One of the most beautiful looking Hot Rods I have seen check out the 6 er 98's? gold bits make it stand out aswell Proper neat 32 with a raked Duval and red interior yes please!!
Well Hi Dudes, I am still buzzing from the Hot Rod Drags, next to the Euronats this is the one meeting I have enjoyed the most since I bought my Rod. Why?.......... Read on!
One of the most beautiful looking Hot Rods I have seen check out the 6 er
98's? gold bits make it stand out aswell Proper neat 32 with a raked Duval and
red interior yes please!!
I managed to finish work early Saturday Yet Again!! Good job my brother is in Love, so I can take advantage of him while the balance of his mind is impaired ;>) My Mate Pudzz helped me load the 34 with tent and tools etc and in no time we were heading out on the highway, looking for adventure or what ever came our way (Thanx Steppenwolf). The traffic was fairly light all the way down, but we kept our self's amused with the yellow car game. What's that I hear you cry, well its where if you see a yellow car & you shout yellow car before the other person this entitles you to thump the other person and give em a dead arm. Pudzz got me a few times and my arm was feeling like jelly but I soon twigged he pointed at the car just before he said "Yellow car" Ah Ha!. So I just kept my eye on the road and as he pointed I shouted yellow car before him and gave him some real hefty revenge Heh Heh See how well the 34 is running now, it drives so easy I find time to play really stoopid games ;>)
As we approached Birmingham the
traffic became a nightmare and we stopped hitting each other and just stored up the
credits for later while I concentrated on the road ahead..... And also it was time to put the computer printout of
directions to Stratford upon Avon to the test as I couldn't remember how to get
there. It seemed simple enough M6 - M42
- M40 easy eh! We had made great time to the M42 slip road, so we should be
camped and downing a nice cool beer in a little over an hr now Yeeha! or so we
thought. We made
the M40 turn off "what junction is it we need
next Pudzz?" I enquired "er jct 16 should be 2
miles"...... *hum?* "This jct says 4
Dude er must be damn close junctions to be 16 in 2miles then". Now most bright people would of twigged
something wasn't right wouldn't they. But hey no not us two, we just sped on
blindly thinking the computer knows best...... After about 1/2 an hr we decides to
come off at the next jct, we sort of found a road
that matched the one on the directions *phew* what luck eh!
We sped down the road for about another 1/2 hr and as we drove we noticed
a Cool looking bridge that we both remembered from miles back but now we were on a
totally different road and were over looking the bridge and the
signs were now saying Birmingham?????? "Lets turn round as we are going totally in
the wrong direction Dude" I said. We ended up back on the M42 again and then back up the M40
and that lovely bridge was now getting on my T*ts as we sailed past it a third
time Grrrrrrrrr "where the Hell are we?"...... I said "Right Dude we are going to have to start from the beginning".
So
back up to the M42 we went, turned round and followed the printed directions
again to the letter.....
To
cut a long story long, we found Stratford signs after about another 1/2hr of
driving... "at last" we said......... Or was it? I take the next sign to Stratford and it
turns out to be the scenic route missing some low bl**dy Bridge Ho Hum! After a
few trips round Stratford we decided to start asking for directions "which
way to Avon Park Raceway?".
One woman we asked was opening the front door of her home.
We asked if she knew where Avon Park Raceway was?? She said "sorry we are not from round here????"
*Huh?* I said "so what ya doing then
breaking into that house?? gits!!!
I eventually found the gas station on the corner that I recognised, so I sort of knew where I was going now but not 100%. We then passed a Pub with a load of Rods parked outside and asked for directions. Some of the assembled Rodders just looked at us, but one Guy very kindly came over and told us how to get to the Drag Strip. We resisted the temptation to quench our thirst at the pub full of Rodders and decided it would be far more sensible to get to the track and pitch the tent before it was to dark and then and only then quench us thirst's... Man I am worried I am getting far to sensible.
