Features Day of the Drag Race: The 2022 Race of Gentlemen

Living the dream!

 

Thanks so much for sharing. Amazing photos!!

 

HAMB/Jalopy Journal Hall of Fame writing! Well done. Felt like I was there

 

I enjoy your style of journalism, it makes me feel as if im right there with yall.

 

Thanks for the mention of the Taco Coupe built by the HS students in Dayton, OR. The entire crew had matching white jump suits. A very professional crew and the students were enthusiastic to talk about the car. The before and after photos posted on their booth were amazing. Attached are some other photos from the web.

 

Man what a weekend! While some of it totally sucked I’m over the moon that it all happened for you.

it instantly made me think of trips to the KKOA show with @NoSurf running out of gas, flattening tires, blowing up radiator hoses and having just the best time. Those trips and memories of cruising with friends, eating milkshakes and pork chops, they’ll be in my mind forever.

watching you “get it” and the writing shift and evolve with it as the car has come together has been great, but it’s a whole new step watching and hearing about your adventures with the car like this last weekends.

It’s what it’s all about.

 

What an incredible weekend, Joey. Thank you for sharing it with us!

 

Wow, you are definitely living the life! Thanks for taking us along, Carp. This!!

 

Pretty much covers it.

 

@J.Ukrop
What a great write up!

 

Whew, what a weekend.Memories to last a lifetime. Thanks for story. Snowman ⛄️

 

T.R.O.G. West was a killer event. If you weren't able to make it this year definitely start planning for next. Im still organizing photos reels, but if you have instagram and want to check out some more coverage... follow the links below.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmBb1BJDnwa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmCKeGsp9Sr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmCNYykJMbH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmCRJ8_pEwp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmE9FxwL-eF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmH3QXRuUVb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmH73_aga2J/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

Thanks for sharing your hot rod adventure. I watched some of the videos on You Tube last night. FANTASTIC!!

 

Joey, now you know that the "Tall" stories the "old timers" tell, have a ring of truth to them. I think that most of us old timers. I am 82 years old, have been through some of the same trials and tribulations that you had. I know that some day you will be one of the "old timers" passing on your experiences to the next group coming up.

 

Sounds like fun. I would love to attend the east or west coast trog. Being a cheapskate, I would rather wait for ”Midwest TROG”. Might be a long wait.

 

Good read....Colton is a tough town.....

 

X2 great read, thanks for sharing your story.

 

What an excellent read. Thank you.

 

Great event!! Can’t wait till the next one!

 

@J.Ukrop
I am glad that you got to experience the magic that is " FLABOB " Airport, there is a lot of rich history there, both automotive and aeronautical as well.
What a bummer about the debacle in Colton, no Christmas card for that city indeed!



Thanks for a great write up and great photos, of a great adventure!

Just a heads up to you kiddo on nomenclature, Douglas DC-3's were cargo and troop transports in
WW-2, not Bombers. But you are learning kid!



It was way cool watching " Old 947 " zip down the track on various videos on YouTube.
Thanks from Dennis.

 

Photo by Yelena Sophia
One of the best stories on the HAMB… ever.

Hello,


This great story was told in a way that actually felt like I was standing right there in the middle of the action. It was just the way the information hit home. Nothing against your photography, but, the best photos so far are from @Blues4U make the event come alive. It is hard to compete with coastal beachfront Santa Barbara, but it did a good job of an initial event in an unusual place.

From the story:

On Saturday night, I hit rock bottom. The Race of Gentlemen was over. My reporting was finished. Dinner was digesting, and I was ready to be back in room 213 at the Quality Inn. But that wasn’t an option. Instead, I was at Rock Bottom Towing on the outskirts of Colton, on the banks of the Santa Ana River, peering through a chain-link fence at my truck. It had been towed from an unmarked spot while we were closing our tab.

“Who is the registered owner?” asked a gruff man with a gravelly voice.
“That’s me,” I replied.
“Come back and get your paperwork.”
He yanked open the fence. I motioned to my friends Yama and Blue to walk back with me.
He held up his hand. “Just you,” he said with a sneer.
“Why is that?” I asked.
“Those are our rules. You’re lucky to even be here.”

Jnaki

For all of us mere mortals, we are all at the mercy of local ordinances and greedy tow truck drivers. Here in So Cal is a prime example. A quick tow to a local yard was going to cost $150 to get it out. Our son was just getting his feet wet driving all over So Cal in my family station wagon, he was getting confident and our driving lessons have worked out well. So, he followed the rules everywhere he went with his friends. He even reads the posted signs. Some hidden as they are.

But, during a visit to a local comic book store, on Coast Highway in a beach town, he and his friend had my funky station wagon parked in the parking lot of a 7-11. The sign says tow-away zone…if you are not a customer, purchased products, etc. Well, my son and his friend were inside the store, bought chips and drinks and were playing the big video games units, while being seen by the owner. They finished their snacks, bought some sandwiches and continued playing the games.

Then about an hour later, he calls me and said someone stole our station wagon. HA! I said, “What, stole our station wagon? Who would want that old station wagon?” etc. So, I said I would be down there to help out.

Jnaki

When I got there, yup, the station wagon was gone. So, I called the local sheriff’s office. They sent a person down to help. The store owner said their policy is to not let anyone going to the beach, steps away, to park in the lot. I told them my son and his friend were in the store, so that beach going person rule was not the case. But, somehow the station wagon was taken out of the lot.

Well, after several yelling matches, the police took the owner aside and had him call the tow truck driver. Somehow, he came over in record time. When the discussion took place, the sheriff’s officer found out that the tow truck driver/owner of the hidden towed vehicle yard and the owner of the 7-11 had a deal going.

The owner called the tow truck driver from his shop/yard around the corner. The driver towed the vehicle away. Then, they split the cost of the recovery. A scam if I ever saw one. No warning was given, other than the sign the 7-11 owner posted. The dumb thing was the owner/driver (my son and friend) were inside of the whole store buying products and spending money playing video games.

So, the store owner was at fault. The sheriff wanted to arrest them both, but both agreed to not do that again before sufficient searching for the owner of any car in the lot that was NOT in the store. DUH!!!

The tow yard was around the corner in an industrial area and it was packed… So, the tow yard owner was doing a giant scam on a lot of unsuspecting car owners. No charges were filed and we did not have to pay any costs except for calling them total idiots +++. But, for the next several years, this story made the rounds of our family get-togethers and everyone had a laugh, but does not stop at that 7-11 store at any time.

We are all at the mercy of tow truck drivers, for sure… and unscrupulous store owners.

 

Joey Ukrop joins the hot rod writers hall of fame that includes Gray Baskerville, John Thawley, Tex Smith and Tom Medley

 

What a wild weekend! I had fun (and peril!) right alongside you reading your great write up. Kudos!

 

The city of Riverside is currently suing a towing company for predatory towing in the city. Not the same tow company that towed your vehicle but it's very possible they are using the same play book, so to speak. Just a thought.

 

Some tow truck drivers need their heads caved in

 

Always enjoy your writing Joey, but that was the best! One of those that you didn’t want to end!

 

Good for you Joey. That looked like a wicked good time.

 

I challenge @J.Ukrop to a race! I'm bringing the v8 killer. Loser buys the first round....

Next year of course...

Great write up dude!

 

I feel the same as you do.