Carl Ruth had built this awesome Crown Vickie Flopper, which lost its body while the paint was almost still wet at the 1990 IHRA World Finals. Team Chicago Jon caught it on video, and as it was still an era where video wasn't falling from the trees yet, they were happy to swap us some swag for a copy. The shirt probably would not have fit even back THEN, and remains in the bag, for some ceremonious day to be unfurled. Perhaps some fetching lass will pay tribute to Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding Dodge someday and end up with it.

My first trip to then Rockford (now Byron) Dragway was monumental on countless levels. The only time that "Longest Eight Miles" and I ever went to the races with our Dad, the dramatic angle of 'will Arnie Beswick race'? (Arnie had just lost everything in a fire, I DO remember a local car, whose name escapes me had Beswick’s name racer-taped on though) And, as the race still adhered to the original format of manufacturers against each other, round three was Chevy vs. Ford, and Tommy 'still a Ford' Grove ran Kelly 'still a bowtie' Chadwick. I squeezed off an optimism-fueled shot on my 126, and while fubar, you can actually tell it’s them. The final was a repeat of Englishtown, with the Ace and Don the Shoe, cars still replete with the primer and blotches they showed in that Jersey race. Pretty cool day.

When I got home from Indy in 1979, I headed over to my parent’s house to dig through the newspapers on the back porch. It had been a pretty brutal event, and I was curious to see if it had gotten any coverage. Our sport can have a
million safe runs down the quarter mile, and those corporate-news BASTARDS won't care in the least, but when poor Joe Rooks was in the wrong place at the wrong time, well, they just HAD to put it on the front page, which I have, out of respect and decency, blotted out with a Holy Card. (I'm not the BEST Catholic in the world, but I have my moments.)

Well, what I first thought was a bar napkin stuffed into one of those IRP tumblers turned out to be a hat, one of those 'painter hats' that were a trend in the early '80s. From the Blue Max -- and I notice it was even autographed by Raymond Beadle. Now I'm stunned, because I did not remember getting this, but then...I noticed it was safety-pinned into a very
small size, with, for lack of a better word, a "girlie" pin. And then it hits me, and I mean, ton-of-BRICKS hits me, this was from the 1982 Funny Car race at Ron Leek’s Byron Dragway, the first drag race that I took my first wife to. The hat was made to a smaller size so she could (Jon now flutters his hands about his head) configure it into how she wore her hair that day.

The both blessing, and curse, of memorabilia – well, its purpose is to invoke memories, but from time to time, it will REALLY invoke them. I mean, put you back in your seat type stuff. It's perfect that the relationship began and 
ended in the '80s, because like most of the 'hair-bands' of that decade, she and I were here today, gone LATER today. Our paths crossed three years back, and we had lunch. The conversation was filled with 'how’s your Mom? And whatever happened to So-and-So?' and the like, and while the words "sorry about that whole train-wreck of a relationship" were never really spoken, I think we both sensed it. Sadly, it would also be the last time we'd speak, as she passed away last year.

So, memories, and memorabilia...it can be a dicey proposition. Remember the Grandma in Ron Howard’s movie PARENTHOOD? She liked the roller-coaster, because of the ups and downs, the unpredictability, the thrills? Well, race fans, memory lane can be like that as well, and it won't always be "Hey, member when Snake made 13 qualifying runs at Pomona in '73? OOO, I MEMBER!!"

Sometimes, it's simply, remember this person you knew once? You'll never see that person again, so remembering will have to do. Even though they closed RiverView in 1968, doesn't mean I've forgotten my first roller-coaster ride, and it doesn't mean I'll never ride one ever again, Sparky. Do like Grandma Buckman said, go to the amusement park, ride the roller-coaster, enjoy life, and at the day’s end, as you're making your way to the exit, check out the concession stand. See if they have a little pennant or something with the park’s name on it. You can pack it away somewhere, and bring it out one day, or YEAR, down the road. It'll put a nice smile on your face....

C-YAAAaaaaa!!!