(Below Adrian Smith's Groovy A)
At Shakespeare County
Raceway (proper title) we thought we should have a quick drive round and see if
we could see Steve'y Lang's Truck as we were to Camp with him and his mates
*honour*.. The camp site? (rough field) looked like it was full of some very tasty
machinery but I couldn't see his truck..... we went right down to the end and made a Right
and the 34 grounded out on some uneven Ground the noise made my mate Pudzz
cringe and me think whoops ! A very large group to our right nearly laughed them self's silly and
not just an embarrassed giggle, this was a look at that dick Laugh. I was to knackered to react but I wasn't expecting that kind of
reaction for sure some help or concern would of been more like it!. We now had the choice of getting out and
lightening the car enough to lift it off the mound and then push it, which would
of offered even more entertainment,
or just give it some welly and hope it unstuck itself???? Well the Banger Driver in me took over and I decked
it and sod the consequences, thankfully though noisily it came unstuck to even more amusement and loud
guffaw's which carried on as we squeaked, bounced and scraped up the rest of the
pot holed track *Hey such is life*
Langy trying to make his truck as fast as my 34
I knew Langy was there somewhere "so why don't ya phone him" Pudzz suggested derrrr why didn't I think of that err to easy!!. After a quick phone call we finally met with Langy and joined him and some of his mates. We had the tent pitched quickly and the first cold Can of Lager didn't even touch the sides..... We were introduced to the people gathered round the big campfire which was cooking corn and what must of been half a cow. I recognised Ralph, Maggie and family, Dusty (The Dude) and knew of Mark Belcher with the absolutely stunning Blue and Graphic'd A Sedan there were more people around the camp fire but my brain couldn't take in any more I just needed some beer and a pie. We were made very welcome by everyone with the usual Flat cap, whippet, ferret, pigeon racing, black pudding and pie jokes as we was typical Northerner's us two tha noze!
The Cold beer, warm fire and friendly banter made the night flow along nicely and I was in my element. Steve'y Lang talked Rods and Rodding etc with us, while Dusty shocked us with some very strange theories ;>) I nearly choked when my Banger Mate Pudzz asked Langy if he had actually ever built a car Terrrrrrrr ;>) "Only 17" was the reply *smile*
The music was then supplied by a white Van and some guys 40's or 50's
music tape Arrrggghhhhh Save me!! I asked if it was the sound track from West side Story Ha
Ha well he had done all the Northern stuff to me so he had to have some back didn't
he eh! Langy went and got his truck and put on his Hamster cd who are a ZZ Top and
Hendrix tribute band. The Rocker Billy rebel couldn't stand the noise coming
from Langy's truck and so removed Langy's cd players fascia *Hum* Then it was the
West Side story Tape again...
Mind you to be honest as we have such different tastes in Music its best to leave the music switched off. I enjoy just having the crack with anyone into Rods and prefer to listen to their stories far more than music..... The fire started to burn down now, so someone piled it up with old bits of wood and this gave someone else the great idea that it made an ideal runway to run up and leap over the flames. Now call me old fashioned but Beer and fires really do not mix well, so I sat and watched...... Nutters!!!!!!! Mind you not to long ago, I would of done just the same if not more stupidly...... Ralph thought he should have a go, but stood up.. wobbled... realised he was pisster than he felt sat down and sensibility saved him from being a Human Barbecue as sat straight back down again!
Then Steve'y Lang gave us his stand up (well sit down) comedy routine which had us all in stitches and quite entertained us all till.......around 2.30am and sense overtook my usually beer fueled stupidity to stay up all night and we called it a day....... We had had a great night in the company of some seriously nice people a night that will stay in my memories for a long time thanx guys
.
A fairly early rise Sunday morning to glorious sunshine with no thick head as we had behaved the night before, which was a bonus. The bogs and wash facilities on site where ok. I emptied me Barra, spruced myself up and all else that was needed was a Bacon Sarny and a large cup a Coffee and I would be ready for the day ahead...
The Pits was starting to get very lively now a few Motors were being
revved so I thought I had better get things into gear if I was to stand any
chance of getting a blast up that there strip today. We met Langy and I told him my car was bogging from a stand still. Instead of
him saying oh what a shame he said "come on then lets fettle it"... Cool! Langy
took us to where the scrutineering was taking place, following his truck round the camp site
was well cool. The scrutineering went
without drama. The cause of my bogging was now the priority and the float levels
were suspected so Steve'y gave em his expert attention and it turned out they were a boat load out! We happened
to be parked next to Gary McCormack's groovy 502ci Fordson and he soon had his head
in my engine bay aswell. We commandeered his timing light and had a go at
setting that to full total advance ;>) The 302 in my
car now sounded ok so we joined the massive queue for a blast up the strip.
Nice blown 72 Camaro and Captain Scarlet piloted Pop show the diversity of
what was lined up to Drag!
