlik's HotRods. It was nice talking to him, and seeing what he was doing with the Nova, to make it his. About that time, we noticed a fuel leak in one of the carbs on the Coupe. With all the tools back at the trailer, Jay let us use some of his. We also adjusted fuel pressure as the new pump was higher than the one it replaced. A good sign. As the day went on, we slowly crept forward. I'm pretty sure I walked at least 5 miles before we got to the half way point. I had wandered off a little, when I get a phone call from Joel. "My brake light switch isn't working... Can you go to the trailer, get my electrical bag, and ohm meter?" Sure. More walking... It was determined that the switch had failed, but if Joel monkeyed with the power, and lights, he could fudge his way through tech, and we could find a parts stor on Monday, and fix it. It was closing in on 2:00, and I thought we better get some thing to eat. I asked Joel what he wanted, and he requested a menu. Sorry, not going to happen. They have track food. "Could you bring me back a basket of shrimp, and a Seltzer water?" I just shook my head, did a 180* turn, and made my way to the concession line, which was on the other side of the track, at least 1/4 mile away. The line was quite long , maybe 30 people? By the looks of things, they were running out of food. Once I got to the counter, I just simply asked for 2 hamburgers, and 2 bottles of water, a Gatorade, and a diet 7up for Joel. Close enough to his foo foo water he wanted. I made my way back to Joel, and he had not moved much since I last saw him. I handed him the burger, and said here, just like your Moms option for food while growing up. 'Take it, or leave it'. Joel just laughed, and asked if I put ketchup on it?

As we got closer to the front of the line, I was able to talk with the Gebhart family some. Amazing, they had made it through tech about an hour before us. Dale was there with Little Billy, in the Ruster, and Boon was there with Mopar Billy's daughter Rachel, in Billy's old Valiant. As always it was great talking with them, and catching up. Dale is always smiling, and joking around. Boon, has a memory just like Billy's. He can remember stuff about Drag Weeks past, that it blows me away, he can remember that stuff. Rachel was doing well, and you could tell she was just happy to be there after missing the event since 2017.

As we closed in on our turn at tech, Joel was greeted with a familiar face, Keith Turk. Keith was checking tires for class, with a Go/ No Go gauge. Joel tells him, "those are the same tires I ran at Atlanta, and they were OK." Keith gives him grief by saying "Yeah they were almost illegal then too". (They weren't). We kept inching closer to the front, and it came time for the Drag Week inspection of the car. They check to make sure your insurance card matches the VIN, and stuff like lights, horn blinkers, brake lights... The closer you get to the front of tech, the more people you have standing around, Whether it be participants that have completed tech, or spectators that have just come to the track to see what type of whack jobs are going to drive their race cars 1000+ miles, for one week. This is where Joel really shines, and loves, as it's entertaining to watch people walk by the Coupe, do a double take, and just have a dumbfounded look on their face when they see the 8 Holley 94's on top of the Big old 392 HEMI. Joel loves telling the history of the intake manifold, sign autographs, and just bond with his fans. (OK so that last part is made up). "Sir is this your car?" a guy asks me. "No it's the guy holding court over there." The guy gets Joel's attention, and asks him to get into the Coupe and go through the motions of lights, blinkers, horn, and then brake lights. I'm standing behind the car, and next thing I know, Joel is closing both doors on the Coupe. "Brakes". Tail lights come on. "OK, your good..." Not sure exactly what Joel did, but thankfully we didn't have to go through tech again. LOL.

Up next was the NHRA tech inspection. Joel hands over his credentials, shows the guy his Snowmobile suit, shoes, gloves, Nice new helmet, and a neck collar that I had to track down, since Joel has a NeckGen (HANS) device, and it could not be used because the anchor points were on his old helmet back home. "sir, we have some concerns over your roll cage." WHAT??? Now the roll cage in the Coupe is a piece of art work. Gizmo Race cars in Minnesota did an amazing job on it. Joel did not want any bars from the cage going outside the body of the car. To do so Gizmo talked with NHRA about how to do it, and with NHRA's OK, some bars were added, and Joel had the paperwork with him from NHRA, saying it was legal. That was good enough for the inspector, and with a sigh of relief we were on to the next step, of getting our numbers.

At this time David Frieburger walks up and says hello to Joel, and starts drooling over the Coupe. David and Joel have known each other since the early years of Drag Week, when the event was really small. Back then there was time for Racers and their Trunk Monkey's to hang out with the HOT ROD crew. The two talked a little about Land Speed Racing, and Joel's new adventure.

We then moved out of line, and applied the DRAG WEEK logo on the car. As it was now getting to be late, and only a hour until the sun set, we decided to pack up, and head to the hotel for a good nights sleep. After all I HAD to be back at the track at 7:00am to sign paperwork... I didn't sleep one single minute that night.