The test and tune cars had went silent, and the sun had disappeared from view before the boys presented the Ruster Duster and the Gremlin under the lights of the pavilion for registration and tech. They managed a few halfhearted high fives among themselves when both cars cleared the gauntlet, but in all honesty, it was a joyless and suspenseless procession as all parties involved were simply too worn out to care at that point. The National Trail staff, the Hot Rod staff, the Drag Week staff, and certainly the 347 contestants and crews who would embark on this quest the following morning, were just ready to put what had turned into the longest day in Drag Week history, behind them.

Rachael and I had re-organized our junk for a third time. Our plan was to leave the 1-ton, two car trailer, and Valiant where they currently sat, and to take the Belvedere to the motel. Dale was going to take his dually, and Darren would take his truck, everything else would remain at the track.

Once again, I had prepaid for all the motels, but I had waited quite late in the process to do so. I was amazed to find a Days Inn with fairly inexpensive rooms within ten miles of the track still available, so we headed back towards Columbus' east side. Although the motel was just off the highway, it only took a block for a truck driver to realize this wasn't the best neighborhood in town. The confirmation was the fact that there wasn't another drag week car or rig in the entire parking lot.
We parked to the side, grabbed our stuff and headed towards the main lobby. A side entrance had a green canopy over it with the words "East Side Sports Bar" over it, and judging by the clientele taking a smoke break, and milling about outside the door, they were moving some drinks on a Sunday night!
"Way to go, Dave!" Darren chuckled under his breath.
His new girlfriend Sherri and Dale's son Billy were looking around with expressions of horror, but the rest of the crew took it all in stride.
The clerk gave us our room cards, and we made our way down the hall past the the rowdy bar crowd, and into our rooms. Things didn't feel right as soon as we entered, then Dale discovered towels thrown on the floor in the bathroom. Darren knocked on our door, and reported that their room door was ajar and the bed clothes were thrown in the floor, so we made our way back to the clerk with all our stuff, past the bar once again.
"I'm so sorry", the clerk explained with no surprise or emotion in his voice, "those rooms were marked as cleaned."
The two rooms this time were thankfully down an opposite hall from the bar, and were more than adequate for eight weary travelers. I showered second, and was unconscious before the next person turned on the water.