My really good mate Pudzz took care of my place in the queue as I went for my shirt as the scrutineer said I had to have my arms covered to race.. on the way back from my tent I had found me Owd Mate Gaz O'Connor in the camping area with his new Toy only the Moon Equip Truck that's all. I had known he was getting the Truck for a long time but was sworn to secrecy. It looked just as I expected it to and this is a proper Hot Rod made in the US of A at the Moon shop California by Chico and was the Moon Rod Shops Daily Hack it just shouts American anti blessing Pure 40's/ 50's Hot Rod and all power to him for having the balls to buy it unseen and ship it over here for him and us to enjoy. Some thought it was a copy of the original but I can tell ya 100% for sure this is the Real deal. *Respect*
Gaz introduced me to some
young Guys over from Ozz and these Dudes are well into the real Hot Rod scene
they talk the talk and walk the walk. What is nice about these guys was they
were happy to show me their photos and Mag which they were in. Tell me about the Ozz
Hot Rod scene and really did give me the time of day even though I am no 50's
Rock a Billy two nice sincere guys for sure and another high light of the weekend
for me. I do really appreciate why Gaz and his mate's enjoy the style of Rods
they do, the clothes etc just I would look a total Tw*t if I tried to copy em.......
Also I
couldn't give up listening to M&M anyway Ha Ha!
I do think that is what we
must do to survive though, appreciate each others tastes in Rods and talk to
each other and except we all like different styles and respect each other. I really do enjoy this
scene of ours... every bit of it. I said my goodbye's and
after one long last look at Gaz's bitchin truck I made my way back to the
pits.
It was a good hour later when I finally came back to find Pudzz
& my Rod he was still well back in a very long queue.
Pudzz said "man you know some people don't you" he said loads of people had
come up to him and said "Are you Holmsey?" or "Hi Holmsey"
to him. He said I had to
just say "I am not Holmsey just his older looking Friend" ;>)
My stomach was starting to churn over now with the thought of blasting up the track
in my Rod for the first time. Though I think it was just I didn't want to make a
tit of myself not a fear of crashing as I quite like a good crash Ya know
;>). I then had a good look round and I was surrounded by some great looking Motors and
although I was starting to get a bit nervous I was bloody loving it.. It was
heaven.
Cleveland powered 32 Beauty and Mark Grant and his stunning A Sedan
both lined up for the Drag's
I thought you just paid to race as you went through into the fire up road but I
was now only 4 cars away and I couldn't see anyone taking the dough? I asked the guy in
front with the flamed 32 he said "ya have to book in over in that cabin over
there" * mass panic* I ran over and wheezed out "I want to sign in for
that there Draggin"
I signed the form and she said "can I see ya driving licence"........ er .......
er *Jeez* where's me bl**dy driving licence??? I ran back to my car and I was
now just two cars away from entering the fire up road so I needed my competitors
pass now. I was just a gibbering
idiot. licence, licence ??? Where the hell have I put it? I had to take a lot of
deep breaths and calm down.. Then it came to me!!! under the drivers seat *phew* after a bit
of scrating I got the bleeder out from under the seat and I was soon winging my
way back towards the sign in cabin..
I was now sweating like a pig with the
combination of nerves, running and the Glorious sunshine that was beating down
on us. I needed a Fag and I let Pudzz push my car into the fire up lane as I
tried to calm down. I was soon joined by Nige Lockley who I have got to know
well from the Hot Rod group he was showing me photos of his Zipper project Ha Ha
not what you are thinking..... his Zipper 34 Rod.
Funny when you smoke as I do, I am
very conscious of none smokers talking to me and no matter where you stand or turn etc the
smoke always finds the bl**dy none smoker don't it! It must be orrible for them. Man I have got to give
up!
Nice Consul or is it a Zephyr? man I never know... Oh and some typical tight
Northerners saving fuel (nice Graffiti Coupe)
Then the Jet Car fired up and that sent many a grown man Running to watch, Nige was one of them so I finished my weed ( tobacco) and was fairly calmed and went back to meet Pudzz and check my car. It seemed like an age before it came to be my turn to roll out onto the strip. I had been talking to Steve Enright a fairly seasoned Racer he said don't go into the bleach box if you aint doing a burn out. I wasn't gonna do a one wheel burn out for anything so that was a good tip. He gave me loads of other advice but this was it now... I was rumbling (well whispering really) out onto the track...... *whoooho*
I had only brought a fur lined checked shirt with me and I had the windows
shut to make the brick shaped 34 more streamlined Ha Ha. I was roasting
inside the car but I lined up straight away and I was up against some Hot Camaro
that was a serious race car.
Now thinking about
it, I should of let him do his burn out and line up first before I staged but I didn't know what
the Fug I was doing so sorry Dude if I messed up your run!
