Stock Car racing back in the day when guys raced for the love of racing and they did it on a budget, lunch consist of Salteens, pork & beans and a Pepsi. Cotton Owens from Union, South Carolina, in ducted into the Nascar hall of fame in 2013. HRP
Hello, I remember distinctly that my wife had this look on her face the one time I answered a question my son had when he was a toddler. How does anyone know what a weight limit is on those signs… It was the look of what the #$@&… and then had a smile on her face… ha! It was one of those times that a fast thinking dad came to the rescue of a question asked and as a go to father for “all” answers, it was ready for this one. I wrote this story a few years back and it has been brought up at family gatherings from the time my wife and I got married. Our son was a fast growing toddler with a world of questions and then evolved many years later into our granddaughter asking the same thing about signs by the side of the road on our various road trips all over So Cal. As fast as I could answer the barrage of questions from our son, that must have prepared me for a straight face answer to the prime question if and when it happens. Will my son think of me as a car nut dad? He knows that I have always loved cars and fast, cool looking cars at that. The older he gets, the more he wants to hear stories about the exploits in drag racing and surf escapades. ("You were only 15?" Grandma let you go to Mexico at at that age?...) Jnaki I am his “go to guy” when the conversation comes around to buying a car. But, as we know cars from a ways back, that always helps us in our new car buying sprees and his. Trying to convey the importance of specific stuff on cars just does not register with this newer generation and those that follow. I always allowed my son to grow up as an individual without too much pushing from both parents. We felt that he could make his own decisions and if he needed guidance, we were there. He did have a ton of car influences and helped me in the garage when I was doing something to maintain our family cars. But, little car toys, R/C cars and Tonkas only go so far. With the advent of computers in cars, the home mechanic was left out as far as we were concerned. My son’s generation just dropped off the car scene and our involvement only used our old car knowledge and choices for buying newer family cars. But, one thing he is proud of is that I can offer great information on cars, our history, and general knowledge. He has convinced me to write down as much as I can to archive it in our family files. I am sure he will get a kick out of reading this when we are gone… Note: Set the scene to paraphrase with a serious face: “…People drive trucks over the bridge loaded down with stuff. It weighs more each time until the last, overloaded truck collapses the bridge… Then, they put up the sign to warn others of the impending doom…” That is one story (out of many) he never forgets and likes it that I gave him that fun attitude about life in general… What a dad… The good thing is that it has also moved on to our granddaughter. Her inquisitive mind always never ceased to amaze us, from a little talkative toddler to now, a high school graduate ready for her next adventure in college, that starts next month. Yikes!
The Jalopy Journal
