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Through the K.o.N. Gates 10.18.98

The notes stopped here, it's now all from memory, so please excuse any errors or incomplete names etc:

As I filed my receipt, we entered through the gates into the Kingdom of Nitromethane - Famoso Raceway. We cross over the staging lanes and I notice some kind of comotion out on the starting line, so we wander over. Ya so they have 14 Fuel Altereds lined up...Excuse me while I check my shorts...Just as we...I run out there I can't help but look down at the pavement and ponder getting on my knees to whorship it. I'm suddenly in the way as the crews are all pushing the roadsters, coupes and winged-things back to the pits. This is my first version of how not to video anything...I hit record, get nothing, go to pause and get some gorgeous shots of my feet walking quickly all over the place. I did manage these however:

Notice in the middle of this pic some guy loosing it, trying to 'flag start' the Winged Express and another unidentified AA/FA... just like the old days. This place'll do that to ya.

Got this shot of Phil Morris trying to decide what not to shoot , then never saw him again.

 

Back at the pit entrance we hear the voice of Bob Frey announcing from the little tower. I eat my words as Denise pokes me in the ribs with a smile. I had earlier laughed at her silly question of him being here. With a National Event back east..."ya right" I had laughed.

Then we were off again. I get to the pit entrance and stop dead. To my left is the lineup of diggers starting with the Bean Bandit's salt display. PS: Jackets and more were for sale.

Right in front of me is the Speed Sport Roadster, to my right is a couple of tents covering some stunning works of art. I take a deep breath and go right...into the mind-boggling display of Tom Fritz. As I close my drooling mouth I see a guy who must be Tom standing around without much to do. It's time for some serious work Larry...

The Tom Fritz RealAudio Interview page

As I finish up there I move next door to the works of Rick Finn. Neat art, neat models, neat people. Write to Box 4365 Costa Mesa, Ca. 92628 for more.

 

Then we were off yet again, the morning sun was starting to warm things up, and I was already worried my battery-eating Optura would be starving in no time. As Denise goes over to the corporate T-shirt booth I run into some guy named Stormy. Totally disregarding his car I begin to look over an amazing collection of very old drag trophies.

This extra-friendly guy points out a few of the rare ones, especially the Lions piece. Says a Saugus one is the oldest, and metions that he gets them from all over, swap meets especially. He also has them given to him be people such as Ken Enderle.

Then, right out of the blue, he invites me to sit in his car and get my picture taken. Since I'm in tourist mode...why not?
It's then I discover how wide my uh....shoulders are. It's a safe, 'snug' fit so I look around for the mag switch, peer behind me for a push truck, take a deep breath, realize where I am and dream for a few seconds..."I'm comin' around ya Mulligan...Zookeeper, shmookeeper it's 'Stormy' Pfister in the six second, two hundred mile 'an hour rail from..." then I wake up.
I never did get Stormy's last name, but he was just too cool to leave out of this coverage.

We continue on and I actually see someone I know (even though Dave Wallace hasn't seen me in fifteen years). I re-introduce myself and get treated like his best friend. What a great guy...but you'll have to come back tomorrow for his RealAudio piece, along with these little diddies:

World scoop - Volume 4 of Dave's Hot Rod Nostalgia Megalog...The Les Lovett Memorial Photo Contest...That house painter McClurg...a guy named Sky...Still can't find that darn pirate flag...and spying on Header Flamers...all that and more as our five hours in Famoso gradually turn into five days (or so) on the web.

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