I raised the revs and held it on the brake so to minimise the bog I had been experiencing. The Camaro staged.... a short blink and it was happening.... Man I was racing up a drag strip for the first time. I just looked up the strip and kept it nailed Man it felt slow I thought I could roll a fag while doing this.... then it changed up into 2nd and it felt somewhat quicker third came as the Camaro blew up in the other lane I saw a load of smoke and flames coming from the Camaro and he did a little wobble. I kept it nailed and hoped he wasn't gonna go to much out of shape and cross my lane or it would be Banger time again!!.
I came down the return road happy I had done it... but bitterly disappointed my car felt so slow.. I looked back at the timing board as it was still lit cus they had to clear the track of the blown up Camaro first it said 15.041 at 90.91mph I could of hidden my head in shame a small block Ford powered glass 34 doing 15's ;>(...... But I was to chuffed I had finally had a blast up the strip. I was too Happy really to let the disappointing time spoil it for me. Pudzz came and congratulated me on doing it and we said lets have a look round the pits now and check the camp site so I can get a few pics of the Rods there for the web site.
I said no way
am I doing another run today and showing my self up by doing a 15 again.. Then as we
drove round everyone lining up to race, Pudzz said " lets have
another do eh! lets mess with the timing and sort that off line bog
problem" So we pulled back into the line up, some what further up than we
should of been ;>) and Steve Lang said he would go and get a 1/2" spanner so we
could mess with the timing and sort that Bog once and for all. We had a good bit
of banter with the Racer's round us as we waited and Pudzz noticed one dude in a
sling shot had an engine mounting bolt missing Tut Tut!! Man was he grateful he
had spotted that and it was duly fixed. The pits were packed with people some queuing
some looking some buying stuff from the trade stands the atmosphere was
terrific.
It had been well over half an hour since Langy left for a spanner.
We were slowly approaching the fire up lane and the car
needed to be fettled I wasn't
going down the strip with it as it was that was for sure..... Then I spied Gaz O'Connor
with a bag of goodies "what ya bought then Gaz?" "Oh
only a F**kin Hand brake cable" he does have a way with words ya know
;>) I told him what was occurring and he came over to offer some advice "its
ya f*kin secondaries they aint working" Him and Pudzz had worked this out
between em as I was phoning Langy to see were he was. Also as
I was messing about phoning, Pudzz had gone and spraffed a 1/2" spanner from
someone to do the timing Banger style. That's rev the tits of it move the dizzy
one way till it misses then t'other way till it misses and set it in-between those
two points ...... Sorted!
It was now revving like a good un, no bog at all bloody timing lights who needs em !! Though Gaz and Pudzz were still convinced the secondaries weren't working but it was revving better than before so I was happy... It seemed like an age when Langy finally made it back his truck had cocked and wouldn't start so he had been messing with that all the time... So now he joined us down the fire up road. We were next to Gary McCormack for most of the time and had a real crack with him. I have known him for a while but this is the first real time I have spoken to him proper and what a really nice easy to get on with Dude he is. Gary was saying he had done the Fordson primarily for Draggin though it will be street legal and he seemed to be well into it and what a well constructive no nonsense Car he has built have a proper look if you get chance its Mega!
Then there was a mass panic as plumes of black smoke billowed from the
pits area, the fire crews scrambled, sirens were wailing and people were
running to see where the smoke was coming from. The officials were asking
everyone to keep away from the fire but people kept piling out of the stands and
fire up road to go have a shufty! I stayed put so not to add to the incident but
then curiosity got the better of me as the Air Ambulance arrived??? The NSRA
officials had set up a cordoned off area so the fire crew could do their job. I
couldn't get close enough to see what had happened. But what I did see was a burnt out Rail as it
looked to me and little else so I went back to my Car and kept away as the
medics did their job. It was ages and ages before all was sorted and the fire
crews were back in their positions so we could resume racing. 
Sad so very Sad Good luck Guys with your injuries and the eventual Rebuild I
wish you all the best luck in the world
But soon it was to be my turn
again, Gary Mac did a monster 10sec run at 125mph
Man that must feel good... I just hoped I could get at least a 14 this time to
save face. I had absolutely no nerves at all in fact I was to calm I think......
what do I get to run against this time only the Jumping Jack flash Willy's
Terrrrrrrrrrr another humiliation I thought. Why were we not matched against
other street Rods???
