[DeTomaso] THE BEAST IS BACK!

[Dan Courtney Pacbell]

Quick note from a rest stop somewhere alontg the I-5.
Got the Nascar SBC back in last week fired it and set the timing on the trailer.
Needed an oppurtunity to test and tune, Willow Springs had bikes but Buttonwillow (which I've never run) had a instructor session for first time drivers. PERFECT!
After driving all night, getting 1 1/2 hrs sleep at the Motel 6 I basically spent the day changing tires back and forth (rain), adjusting the linkiages and clutch.Too late to get enough laps for the $225.00 registration but I got it around the parking lot, then the accces road, then the frontage road and The Beast was feelin fine so I hit the I-5. Got to about 150 but it was kind of squirly so I put the wing back on at the Motel 6 parking lot then went for another run. 160+ smooth as silk!
Then I got that feeling, made a huey and, sure enough, as I got back on south there was The Man locking uip his brakes and staring at me, mike in hand. Luckily there was an offramp pretty soon and those long 2 lane roads through the orange groves have a way of seperating you from the interstate pretty quick.
Backdoor to the Motel 6, straight on the trailer (I had left the ramps down) and had the car cover on within 30 seconds of climibing out.
The whole trip was probably 5 minutes max, but my heart was pounidng for 1/2 hour.
The Beast is Back!!!