September, 2006, Cruise News

STORY LINE:  PURE STOCK MUSCLE CAR DRAGS … and more  ‘STUPH’

September 15/16 in Stanton, Michigan at the MID MICHIGAN MOTORPLEX, is one of my favorite drag races of all time. I love TOP FUEL, but it moves way too fast, AA/SR are brutal and how well I remember watching Wild Willie Borsch and the WINGED EXPRESS … and AA/GS the likes of BIG JOHN MAZMANIAN, STONE WOODS and COOK, K.S. PITTMAN, OHIO GEORGE and others is way cool. Pure stock muscle car drags may be like watching grass grow compared to the above, but how often do you and I get to see the way it really was, with all as factory cars running on DOT tires, and factory closed exhaust running in the low 12 to maybe a high 11 second time at 120mph? Some of the cars if not most are 13 to high 14 second ET at 100+mph.

 

Stanton, Michigan and the MID MICHIGAN MOTORPLEX is where it’s gonna be, and racing what most of us grew up with-whether we owned it or just dreamed of it is non essential-it will be PURE STOCK MUSCLE DRAG RACING at it’s absolute best. Thanks to Dan Jensen and Bob Boden for a great annual muscle car drag race show. 

All vehicles must run as the factory created it. From tires to transmission to engine … no slicks/traction aided tires, no traction bars, no tubular headers or open exhaust … and must pass a rigorous inspection to run in the show. If you like and remember the factory zoomers of the ’50, ‘60s and ‘70s … BE THERE!!!

Have done some really cool road trips including St. Ignace where we road tested a new Z06 Corvette –next month will give the full story on this incredible world class sports car that averaged 27.6 mpg. I am looking forward to the Frankenmuth show and just as a tip if you are going to the show as a spectator, Friday afternoon/evening is really the best of the show. At 5pm sharp the main street of Frankenmuth is opened up for show car parking with highly organized placement of the incoming cars. Bands play, restaurants are all open and it is one of the best street parties I have ever seen in lower Michigan. So if you are going to Frankenmuth for the day, Friday is way good. But get their early, like 3pm if possible and enjoy the town, dine, walk around have desert and enjoy the scenery.

Last century I had the wonderful opportunity of hosting my own television show, where the automobile and it’s people is what it was all about. We filmed some 200+ half hour shows, went on to hosting a special Detroit automobile centennial show that aired all over the world in 1996, and filmed with HOT ROD MAGAZINE events all over the country for HOT ROD TV. We are back, with another show that will initially air on channels 5 and 10 in Clinton Township, Michigan and be also seen on other Comcast local access networks.

Bought a few more vehicles for the stable to increase the ‘miles of smiles’ peg-o-meter, sold a few that I will likely miss and … the good life goes on. You just have to work at it. Like my good friend Dominic Bommarito says, “Just happy to be here.” The VIXSTER is just “Happy with the coconut shrimp.”

 

DON’T CRY BECAUSE IT’S GONE …SMILE BECAUSE YOU ONCE HAD IT!!!