Anyhow I pulled out onto the strip missed the bleach box as I was told, consciously
made sure I was dead center of the track and drove right up to the lights Ha Ha
what the hell was I thinking??? I can only assume I thought I was on the road
and pulled up to the traffic lights Ha Ha I then remembered where I was and
panicked where's the bloody staging lights???????? *sh*t*
I reversed and then
saw them way back behind me Bloody Numpty I said to myself.. I staged then
remembered the last run and thought I best see if matey has done his burn out
yet. I looked behind and he wasn't staging so I thought Oh I'll wait till he
lines up.. I then looked at the guy with the camera at the side of me behind the
fence I thought I know him and I acknowledge him ........ *birds totally singing
in my head*
As I looked back to my horror I saw the lights were on green Mass Panic as I just floored it and released the foot brake with shed loads of wheel spin........... I kept it nailed till I was well past the end timing lights and then started to shout *bloody, Twat, piss, bugger grrrr grrr bastard* inside my helmet my one chance to see what my car would do and I fell asleep at the lights Damn Blast and botheration!!! But what a great buzz it felt a lot quicker just wish I had done it proper and got a decent time but I'll tell ya what, I can see why people get addicted I could do that every weekend no problem would need a 10sec car I think to be happy but it was bloody Ace and I can recommend it to anyone. Oh the Time was 15.001 *hum?*
The clouds were building now so we decided we best get the tent down and
boogie on home... we were soon all packed ready for the off. We said our
goodbyes gave Maggie a kiss on the cheek and Ralph a handshake........ er I
think I got that the right way round ;>) Said a load a seeya's and then as We
turned to leave Steve Marley and Dave Bickerdyke from the NSRA came up to me and
thrust a something in my hand. I looked at it and thought it was a really cool
ornament someone had made and they were flogging em or just showing me how neat
it was !!!!!!!
I looked at it thought it looked well groovy and just
looked back at them puzzled???? "Congratulations" Steve said "Huh?" I said
"congratulations"
he said again "you have won a trophy" WoW I was just shocked I never even knew
there were trophies for anything today ........ "Thanks Guys" I said I was
just gob
smacked...... It said Hot Rod Drags Dirty Dozen??? Still don't know why I got it
but I am dead chuffed I know that!!!!!! What a great end to a great Day......
and no polishing to get it... the car stayed as it was when I arrived the day
before. That's what I
enjoyed about the day the fact it was no bull and just about having fun with the
cars.
There were a few show and feature cars
there aswell and they had dirty billets like me and just raced and had a ball....
*respect* to Mark Belcher and Mick Grant both proved Show cars can race.... I
know there were more it's just them two who's names I can remember ;>)..
It is always with a tear in my eye that I leave any Run but this one was
especially hard to leave as It was just the best Day I have spent Hot Rodding the
crack was great and the weather was good...... Man I just couldn't fault it! 
We saw a few cars on the way out leaving as we were it was thumbs up time and then again off out onto the highway! There was a Rod traffic jam at the Petrol station and we saw some great looking Rods driving past on the way home that I hadn't seen while there?? Once on the M? whatever, the heavens opened and it was just the hardest wettest rain I can ever remember and the motorway was Packed, man was I glad I had a really good demister (windows open) and such a really efficient wiper Ha!! We just gave the 34 its head and kept driving till the fuel gauge said "Hey have you forgotten about me??" I filled the Rod and lightened my pockets, and as I came back to the Car I saw a massive R'se that would of frightened a police Horse sticking out from my drivers door and the woman that owned it was talking to Pudzz....
I smiled as she got back into her car.. I asked Pudzz what she had said and he looked at me and said do you know what the cheeky bitch has just said is this an Airfix Car!!!!!!!!! I just looked over at the two girls in the car..... they had obviously just fallen out of an Ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down and I gave them that look!!!! As they sped off in that beautiful beige Maestro Terrrrrrrrrrrr!
The only other Rod we saw north of Brum Chevy powered A is well Cool seen this
at Preston Cruise last time I wuz there!
Once home we sat and reflected on what a great weekend we
had down at the Drags, and thanx to all who made it so enjoyable.
Especially the NSRA guys who spent their time organising such a great event,
they have no time to enjoy it like we do and we should be eternally grateful to
them for loving our great hobby so much to put on weekends like this for us to
enjoy. I mean they even took the time to search me out and give me my trophy
personally not just one of em saying here's ya trophy it was Dave Bickerdyke
himself Steve Marley and someone else who I cant just remember who it was. They
must of been busy enough without searching for me..
So NSRA I salute you and thank you sincerely for making it all happen *respect*