[DeTomaso] Just sounds like a Drew story - NPC

Fri Oct 21 16:24:28 EDT 2011

Too cool, I met them both as a kid in the pits at Rockingham Dragway when it
was on the tour back in the 70's.
(My Mom was divorced and a co-worker of hers had a boy near my age and a
husband. He would take his son and me to the races
2x a year for about 3 or 4 years.  My first trips away from home without my
family, etc.
He was a special guy that I guess that took pity on me and knew I liked cars
( my Dad raced a GTO, but lived far away).
Most drivers were always super nice with the fans and they didn't sell
T-shirts and Models back then, there were no stands and ropes,
you could literally look over their shoulders as they worked on the cars, no
mohos, no buses, no A/C. and the driver's got greasy too.

Everybody was't as nice, never cared for Ronnie Sox of Sox and Martin, for
some reason he seemed to think really highly of himself
as a Pro Stock Driver while Garlits, Muldowney, Kalitta, Gene the
Snowman, Chi Town Hustler, The Blue Max, The Hawaiian, Barry Setzer (the
Vegas)
and even Tommy Ivo were awesome with their time. Back then everybody gave
out FREE 8 x 10 glossy photos, some were even in color.
When a real 1/4 mile was a 1/4 mile, the speed was around 230 mph and the
times were in the 6:10-6:20 range.

Man, you just took me back 42 years, thanks for that, the man's name was
Bobby Carson, his son died when I was in college,
seems his dad let him take the 1969 Chevelle 396 out one night and he
decided to race it and was killed.
I sent him a letter about three years ago and told him how special those
weekends were, that I appreciated being "adopted".
My Mom said that his wife called her and said that the letter made him cry
and he put my letter in his bible.

I guess I share this because it's sad that a situation like ours probably
couldn't happen today, too many freaks and pedophiles out there
and nobody would let a man take their kid away for the weekend anymore.  Not
having children of my own, I've thought of volunteering as a Scout Master
(I was a Boy scout) or being a Big Brother, but the risks just aren't worth
the damage that could be done if anybody gets hurt or makes a false
accusation,
esp if you're a public person in the community.

I do let kids who take a shine to the Pantera sit in it at shows.

Michael Shortt

On Fri, Oct 21, 2011 at 3:55 PM, <P6746 at aol.com> wrote:

> Last weekend I had occasion to be  at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino in
> Chandler, AZ, which is just across  the road from Firebird raceway.  When
> making arrangements with the hotel, I  told them of my desire to arrive
> early
> to take in the NHRA finals on Sunday, and  was told there would be a ticket
> for me upon my arrival.  Low and behold  they gave me two tickets, so I
> called my friend Dick Karpinski in  Scottsdale and we decided to meet and
> go
> the race on Sunday.  In case you  hadn't noticed, the ambient temperature
> (in
> the shade) on Sunday was 101, and  the track got up to 139.  Needless to
> say
> we were being broiled in the  stands, so after an hour or so we decided to
> come back to the hotel and watch  the race at an air conditioned bar.
>  About
> 4:30 or so Dick had to leave to  get back to his family, so I'm sitting
> there watching the race, and an elderly  gentleman in a baseball cap,
> hotrod
> tshirt, jeans and cowboy boots, sits down  next to me.  Know who that
> gentleman was?... none other that Big Daddy  himself, Don Garlits.  I
> introduce
> myself, and tell him "Don, you probably  don't remember this, but I met you
> at
> the Lebenon Valley NY dragway  in 1967".  To which he replys "I remember
> that, Miller and I were on a  shoot out tour".  Then we sat back and
> watched the
> race.  About 20  minutes later, this very attractive, gray haired woman
> shows up...guess  who?  Yep, it's Shirley "Cha Cha" Muldowney.  Shirley is
> originally from here in Schenectady. (suggest you rent "Heart Like a Wheel"
> with  Bonnie Bedelia and Beau Bridges or at least wikipedia it)  I get
> talking
> to  Shirley and mention how we both used to race at the Fonda drag strip in
> the  early 60's (but not against each other) and how she used to beat
> everybody with  her Corvette.  I knew her ex husband Jack Muldowney, but I
> let her
> bring  him up first.  She said she always liked Jack, and I remember him
> driving up to Montreal to see her after her accident in 1984. (Jack  was
> doing top chops on '49 & '50 Mercurys and shoe box Fords right up to his
>  death)
>
>    When I relay my excellent adventure to  people, I'm constantly asked
> "did you get a picture"?  Well no, but I  did get their autographs.
> Neat huh?
> Bob Reid
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-- 

Michael L. Shortt
Savannah, Georgia
www.michaelshortt.com
michael at michaelshortt.com
912-232-9390

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