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Chuck Norton · 12-22-2010, 10:49 AM

Topeka Notebook -- In 1996, at the Topeka national event in September, it rained so hard on Thursday that class eliminations were scrubbed. Thanks be to God, it didn't freeze although it tried!! We ran the first and second round on Saturday night in the dark under cold and foggy conditions. A Super Class racer in a motorhome a couple of rows over had a heart attack (I only heard about that, didn't actually see it) and may have died during the night. Dozens of rigs had to be winched out of the mud on level ground in the Sportsman pits on Monday morning. It had been dry and warm the day I got there but the trailer sank to the axles just sitting in the pits! Highlights? Met some nice people, felt bad about the Super Class racer, had a decent BBQ dinner at Pat's Pig on SW Topeka Boulevard north of the track. The guys doing the winching were really good with their equipment and got my rig out without damaging anything.

In 1999, at the Topeka national event on the first weekend of October, all pit parking was restricted to hard surface roads along the road race course because it had rained for two days before we got there. The race was postponed after the third round on Sunday. That's the first time I'd seen T/F racers at a national event refuse to go down the track due to dangerous conditions. It was 35 degrees with a 20+ wind from the north! I've never been that cold at any time in my adult life! Rob Youngblood's helper crashed his scooter into my car in the pits but luckily the scooter got the worst of that. That evening, Bill Rink, Youngblood, the helper and I went to Pat's Pig. Highlights? Met some more good people. Dinner was decent again. Rink's conversational style kept things interesting. We finished the race on Monday morning.

Personal evaluation? If I thoughts of going to Topeka entered my mind again, I'd leave the rig at home, fly in, take several sets of thermal underwear (wearing two layers isn't out of the question), and take a taxi to Pat's Pig. The decision to actually go to the track would not be made until the day of the event.

c

12-22-2010, 10:49 AM	#12
Chuck Norton Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Covina, CA Posts: 474 Likes: 108 Liked 89 Times in 19 Posts	Re: what is there to do at topeka Topeka Notebook -- In 1996, at the Topeka national event in September, it rained so hard on Thursday that class eliminations were scrubbed. Thanks be to God, it didn't freeze although it tried!! We ran the first and second round on Saturday night in the dark under cold and foggy conditions. A Super Class racer in a motorhome a couple of rows over had a heart attack (I only heard about that, didn't actually see it) and may have died during the night. Dozens of rigs had to be winched out of the mud on level ground in the Sportsman pits on Monday morning. It had been dry and warm the day I got there but the trailer sank to the axles just sitting in the pits! Highlights? Met some nice people, felt bad about the Super Class racer, had a decent BBQ dinner at Pat's Pig on SW Topeka Boulevard north of the track. The guys doing the winching were really good with their equipment and got my rig out without damaging anything. In 1999, at the Topeka national event on the first weekend of October, all pit parking was restricted to hard surface roads along the road race course because it had rained for two days before we got there. The race was postponed after the third round on Sunday. That's the first time I'd seen T/F racers at a national event refuse to go down the track due to dangerous conditions. It was 35 degrees with a 20+ wind from the north! I've never been that cold at any time in my adult life! Rob Youngblood's helper crashed his scooter into my car in the pits but luckily the scooter got the worst of that. That evening, Bill Rink, Youngblood, the helper and I went to Pat's Pig. Highlights? Met some more good people. Dinner was decent again. Rink's conversational style kept things interesting. We finished the race on Monday morning. Personal evaluation? If I thoughts of going to Topeka entered my mind again, I'd leave the rig at home, fly in, take several sets of thermal underwear (wearing two layers isn't out of the question), and take a taxi to Pat's Pig. The decision to actually go to the track would not be made until the day of the event. c __________________ Chuck Norton