Drag Strip Days

Readers of this blog, and those familiar with my book, may know that I was a street racer for over 40 years. During those years, I also spent quite a bit of time on the "legal" drag strip, racing my cars in the "street legal" classes. This went on for about a ten year period, between 1987 and 1997, and I still have a lot of the time slips, and a trophy, from those days. During those years, I ran four different cars on the drag strip near my former home in Northern Utah.
In the last couple years, we had a drag strip here in Southern Utah. I went out and watched the racing a couple times, thinking about running on the strip again in my 2015 Mustang GT. About the time I was ready to try my luck again, they closed down the drag strip, and started construction of large industrial buildings on the site. That was the end of that, and for my return to drag racing.
A lot of thing changed in my time away from drag strip racing. Now days, you see a lot of different vehicles, other than the classic muscle cars that used to dominate the racing. You now find way more large, hopped-up, diesel pickup trucks, than the muscle cars of the old days.
Just like the move from muscle cars to hopped-up turbo imports among the street racing crowd, I guess everything changes, even if it's sad for some of us "old-timers", that's the way it goes.
Anyone interested can check out my book at: "Grab Some Gears"

Vintage photo of me on the drag strip in my 87 Mustang,  in the late 1980's.

Shelby GT500

A few years ago, I owned a 2007 Shelby GT 500. I had ordered it from Ed Kenley Ford in Northern Utah, my favorite Ford dealership. The GT 500 was being brought back for the first time since 1970, and I had been on the waiting list since they were first announced. It was almost a year until the details were all finalized and they started actually putting in orders. That dealership would only be getting one Shelby GT 500 for the 2007 model year, and it would be mine. I picked out the color and options I wanted, the order was placed, and 6 months later, my new Shelby arrived.
I think I always knew that it may be a once-in-a-lifetime car for me. Being something special, I tried to keep the miles down, it was always kept clean and detailed. It was never driven is the rain, and was kept covered when in the garage. After we bought our place in Southern Utah, the Shelby was kept in the garage down here most of the time. I could drive it all year around in this climate, and I came down here often.
I made some performance upgrades while I owned the Shelby. It had an after-market cold air induction system, cat-back exhaust system, and some special trim items and the like. It was tuned to about 575 horsepower, and was a thrill to drive. I had it up over 150 MPH on a lonely stretch of  deserted Nevada highway one summer afternoon.
I owned the Shelby for about six years, and it had only 12,000 miles on it when I sold it. The main problem was, I'm a car-guy, and I like to drive my cars. I didn't want a "collectors item" that I felt I couldn't just drive as much as I wanted. When I sold it, I ordered a new 2013 Mustang GT to be my daily driver performance car.
Car enthusiasts may want to check out my book: "Grab Some Gears - 40 Years of Street Racing". Just follow this link; Grab Some Gears

My 2007 Shelby GT 500 , in the Red Rock country of Southern Utah , about 7 years ago.

What's Next ?

Over the last couple years, the miles have really started to add up on our 2014 Dodge Charger. This is mostly due to numerous 2000 mile trips to Washington state and back, from our Southern Utah home. The same situation was happening with our gray 2013 Charger, which was an all-wheel-drive model. We sold that gray Charger to our son, and replaced it with our current white 2014 we found at our local Dodge dealership.
These are excellent cars for many reasons. They are very comfortable to travel in, very roomy, even with rear seat passengers, and have plenty of trunk space. Our 2014 also has a performance tire/wheel package that provides excellent high speed highway handling. Equipped with the 300 horsepower V6 engine, and 8-speed automatic transmission, it has plenty of power, and also gets over 30 miles-per-gallon highway gas mileage.
I have always been a "car-guy", and the looks and image of my cars are important to me. The Dodge Chargers are among very few 4-door cars that can pull off the "muscle-car" look, especially with the 20" chrome wheels of our white 2014 model.
Now, as the miles are adding up, I'm starting to think about what I might get to replace this car when the time comes. I want it to be something with all the qualities we love about this one. What's next? That may be a tall order to fill.
Car people may want to check out my book; "Grab Some Gears - 40 Years of Street Racing". Just follow this link to read sample pages; Grab Some Gears

Our favorite traveling car,  our 2014 Dodge Charger.

