First Divisional or National event stories

Bill Ringer · 04-09-2020, 02:56 PM

First time going to Indy where I was competing, 1991. Two hours before hitting the road something made me think to call the motel and reconfirm my reservation. Learned that the night manger had walked out and took all the reservations with her. This was back when it all was on paper and of course they re-booked everything and were full. Hit the road without a reservation and didn't end up sleeping in the 20 foot trailer. Asked around in the tech line and got something from another racer that had some crew cancel.
Tech was longer than usual because NHRA decided ALL SS cars would have their classifications verified. Tech was inside the 500 speedway back then (which was cool) and the verification for correct class was some guys in a van just outside the speedway with all the tech books (1991- all paper, no digital database back then). Waiting in line for classification it started to rain and I suggested they move the van a couple hundred feet under the grandstands out of the rain. All that suggestion got me was the stink eye.
Finally got to the track & pitted on a dusty road that was watered down regularly. Howard Barsky's fenderwell headers still stirred up plenty of dust so being from Division V, I felt right at home.
Five cars in my Class and one broke, then there was four. Poor guy had a piston turned sideways in his 396 Nova. Won Class, qualified well, I think 33rd. Then got sent to tear down at Paul Harvey Ford in town. Driving out the gate there were a couple of gate attendants loudly singing to everyone headed out "Paul Harvey Ford ... Paul Harvey Ford" just to mock everyone going to the tear down. Really neat to tear down at that old Ford dealership. That place had been there a really long time. Would be really good if they were still there today- I don't know. Got thru tear down without any problem and was really glad I was selected for the morning session since it got HOT and MUGGY by noon. Felt sorry for the guy next to me in tear down, he didn't make it through. In with all our paperwork was notification that they were cracking down on combustion chamber modifications. This guy's engine builder supposedly told him his motor was good and did not have chamber modifications, then he gets tossed for just that.
Made it into Monday eliminations where I was late, broke out & got to the stripe last. Still, felt really good, won class, qualified well and made it to Monday. On the way home the ground wire fell off my A/C compressor and I was without A/C for about 400 miles of I-80 in the late summer. Spotted the wire that was off when I stopped in Kearney Nebraska and had A/C the last couple hundred miles home to Colorado, boy that felt good.
All things considered this was a great and really memorable Indy trip that I'll not ever forget. Everyone should do Indy at least once. There's nothing like it.

04-09-2020, 02:56 PM	#12
Bill Ringer Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Colorado Posts: 107 Likes: 34 Liked 141 Times in 25 Posts	Re: First Divisional or National event stories First time going to Indy where I was competing, 1991. Two hours before hitting the road something made me think to call the motel and reconfirm my reservation. Learned that the night manger had walked out and took all the reservations with her. This was back when it all was on paper and of course they re-booked everything and were full. Hit the road without a reservation and didn't end up sleeping in the 20 foot trailer. Asked around in the tech line and got something from another racer that had some crew cancel. Tech was longer than usual because NHRA decided ALL SS cars would have their classifications verified. Tech was inside the 500 speedway back then (which was cool) and the verification for correct class was some guys in a van just outside the speedway with all the tech books (1991- all paper, no digital database back then). Waiting in line for classification it started to rain and I suggested they move the van a couple hundred feet under the grandstands out of the rain. All that suggestion got me was the stink eye. Finally got to the track & pitted on a dusty road that was watered down regularly. Howard Barsky's fenderwell headers still stirred up plenty of dust so being from Division V, I felt right at home. Five cars in my Class and one broke, then there was four. Poor guy had a piston turned sideways in his 396 Nova. Won Class, qualified well, I think 33rd. Then got sent to tear down at Paul Harvey Ford in town. Driving out the gate there were a couple of gate attendants loudly singing to everyone headed out "Paul Harvey Ford ... Paul Harvey Ford" just to mock everyone going to the tear down. Really neat to tear down at that old Ford dealership. That place had been there a really long time. Would be really good if they were still there today- I don't know. Got thru tear down without any problem and was really glad I was selected for the morning session since it got HOT and MUGGY by noon. Felt sorry for the guy next to me in tear down, he didn't make it through. In with all our paperwork was notification that they were cracking down on combustion chamber modifications. This guy's engine builder supposedly told him his motor was good and did not have chamber modifications, then he gets tossed for just that. Made it into Monday eliminations where I was late, broke out & got to the stripe last. Still, felt really good, won class, qualified well and made it to Monday. On the way home the ground wire fell off my A/C compressor and I was without A/C for about 400 miles of I-80 in the late summer. Spotted the wire that was off when I stopped in Kearney Nebraska and had A/C the last couple hundred miles home to Colorado, boy that felt good. All things considered this was a great and really memorable Indy trip that I'll not ever forget. Everyone should do Indy at least once. There's nothing like it.