Central Illinois Dragway
Havana, Illinois
September 6, 2014
As our racing season draws to an end, once again, we enjoyed the Havana dragstrip. Bryan and June Huffman were the first to arrive on Friday followed by Ken Kapper & Ralph Grote, Roger Brown, Jesse & Bertie James, and Mike & Debbie Hoffman. Saturday brought the rest of our crew. Gary, Lavone, & Brian Blasey, Steve Bacon and Bill Wamboldt. We were all tucked into a great pit area right next to the strip. This spot not only afforded us comfort but also a great viewing area of all the racing action. Friday was splattered with patches of rain that put a damper on the evening plans of Test’n Tune.
Saturday morning brought bright sunshine, practically no humidity, and cooler weather. As we waited for our first run, we watched the track action and noticed many cars running under their ET’s. The cars loved the clear cool air!
When we were here in the Spring, we found our selves short two cars and invited a couple local racers to join us. Finding ourselves in the same position this time, we were fortunate enough to enjoy their company again. They both showed interest in joining, so maybe they will become regulars. The spectators were many. The stands were filled most of the day and people were dotted along the fenceline with chairs and EZ ups. Just a great day for racing.
Time trials started at 1:00 to determine bracket racing divisions. Within the first 20 cars, a large oil down, the full length of the track, put a halt to the action for close to an hour. We were supposed to get an early afternoon pass. That didn’t happen until after 3:00. By then, we were all anxious to make that first run to assure our cars were healthy for the evening show. None more apprehensive than Mike & Debbie Hoffman. Mike shucked his transmission at the Pacific Junction race two weeks ago. The blue Wee Haul truck was back together just in time for Havana. Test’n Tune would have been welcomed. As it was, the little blue Willys ran like a champ. On the flipside of the coin, Bill & Kathy Wamboldts beautiful Chevy dumped it’s differential and drive shaft on the starting line, the first time the lights came down. The rest of our group ran without issues although we did notice that Roger Brown could use a new set of shocks. Maybe Santa will help Bill and Roger out at Christmas.
The evening show started a little late due to track delays and we only had one run instead of the two scheduled. Heavy cool dampness set in and we were content to put our toys away to enjoy the rest of the evening socializing. The conversations included reminiscing the 2014 season and looking forward to a great 2015 summer with all of our racing family.
Jesse & Bertie James
