So, let's see. Steve Gibbs is laughing. Steve Gibbs. Who is Steve Gibbs?? He is THE MAN!! He ran NHRA as the Competition Director for many years. Some say the NHRA has gone down hill since he retired. http://www.bunchobikes.com/stevegibbs.jpg After he retired, he MADE the NHRA Museum. He is now semi retired. http://www.bunchobikes.com/stevegibbstoday.jpg He runs most of these NHRA Nostalgia shows. So when Steve asks if I'll push another car, you bet!!
So, we're in line waiting. Off goes the first car. Steve then asks us to roll up and wait. He sends off another car. We wait. Then he waves us on. What a thrill!! Our dragster fires up. Funny, later on when I talked to our driver, he says that that is the earliest he ever fired up. See, he knows how to put on a good show and he knows it is about the show. When they used to push start for racing, they would wait until the very last minute to fire so that they could conserve fuel for the race. Weight is everything and having that heavy nitro in the tank helps keep the front end from flying up in the sky. Tonight, this thing is going to burn fuel for a half mile. 1/4 mile down the fireup road and 1/4 mile up the track. Plus a few extra minutes to wow the crowd.
In the Suburban, I have the Crew Chief, the Crew Chief's wife, the owner, his wife and me. Since we are going to push another car, the Crew Chief is going to roll out of the Burb as I drive past to go to my next push. I ask the owner of the dragster to stay with me in case I need any help at the other end. The ladies stay with us too. I only have the front row and the middle row. Enough for all of us.
So, the dragster fires up. I follow him but then I need to stop. That darn dragster is so long it won't make the turn back up the track. It needs to be pushed back and turned again. Up he goes. Now, the volunteers or workers aren't clear on how things work. Half of them want me to go on the other side of the wall where most of the push cars will end up going. The other half say, "No. He has the '2'! He goes up the track!!" I follow the dragster up the track. Our driver makes his way down the track and turns in to his spot as directed. I slow enough for the Crew Chief to get out and I continue down the track with the rest of my passengers. Hey! First time I've ever been down a drag strip and it's in a 1951 Chevrolet 3106!!
But why am I telling you all of this???? Watch for yourselves!! In HD with sound!!
By the way. Watch as that engine takes heat and the flames get longer and longer and longer........... More to come. Next, I go around to push another car.
