Howdy gentlemen, I'm back from Bakersfield and seriously agrin. Two weekends in a row, didn't miss even one chance to run'er and got to enjoy the addition of two more HAMBsters to the fray out here. Got to watch a new driver cut her quarter teeth in one, a fellow old hand re-aquaint himself with the scene in his and become the second ever winner of our own new rotating local "trophy" (the SoCal HAMBie), a friend take home a second meet trophy in his, a ****-load of fun racing and a striking fast rising level of interest in HA/GR. Far more of the many questions at these two meets were regarding particulars and recommendations than the more p***ing inquiries of previous meets, signifying a much deeper actual interest. One thing I want to say is that we are where we are so far out here thanks mostly to these venues run by Randy and Butch. These two gentlemen have opened a door for us HAMBster haulers that is unique to the west coast and without which we wouldn't yet have a toe hold, nor much prospect of one. And without that toe hold the cl*** wouldn't be poised to do what you're going to witness in the next two years. 'Cause hang onto your hats folks, HA/GR is primed and ****ed to flat out explode in these parts. The three that ran at the ANRA Opener and the four at Dragfest are truly the first whiff of the fresh peanut ****er below the just pried up lid. We've begun only the second season we've been allowed to run with twice the cars we finished the first with a mere five months ago. My own eyes have seen four more in progress (that's built frames with parts attached, in the flesh, gentlemen) in the L.A. area alone, and over a dozen nearly complete parts piles were claimed to us at these two meets. Should but a third of those see light that's an honest dozen before the second season ends. 2,4,12 (conceivably 20) ..... this is the kind of growth curve that makes this sort of thing my friends. We're thrashing out the minutae of a way to incorporate the cl*** as a subsection of an existing one. This will facilitate adding it to the main program in a permanent form even at this embrionic stage and allow it a stage to expand upon when the time might come. More is being done pragmatically here to find HA/GR its own mainstream niche than anywhere else outside Australia (by the way, thanks for some of the pointers, good sirs ). And because (not in spite) of the quarreling, harranguing, arguing and downright bickering we've done on this and parellel sites, plus the lessons good & bad learnt second hand from others' noble efforts, the many possibilities and implications it can mean are being addressed in quite thorough a manner. Thus giving us, I believe, a better than good chance of riding this particular tiger successfully. I don't believe it's alone the meets that've gotten me so downright up about it all again, but they sure as hell had a part in it. ps. I got to lose a semi-final round to a car from the shops of, and in the style of Kay Sissel's early '60s altered, a car and a local guy I really liked. Just to run against it and to meet Ron and the team (some good eggs) was a blast, but wait; they'd even gotten the run on a roll bar video. At fifteen to his ten seconds dialed you can see me trudge off into the sunset (sic) and Ron pick up the skinnies to blow by in the traps, just a bone cl***ic "could'a been then but for ..." video. Achingly perfect. I hope to have a copy of it soon. All in all, , just f'ing
Dang.......Y'all sound like you had a good time. We had a ball hanging with you and Rocky on Saturday, wish we could have done the whole weekend. You guys are a great incentive to getting our HA/GR built. Can't let you have all the fun.
I'm working on it. I don't take pictures but many were taken. I'll post what I can track down. ps. I particularly like the "absent" sign ......
These two are courtesy of Neglected Steel's post on the main board. The first is of Jill in the HAMBster they bought'er. Gentlemen, this meet was her first trip down the auld lanes and she said she LIKES it. Another 1320 addict? Great looking car, ya gotta love the oiler on the pig, it's empty and doing duty as a scoop via an oblong cut-out on the front. Next is one of Lee suiting up for final round. That's Rocky diddling the jugs and ye author in the green "civvies", having been benched first round by Lee that day. I'm sure there'll be more coming ........
Don't have a lot, but here are what I have. The first one is a guy named Joe, 235 Chevy with a couple of two barrel Holleys, cant tell ya much more, (senior moment). Next a couple from the lanes....... And finally one of **** and the Barn Job. Sorry, but we didn't get any on the track and it doesn't show the grins and fun in the pits, but believe me these guys are having a ball. We're really looking forward to getting ours done and joining in because there is more than enough fun to go around.
That's Joe and Roger's "Gl*** Slipper"-ish Chev from the Lake Isabella area. Very professionally built track style ch***is and will be the car to chase out here for a bit. Presently sorting out said ch***is and actions with a stock 235 (he swears ) but awaiting a 261 when it's ready for it. Already taken et and speed (and the "SoCal HAMBie") for our little bunch this meet and by the time we each re-group will likely be farther out again. Like some of us, Joe's an old hand that left the strips in the sixties to do other things and has been re-bitten by the cl***. Roger's just plain a damn good builder and definitely knows his way around both a car and a six banger. They race a fuel car as well so are up to date on the tech points and it shows in their build.
Only got to go on Sun. but it was a blast watching the HAMBster's run. It's really got me thinkin'. My pop-in-law and I talked all the way home. Got a lot of the parts needed just laying around. Thinkin', thinkin'...
Well Katuna, you certainly won't be alone ...... The single most common remark we hear as folks stroll off is "You know, we could do that.".
We had a Great Time spending the weekend with ****, Tom and Patty and enjoyed meeting with all the HAMBers who came by. I'll be at the Sierra Vista Mall this Saturday in Clovis CA beating the EAGLE FIELD Project drum Come by and say hi. Rocky
sounds like the cl*** is getting ready to "explode" out there. Another couple years we might end up with a few divisions full of cars, and have to subdivide- AHA/GR, BHA/GR, etc. I'd like to see that. kinda a bummer there are two cars out there that we didn't get to see build threads for. Non HAMBERS building for the cl*** seems weird. I hope once I get mine on the track here I can spark the same interest. So far I can't talk anybody else into it.
Please encourage anyone interested in building a car like this to participate in this forum. Our communication here, is a big part of what this is all about.
Rand', the forum link is part of the two page overview & rules handouts we make sure every questioner gets. Rocky is the most manic of us in his shameless HA/GR plugging and Lee & I aren't much better/worse. Our best line is "The second page is our rule book.", the word "page" gets through really well.
No sweat Tman, we're not moving it out here just yet. Sorry, just couldn't resist the line ..... Fact is, we're still trying to hammer a road trip to "the capital" together for several of us this year. I desperately need to get out of one or two other hobbies to free up the time myself.
Yep, it's the ribbed 17d' car, replete with original paint and lettering, nice clean build. It's now owned by the Vegas Heat bunch. Build thread here. They haven't settled on their plans for it yet. That leaves only Joe's "Slipper" car as built "on the sly". There'll be more though, some folks just do it that way is all. No sweat, we'll take him, he's a good egg.
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