Remembering Our History

Anyone who has ever been a car enthusiast, at any point during their life, has fond memories of at least one vehicle from their past. Maybe the first "special" car or truck they ever owned, or one that just brings back the most memories from the days gone by.
For me, that includes many vehicles I have owned over the years. That's just typical for any life-long "car guy". But for many people, that number may be very few, maybe just one or two. For some, it's a vehicle that was special to someone else, other than just our self. I once owned an old Ford Bronco, pick-up cab model, that my grandfather had purchased new at least 20 years before I bought it from my dad. I only owned it for a couple years before I sold it and moved on to something else, but it still holds some special memories for me.
Just this past week, my son sold the 77 Bronco that was special to his son Caden, who passed away last month after loosing his battle with cancer. They owned that vehicle for less than a year, but it will always be remembered as "Caden's Bronco" by the whole family. It will be one of those fond memories for all of us.
We don't have to be a collector, and keep these vehicles, or put them away in storage, for them to be special to us. We have the photographs, and the memories. All we have to do is remember.

Caden's Bronco, ready to be taken away by the new owner.

Obsessions and Distractions

When we have a hobby we love, it often becomes an obsession, taking up all the time we can spare, every chance we get. Sometimes our obsessions can also be a much needed distraction, when the realities of life start to weigh us down, and we just need a break.
That's what my cars are to me, especially when the stresses of life start to become just too much. A day spent cleaning, detailing, and polishing, can be very good and relaxing therapy. Then a drive in that perfectly clean and polished muscle car can finish off a day well spent.
I always want my cars to look their best anyway, even if it's just a last minute cleaning before a trip, or to clean up after a rainy day. If my cars, or garage, are in need of cleaning, it just adds to the stresses of everyday life, and I surly don't want any more of that.
Our lives have been particularly stressful over the last few months, and those times I have spent with my cars have been a great value to me. A much needed distraction. Now, hopefully, they can get back to just being my favorite obsession.
Readers of my blog, or my followers on Facebook and Twitter, may be interested in checking out my book at: "Grab Some Gears"

My obsession,  my 2015 Mustang GT , in the beautiful country near my home in Southern Utah.

Not Enough Time

When we loose someone we love, we realize that we didn't get enough time with them. Those times we did get, become very precious memories, that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.
 We lost a grandson to cancer a couple weeks ago, and just got home yesterday from the long drive to the funeral and back. I had many hours to think about Caden, and what a great young man he was. We have known for some time that we were going to loose him, and we savored the time we got to spend with him and his family.
The accomplishments he made in the last few months are remarkable, as his family made every effort to make sure he could have every possible life experience he could have in the time he had left. Many others were there to help. Friends, neighbors, church members, class mates, extended family, and countless others were there to join in. The outpouring of love and support was remarkable.
He enjoyed life right up to the last couple days, then said his goodbyes to his family, gave precious gifts to his brothers and sisters, and passed on from this earthly life.
We all miss him greatly. As I think back on the time spent with him, no mater how much it was, it just was not enough time.

Our Caden, just a couple weeks before he passed away.

Missing Caden

A few days ago, my grandson Caden passed away after battling cancer for almost 4 years. He was just 16 years old, and an outstanding young man, leaving a lasting impression on anyone who knew him.
He was just 12 years old when he was sent to Seattle Children's Hospital by Life-Flight plane, and in the weeks that followed, the first cancer was removed, along with 3/4 of his liver. That was the first of many trips to that hospital over the last few years. He bounced back from several surgeries and chemo treatments, and accomplished many mile-stones in his young life. In the last few months we found out he was fighting his last fight. The cancer was back, worse than ever, and there was nothing left that could be done. His time was running out.
We were up to visit Caden and his family in August, and he was still busy living life to the fullest. On the afternoon before we came home, Caden took me for a ride in the 77 Bronco that he loved to drive. Manual transmission, big tires, V8 engine and all, not the easiest vehicle to drive, but he handled it like a pro. That was our Caden.  He will be greatly missed.

Caden  Randy  Dirks     May 15 2001 - October 4 2017